Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea
Exhibition Celebrates the Horse - at Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea

To celebrate Kentucky being internationally known for its horses and the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea will display The Horse: Interpretations by Kentucky Artisans from Aug. 28, 2010 - Feb. 26, 2011. This exhibition showcases how Kentucky Artisans interpret this amazing animal using their respective mediums and includes works in both two and three dimensional formats by 39 Kentucky artisans. Mediums include painting, hand-bound books, photography, sculpture, fiber, metal, wood and clay.

Artistic familiarity comes naturally for several artists as the direct result of them being actively involved with horses as trainers and riders themselves. John T. Berry, of Midway, who creates dramatically realistic oil paintings and drawings, has had a 16-year career as a professional trainer and show rider and Janet Bailey Burch of Crestwood, has been teaching, showing, training and judging horses for most of her adult life, giving her a thorough knowledge of the structure of the horse to create her scroll sawn and carved wood sculptures.

In this exhibition the horse as a subject has been interpreted using realism, abstraction and whimsy. From the dream-like paintings by Mark Downey, of Butler, and the intricately rendered and imaginative pen and ink renderings of Lexington artist Wendy Currier, to the delicate wood scroll sawn horses created by Louisville sculptor Bob Diehl,  this exhibition has something for every horse lover to enjoy.

Photographers participating have captured the horse within various landscapes and in close range using a variety of traditional and digital photography techniques. Sharp abstraction can be found in the woodblock prints by Berea artist and studio potter Jeff Enge, who has distilled his horse portraits using minimal color, while stained glass is used by Marlene Dennis, of Louisville, to render equine portraits in color and light.

Among the sculptural works included are Lexington artist Julie Warren Conn’s white Colorado marble abstraction titled “Stalwart” and Owenton potter Greg Seigel has constructed horses in stoneware that are reminiscent of ancient renderings. A large Maple burl is used by Chris Ramsey, of Somerset, to portray a horse drinking water and Martha Puckett of Louisville, has sculpted horse-head stoppers for her pit-fired porcelain bourbon bottles.

Whimsy can be seen in Louisville fiber artist Audrey Schulz’s work, in the elemental painted twig sculptures by folk artist Harry Jennings, and in an unusually postured horse sculpture by Falmouth artist Nita Keeler.

Additional artists included in this exhibit are Lydia P. Allen, Pewee Valley; Marianne Brown, Lawrenceburg; Warren Brunner, Berea; Dina Buckey, Brandenburg; Bill Cook, Lexington; Mary Craik, Louisville; Robin Fassas, Irvine; Bruce Frank, Georgetown; Robin Victor Goetz, Taylor Mill; Harry Jennings, Berea; Ed Lawrence, Frankfort; Janice Miller, Wilmore; Lonnie & Twyla Money, East Bernstadt; Louie Northern, Mt. Vernon; Patricia Ritter, Kettle; Jeff Rogers, Lexington; Rachel Savané, Lexington; Marvin Schnoll, Louisville; Henrietta Scott, Columbia; Peggy Sherry, Somerset; Joan Surber, Bowling Green; David Toczko, Elizabethtown; David Waltz, Columbia; Bruce Wess, Petersburg; and Constance K. Wozny, Eastwood.

“The Horse: Interpretations by Kentucky Artisans” will be on display Aug. 28, 2010 - Feb. 26, 2011. An open to the public meet-the-artist reception will be held Sunday, Aug. 29, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the center.

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is located at 975 Walnut Meadow Road just off I-75 at exit 77 (Berea). The center’s exhibits, shopping and travel information areas are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the café is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The center currently features works by more than 650 artisans from 100 counties across the Commonwealth. For information call 859-985-5448 or visit the center’s website at www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov 

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is an agency in the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.