Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen Spring Fair

It’s official! Spring has sprung, the tents have been dusted off & the summer art & craft fair season is officially underway. This past weekend was the first of two summer shows for me in the historic Indian Fort Theater in Berea, Ky. I, along with several members of the Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen, decorated my space & set up my work for the KGAC Spring Fair.

For the first time in five years the KGAC Spring Fair was hosted under the canopy of trees in Indian Fort Theater. Indian Fort Theater is an excellent venue for this sort of outdoor fair. The atmosphere is charming, enchanting & relaxed. Musicians stroll the venue with instruments in tow, pausing where crowds are gathered to entertain for a couple of songs before moving on to delight ears elsewhere. This past weekend there were fiddle players, a bass constructed from an upside down washtub, a puppeteer entertaining children as they passed.

As a seller, it is pleasant to sit just outside my tent, behind my table and take it all in–the smell from the blacksmith’s fire, the consistent sound of his hammer forging a new piece, the lull of wind chimes or of musical bells, laughter, fresh corn, “yum” and “ooohhh” or “aahhh” and sentences like, “How delightful.”, “I’m mesmerized!” or “This makes me happy.” There is much to be said about working this way–conducting business in the shade of the trees, making contacts & new friends. It can be heartbreaking, heartwarming, soul stirring, exhilarating, tiring….it can be all those things at any given moment. But mainly it feels genuine, real, gritty & alive.

It’s sometimes difficult to put yourself out there, to welcome scrutiny & critique, but the oohhhs, aaahhhs & genuine ear to ear smiles are always worth it. I’m happy to be a small part of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen & to display my work with other artists from this state. It makes me proud to show you what these hands can create!

My next show will be July 12, 13 & 14th at Indian Fort Theater in Berea, Ky. I will join 120 vendors there for the Berea Craft Festival. In October, the Kentucky Guild of Artists & Craftsmen will again be displaying their wares in the woods of Indian Fort Theater. These are events too good to miss!

Too keep up with Berea Craft Festival or the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen “like” their facebook pages.

Berea Craft Festival

Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen Facebook

Coming up — KGAC Fall Fair.

Hi all. If you’re a member of my mailing list, you might remember that I applied for membership to the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen back in August. I submitted 10 dolls to be juried by current KGAC members. I am happy to announce that I am now a member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. My first event as a member will be the KGAC Fall Fair, held this weekend at Indian Fort Theater in Berea, Kentucky. There will be close to 100 KGAC members who create some of the best arts & crafts Kentucky artisans have to offer. I’ll have my dolls there. Some you may have seen, some will be entirely new creations, which I will debut at this event. If you’re near Kentucky, please join us Saturday & Sunday. What a great way to celebrate fall, the turning leaves, and fantastic art made by Kentucky hands. (The image below links to the KGAC website with more information.)

See you there!