Arts Council
Kentucky Crafted Artists Exhibit at Philadelphia Buyers Market

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Six Kentucky Crafted businesses marketed their work in the Kentucky Arts Council's booth at the Philadelphia Buyers Market of American Craft, August 1-3, 2009.

The Buyers Market of American Craft is the nation's largest wholesale trade show of American craft, providing artists a professional venue to build relationships with qualified wholesale craft buyers.  Approximately 1,500 artists exhibited to more than 9,000 buyers from across the United States and Canada.

"As a state-sponsored program, we are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to Kentucky craft artists," says Lori Meadows, executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council.  "It gives buyers from across the country the chance to purchase top quality handcrafted merchandise from the state known for its strong craft traditions and vibrant contemporary craft culture."

Participating artists were: Marianne Brown, Marianne Brown Pottery, Lawrenceburg; Pamela Mattei, DyeSigns by Pamela Louisville; Dick Scheu, Kentucky Snow, Louisville; Jennifer Stephenson McLamb, BLISS Boutique & Studio, Lexington; Marvin Schnoll, Red Oak Crafts, Inc., Louisville; and Ken Roberts, Cadiz.

Kentucky Crafted is a program of the Kentucky Arts Council that enables Kentucky artists and craftspeople to reach regional, national and international markets through state-sponsored wholesale and retail promotional venues.  Acceptance into the program is based on artistic excellence in design and technique, originality (or authenticity for traditional work), and marketability. There are currently 509 juried visual and craft artists in the Kentucky Crafted program.

The Kentucky Arts Council also sponsors its own trade show, Kentucky Crafted: The Market.  This award winning annual wholesale/retail marketplace, produced by the Kentucky Arts Council, brings over 250 exhibitors of traditional and contemporary fine art and craft, books, musical recordings, films and specialty food products to South Wing B of the Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky., on March 4-7, 2010. For more information about Kentucky Crafted: The Market 2010, go to: www.kycraft.ky.gov

This year, in anticipation of increased marketing opportunities for Kentucky artists and craftspeople, there will be an additional review panel with an application deadline of September 15, 2009. For more information about the program, contact Arts Marketing Program Director Craig Kittner at (502) 564-3757 ext. 484, toll free 888-833-2787 or craig.kittner@ky.gov.  To access guidelines, instructions and an application, go to http://artscouncil.ky.gov/guide/prog9/kcmp_gdl.htm.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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