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SPOTLIGHT
ON THE ARTS - December 2003 by Deanna Mascle A Dream Come True
The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea began as a local project. However today it represents a cooperative partnership that includes the host city, Berea College, Eastern Kentucky University, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Kentucky Tourism Development Cabinet. The idea for the project was born out of need. It was apparent to community leaders in the 1990s that many of Berea’s working artisans were having more and more difficulty making a living at their art. The destruction of a number artisan shops in Old Town Berea by a tornado only exacerbated the problem. Soon a partnership was formed to find a solution to the matter. As the partnership developed, so did the idea for a way to increase the visibility of artisans and their work as well as increase their market. That idea grew into the concept that would become the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea. Funds for construction and initial set-up of the project were appropriated by the 1998 and 2000 legislatures. Ground was broken in April 2003, and eventually the project became an agency in the Tourism Development Cabinet. The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea provides a unique and authentic experience for visitors; offers diverse Kentucky food, art and craft; educates and entertains visitors about the role of the artisan in traditional and contemporary culture; and promotes economic development and cultural heritage tourism for communities and artisans through services and linkages. Even the very building that houses the Artisan Center works toward the goal of promoting Kentucky’s artisans. It features Kentucky limestone quarried in Harrodsburg, that was laid by stonemasons from Kentucky. Myers Jolly Architects of Lexington designed the facility. Not only is the Artisan Center a benefit for the artisans it promotes but it is also a positive for the region and the state. There are 400 artisans whose work is exhibited and sold through the Artisan Center. These are among the premiere artisans of the state, according to Faoro. Many of our artisans are juried participants in the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program and the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. The Artisan Center is free and open to the public seven days a week, 12 hours a day (8 a.m.-8 p.m.). People can pick up travel information and work with staff to plan their trip in Kentucky and also enjoy exhibits of artisan works. These exhibits include crafts, paintings and photographs, music recordings, books by Kentucky authors and publishers, and foods by Kentucky specialty food producers. Visitors can purchase these works or enjoy a meal or snack in The Artisan Café, which serves many Kentucky specialties like fried catfish, red velvet cake etc. Special events like demonstrations, book signings etc. are also held regularly. Currently, demonstrations are held every Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Faoro is proud of the quality of work represented by the Artisan Center and the fact that it is all produced within the Commonwealth. “It’s a place to visit often. Our exhibits and sales areas change daily, admission is free, and our meals are reasonably priced and of great quality. And we provide great hospitality of all visitors.” Deanna Mascle is a
staff writer for The Lane Report. |
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Copyright 1996-2003, by Kentucky Business Online. All rights reserved. Editorial content is copyright 2003,
Lane Communications Group The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
Berea has long been known for its artistic community, but this past July, after five years of planning, the city opened the doors of a building that will raise that image to a whole new level.
“We provide visitors with a taste of the wide range of quality Kentucky products and experiences, and encourage them to travel elsewhere in the region and state to enjoy more. With our interstate visibility we have the ability to pull people off the interstate, often for the first time, and serve as a gateway to other experiences in the state,” says Victoria Faoro, executive director of the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea who joined the staff in January 2001.