As we wrap up the 40th anniversary of The Kentucky Crafted Market, I want to reflect on some successes of the 2023 event: we welcomed more than 9,600 visitors to the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena during the three-day Market, the highest attendance since 2013; we collected cash donations of $4,600 for the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund; and we hosted a special event in which Kentucky Crafted artist Dan Neil Barnes presented a glass sculpture to the staff of Appalshop to replace a similar piece of his that was lost to the flood of July 2022.

Our show has many moving parts, and we could not do it without the many outstanding exhibitors who represent the best in Kentucky-made art and craft, the Kentucky Arts Council staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure The Market runs seamlessly, the folks at the Kentucky Horse Park who provide us a venue that has allowed The Market to be successful for the past three years, the many volunteers who give of their time to make the event a success, and, of course, to our guests. Without your love for Kentucky-made artwork, we would not have a show. We hope you discovered something new and exciting this year, and that you’re ready to do it again next year. Be sure to bring a friend!

On March 1, the arts council hosted the Poetry Out Loud state championship at the Grand Theatre in Frankfort. It was the first edition of the high school poetry recitation competition to be held in person since March of 2020. State champion Sarah Gamble of Allen County-Scottsville High School will represent Kentucky in the Poetry Out Loud national semifinals later this spring in Washington, D.C. Join us in wishing her good luck.

April is coming and that means Kentucky Writers’ Day is just around the corner. Celebrate with us on April 24 in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort as we honor Kentucky’s literary traditions and install the 2023-24 Kentucky Poet Laureate. The celebration won’t be confined to a single day though. Once again, we are accepting videos through March 31 from writers across the state, or even Kentucky natives living elsewhere, to feature on the Kentucky Arts Council Facebook page. You can learn more about how you can be a part of this by visiting this web page.  

There’s still time to submit work for the Governor’s Derby exhibit. The deadline is March 30, and the exhibit will run April 20-May 16. This year’s theme is “Resilience,” honoring the strength our friends in eastern and western Kentucky have shown in the face of adversity the past two years. This exhibit is open to any artist in Kentucky, age 18 and older. You do not have to be involved in any of our juried programs to participate. Show us what you’ve got!

Our regional partner South Arts is seeking applications for the In These Mountains: Project Grants program. This unique program provides grants of $10,000 for organizations to conduct projects that promote the sharing, teaching, learning, preserving, and documenting folk arts and traditional culture of central Appalachia. Organizations must be located within and serve at least one Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) county in Kentucky, North Carolina, or Tennessee. Three projects from each eligible state (Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee) will be selected, for a total of nine recipient organizations. For more information on this grant, visit the South Arts website.