Kentucky Crafted Returns to Lex. for 34th Year

Kentucky art, craft, literature, music and artisan food will return to the Lexington Convention Center in March for the 34th edition of Kentucky Crafted: The Market, the Kentucky Arts Council’s signature arts event for wholesale buyers and the general public.

The Market will be Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6 at the Lexington Convention Center, 430 W. Vine St.

The Market will be open to registered wholesale buyers only on March 4.

Kentucky artists who exhibit at The Market are all juried participants in the arts council’s Kentucky Crafted Program and represent a broad cross-section of artistic disciplines.

In addition, select artists from other states are invited to exhibit at the show.

Market visitors will see paintings, sketches, wood carvings, unique furniture, sculpture, metalwork, literature, music and many other examples of art and craft made by artists in the Kentucky Crafted program and selected out-of-state artists.

A variety of Kentucky Proud food vendors will also sell their culinary creations.

In addition to spectacular Kentucky art, families have a selection of fun hands-on activities.

Kids can make their own backpack charms with The Explorium of Lexington, and learn and do printmaking and bookbinding with volunteers from Frankfort’s Josephine Sculpture Park, Starpointe Studio and Hound Dog Press.

Kids also can get in touch with Kentucky traditions with master folk artists from the Kentucky Folklife Program and students from Western Kentucky University’s Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology.

The Market also features performances by 16 of Kentucky’s top music groups on the Kentucky Stage.

Take a break from shopping at the artists’ booths, sit down and enjoy the sounds of bluegrass, blues, jazz and other distinctive Kentucky sounds from performing groups in the arts council’s Performing Artists Directory.

For bluegrass fans, the Kentucky Stage will feature a solid block of bluegrass music on Saturday afternoon from musicians and groups such as Dale Pyatt, No Tools Loaned and Hog Operation.

The Market will be open to the public 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 6.

Tickets are $10 for one day and $15 for both days, and can be purchased online (https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Arts/CraftedTickets) or at the door.

Children 15 years of age and under are admitted free with a paying adult.

Info: Contact Christopher Cathers, arts council program branch manager, at (502) 564-3757, ext. 488 or at christopher.cathers@ky.gov.