FRANKFORT, Ky. – The exhibit, Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers is currently showing at the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library in downtown Paris, Kentucky. Sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Historical Society, this free public exhibit presents the handmade instruments and tools of 16 Kentucky luthiers (makers of stringed instruments) who are recognized as masters in creating and repairing guitars, fiddles, dulcimers, mandolins, banjos and other original instruments.
Funded through the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces grant, Made to be Played is the result of years of fieldwork by the Kentucky Folklife Program, an interagency program of the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Historical Society. The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of Homer Ledford, a gifted luthier, craftsman, instrument inventor and musician who passed away on December 11, 2006. He was known for the quality, beauty, and uniqueness of his works, some of which are included in the Smithsonian Institution’s collection. The exhibit includes examples of his handcrafted instruments, carvings, and tools. A copy of his book of autobiographical stories and poems, See Ya’ Further Up the Creek is also available for loan from the library.
Other Kentucky luthiers featured in the exhibit 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.
Visitors can see Made to be Played at the Paris-Bourbon County Public Library until March 4 during the library’s normal hours of operation. The Paris-Bourbon County Library is located at 701 High Street, in downtown Paris. Normal hours of operation are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
In 2008, the exhibit will travel to several other locations around Kentucky, including Kentucky Crafted: The Market at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, March 8-9. Luthiers featured in the exhibit will be interviewed and available for questions at Kentucky Crafted: The Market on the Blue Moon Stage at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.
Funding for Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers is made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as a part of the American Masterpieces program, which seeks to introduce Americans to the best of their cultural and artistic legacy.
The Kentucky Arts Council is a state agency in the Commerce Cabinet that creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Complete listing of future exhibition sites is listed below.
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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.
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.
Itinerary for Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers
Kentucky Crafted: The Market
Kentucky Exposition Center, South Wing B
Louisville, KY
Contact: Mark Brown, Kentucky Folklife Program
(502) 564-1792 x 4491
March 8-9, 2008
Louisville Free Public Library
301 York Street, Louisville, KY 40203
(502) 574-1611
March 11-April 14, 2008
Carroll County Public Library
136 Court Street, Carrollton, KY 41008
(502) 732-7020
April 15-May 7, 2008
Redbud Festival
Union College Campus, Barbourville, KY 40906
(606) 546-4300
May 8-10, 2008
Laurel County Library
120 College Park Drive, London, KY 40741
(606) 864-5759
May 11-May 27, 2008
Logan County Public Library
201 West 6th Street, Russellville, KY 42276
(270) 726-6129
May 28-August 4, 2008
Hope Drury Church/Henderson Bluegrass in the Park and Folklife Festival
Henderson, KY
August 5-September 1, 2008
Muhlenberg County Library
117 South Main Street, Greenville, KY 42345
(270) 338-4760
September 2-November 3, 2008
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