WKU News

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 13, 2019) — Visitors to The Kentucky Crafted Market, March 16-17 at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena, are guaranteed to find the best Kentucky-made art and craft, but they can also learn about the techniques and traditions of two well-known Kentucky art forms.

Kentucky basket makers will demonstrate and answer questions about their work in the Woven Treasures area both days at The Kentucky Crafted Market. Basket makers in the Woven Treasures area will be Charles and Charlene Long and Mark and Malinda Childress of the Mammoth Cave basket making community; and Scott Gilbert and Vicki Hast.

The Woven Treasures area is being sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council, the Western Kentucky University Department of Folk Studies & Anthropology, the Kentucky Folklife Program and the Basket Maker’s Catalog.

Market visitors are free to directly ask questions of basket makers while they work, or they can engage one of the WKU folk studies graduate student volunteers to provide a guided discussion about an individual basket maker’s work and techniques.

The basket makers will also participate in narrative stage interviews which will be during the afternoons on Saturday and Sunday.

Several of the Kentucky basket makers will participate in the National Basketry Organization national conference July 16-20 in Bowling Green.

Another added feature of this year’s Market is the presentation of the Homer Ledford Award by the Kentucky Folklife Program. The award annually honors a top Kentucky luthier for his or her contributions to the craft of instrument making and service to Kentucky music communities. This year’s awardee is Glespie Ray Deweese of Butler County. The award has been presented since 2007 and this is the third time in its history that it has been presented at The Kentucky Crafted Market.