FRANKFORT, Ky. — For the ninth year, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture will partner with the Kentucky Retail Federation in presenting the Kentucky Crafted™ Retail Awards in four categories; Kentucky retailer, Kentucky state park gift shop, out-of-state retailer, and Kentucky Proud food retailer. Winners will be honored for making significant contributions in promoting the Kentucky Crafted™ and Kentucky Proud brands during a special reception on Friday, March 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the second floor of South Wing C at the Kentucky Exposition Center as part of Kentucky Crafted: The Market.
The Top Kentucky Retailer, Top Kentucky State Park Gift Shop, and Top Kentucky Proud Food Retailer awards are sponsored by the Kentucky Retail Federation, the “voice of retailing” throughout the commonwealth, representing retailers of all types and sizes since 1939. From Main Street to the mall, Kentucky retailers enhance Kentucky’s communities and provide a better quality of life for all Kentuckians.
The 2008 Top Retailer Nominees for Kentucky Crafted: The Market are:
Top Kentucky Retailer
ARTIQUE, Lexington
Court Street Gifts, Winchester
Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea
Kentucky Haus Craft Gallery, Newport
Kentucky’s Best, Owensboro
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville
Kentucky Soaps and Such, Stanford
Log House Craft Gallery, Berea
Paradise Shops at Louisville International Airport
Red Bird Mission Crafts, Beverly
Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg
Taste of Kentucky, Louisville
True Kentucky, Glendale
Wild Bird Center, Louisville
Top Kentucky State Park Gift Shop
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, Buckhorn
Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Jamestown
My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Bardstown
Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade
Top Out-of-State Retailer
Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville, TN
Arts A Poppin, Indianapolis, IN
Boulder Arts & Crafts Co-op, Boulder, CO
Idea Factory, New Orleans, LA
Winterfire Craft Gallery, Clemmons, NC
Top Kentucky Proud Retailer
Country Mart, Taylorsville
Doll’s Market, Louisville
Keeneland Gift Shop, Lexington
The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea
The Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington
Kroger, Louisville & Lexington
Liquor Barn, Louisville & Lexington
Party Mart, Louisville
Paul’s Fruit Market, Louisville
Remke Markets, Erlanger
Soap and Such, Stanford
Taste of Kentucky, Louisville
Town and Country Specialty, Bardstown
Valu Market, Louisville
The 2007 Top Retailer Award recipients for Kentucky Crafted: The Market were:
Top Kentucky Retailer
Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Harrodsburg
Top Kentucky State Park Gift Shop
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, Buckhorn
Top Out-of-State Retailer
The Artisan Center at Maple Creek, Moscow, Ohio
Top Kentucky Proud Retailer
Remke Market, Erlanger
“I feel extremely proud to have received this award. The commitment to quality of workmanship that each artist provides through Kentucky Crafted is the reason our customers seek out these products. Thank you to each artist and Kentucky Crafted.” says Steve Herndon of the Artisan Center at Maple Creek, last year’s Top Out-of-State Retailer winner.
In a new twist to the awards program, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Department of Agriculture are co-sponsoring a special reception celebrating Kentucky’s art, talent and culture. Refreshments, featuring Kentucky Proud foods, are being served. There will also be performances by Performing Arts Directory artists, Lorinda Jones, and Pale, Stout and Amber during the event. Tickets are $10 per person and must be reserved in advance by calling the Kentucky Arts Council at 888-833-2787.
A silent auction to raise funds for the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), a national organization that gives aid to artists across the country, will be held on Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Winning bids will be announced at the awards ceremony on Friday evening.
Market dates and times for retailers and the public follow. Interested retailers who wish to attend can register at the door with two forms of business identification or visit www.kycraft.ky.gov for more information and the 2008 program guide.
Kentucky Crafted: The Market 2008
Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, South Wing B, Louisville, Ky.
Trade Only Days (Registration Required)
Thursday, March 6, 2008 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Friday, March 7, 2008 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (EST)
Public Days
Saturday, March 8, 2008 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (EST)
Sunday, March 9, 2008 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EST)
Adults $8 (Children 15 and under free), Parking $5
Kentucky Crafted:The Market is produced by the Kentucky Arts Council, the state agency that creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Funding for the Kentucky Arts Council is provided by the Kentucky State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
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The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, invests in programs that develop vibrant communities, provide lifelong education in the arts and support arts participation. Every $1 invested in operating support grants by the Kentucky Arts Council leverages $24 in earned income and matching funds from individuals, philanthropic sources and other levels of government.