FRANKFORT, Ky. – A special exhibition, Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers, featuring the art and tradition of Kentuckians who are considered masters in the making and repairing of guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, dulcimers and other original stringed instruments will open at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea on June 21, and continue on display through September 9, 2007. 

This exhibit, funded through a National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces grant, is dedicated to the memory of master luthier, craftsman, instrument inventor and musician, Homer Ledford who passed away December 11, 2006.  Other featured artists include Roy Bowen, Winchester; Gary Cornett, Louisville; Cathy Currier, Richmond; Bryan England, Caneyville; Arthur Hatfield, Glasgow; Neil Kendrick, Frenchburg; Donna Lamb, Lancaster; Lewis Lamb, Lancaster; Scott Leedy, Winchester; Warren A. May, Berea; Art Mize, Lexington; Douglas Naselroad, Winchester; Frank Neat, Russell Springs; Frank Pittman, Bowling Green; Jimmy Robertson, Edmonton and Larry Shepherd, Caneyville.

The Kentucky Arts Council will host the opening reception for Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers with a demonstration by master luthiers and a special tribute performance by the Cabin Creek Band (formerly Homer Ledford and the Cabin Creek Band). The reception is from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., June 21, 2007, at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea, off Interstate 75 at Berea exit 77. The event is free and open to the public.

Made to be played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers is the result of fieldwork conducted by the Kentucky Folklife Program, an interagency program of the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Historical Society, sponsors of the exhibit.

NOTE TO EDITORS: High resolution photo of available at http://artscouncil.ky.gov/Press_Images/homershands.jpg

Photo caption: The hands of Homer Ledford carving a dulcimer headstock.

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The Kentucky Arts Council is a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet that creates opportunities for Kentuckians through the arts. Every $1 in grant funds awarded by the Kentucky Arts Council helps grantees secure $15 in earned income and matching funds from individuals, philanthropic sources and other levels of government. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

The Kentucky Historical Society, a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet, provides connections to the past, perspective on the present and inspiration for the future.