Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft

English photographer Tim Flach, who was featured in a documentary on Animal Planet, has traveled the world photographing horses from the race tracks of England, to the stables in Dubai, to the wild landscapes of Scandinavia and the ranches of the American South West.

This exhibition is being held in celebration of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, which will be held in Lexington, KY from September 25 – October 10, 2010. For more information, visit www.alltechfeigames.com.

Red River: The Narrative Carvings of Edgar Tolson, Donny Tolson, Carl McKenzie and Earnest Patton
July 24 through October 9, 2010.

The opening reception will be held Friday, July 23rd from 5:00pm – 8:00pm.

This is exhibition No. 9 in the Mary Norton Shands Kentucky Artist Series, an ongoing series of exhibitions which focus on the rich variety and quality of Kentucky art and artists, presented in the memory of our Museum founder.

Guest-curated by Larry Hackley, the exhibition will feature at least 10 major works by each of the four artists, for a total of 46 works in all. The focus is on their narrative work, so most of the carvings are complex, multi-figure scenes, including six Garden of Eden pieces by Edgar Tolson. Mr. Hackley’s long-time association with all four artists, dating back to the mid-1970s, made him the ideal choice as curator for the exhibition. An extensive, full color catalog including essays by Larry Hackley and Adrian Swain is available for purchase.

“This exhibition was assembled to illustrate the connections, influences, styles, sources, and evolutions of the four major sculptors of the Campton School,” writes Hackley in the exhibition essay. “It establishes that Appalachian Kentucky’s visual arts tradition is equally as rich and vibrant as the region’s music and literature. The work of these artists addresses universal themes and celebrates a particular sense of place.”

“In the end, this project grew and became more exciting with each passing day. We consider it amongst the most important exhibitions that Kentucky Folk Art Center has ever presented,” said KFAC Director Matt Collinsworth. “All of these artists, four of the most important in contemporary American folk art, came out of the same place and were influenced by the same local culture. In one way or another, the other three followed Edgar Tolson’s lead, but all realized something unique and made his work distinctively his own.”

This traveling exhibition was organized by The Kentucky Folk Art Center at Morehead State University, and was funded in part by a Folklife Program grant from The Kentucky Arts Council.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by Brown-Forman and the Arthur K. Smith Family Foundation.

Events

WILD WHEELS CONVERGE ON MAIN STREET FOR THE 9th ANNUAL KENTUCKY ART CAR WEEKEND: New this Year - Parade Route Moves to Frankfort Avenue

The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft will host the 9th Annual Kentucky Art Car Weekend from Thursday, August 5 to Saturday, August 7, 2010. The event will showcase nearly 40 art cars from around the country, including Chris Hubbard’s “Heaven and Hell Car” (Georgia), Ramona Moon’s “Corn Car” (Ohio), Becky Morris’ “OptiCARlusion” (West Virginia), Tim McNally’s “Other Art Car” (New Jersey), Gary Coover’s “Yellow Submarine” (Arkansas), and Melanie Harris’ “78 Tiki” art car (Ohio). A complete schedule can be found at www.kentuckyartcarweekend.com.

The weekend will kick off with a drive-in movie at the Waterfront Wharf, located next to Joe’s Crab Shack, on Thursday, August 5th beginning at 7:00pm. Several cars will be on display as the Wharf will become a full-fledged drive-in movie theatre, complete with a concession stand and a radio transmitted sound. Guests will have the opportunity to watch several interesting family-friendly films projected on the side of a large art car truck. The feature film will begin at 9:00pm.

Beginning at 9:00am on Friday, August 6th, art cars from around the country will arrive and park along the 700 block of West Main Street. The cars will remain on display through the First Friday Trolley Hop for a block party that includes artist demonstrations, a sidewalk sale, and music. At 9:00pm the cars will go on an illuminated cruise to Lynn’s Paradise Café, located at 984 Barret Avenue.

At 9:00am on Saturday morning, the cars will return to West Main Street where the block party continues. The public is invited to vote for their favorite art car, and from 10:00am-1:00pm the Museum will host a free workshop where children can build their own mini art car. Beginning at 2:00pm, the cars will embark on a new art car parade route, traveling down Frankfort Avenue for hundreds of spectators.

Beginning at 6:00pm on Saturday night a free Barn Dance will be held in the lot behind 21C, located at 700 West Main Street. A dinner buffet provided by Proof will be available for purchase, and the party will include a cash bar and live music from local bands.

The Kentucky Art Car Weekend is sponsored by the International Contemporary Art Foundation, 21C, 4th District Council Member David Tandy, Red 7e, and 9th District Council Member Tina Ward-Pugh. For more information, please call (502) 589-0102 or visit www.kentuckyartcarweekend.com.

MICHELLE AMOS SELECTED AS KMAC ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Michelle Amos has been selected by the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft to participate in the spring 2010 Artist-in-Residency Program. Amos will have use of studio space and tools at the Museum through August 15th, where she will create a new body of work inspired by the Ohio River. Museum attendees are invited to watch the artist at work in her studio, which is located in the 3rd floor Education Department.

Michelle Amos is a visual and performance artist whose work is centered around her background in fiber art. She has written several performance pieces to date and has been showing her work publicly in fine art exhibits since 1998.

“This program will allow me to work on a series of both small- and large-scale vessels based on my numerous trips along the Ohio River,” says Amos. “I have moved away from Louisville several times throughout my adult life and every time I return home, I fall more in love with Kentucky as a state and a home. Living near large bodies of water has been important me, especially after spending time in undergraduate school working as a commercial fisherman in Alaska for two seasons. So, working on a series based upon the Ohio River, where it borders Kentucky, seemed an interesting way to marry my passions.”

The Artist-in-Residency Program provides an emerging artist the opportunity to hone their craft within an active museum environment, which is part of the vibrant arts community in Louisville. Benefits include the use of studio space and tools, a stipend for supplies and work, free admission to adult workshops, and the opportunity to network with professional artists. Applications for the fall 2010 Artist-in-Residency can be downloaded at www.KentuckyArts.org and must be submitted by July 15, 2010. For more information, contact Dane Waters at (502) 589-0102 or danewaters@kentuckyarts.org.