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Drum roll, please…this is a very BIG year for the acclaimed Berea Craft Festival! Not only does it mark the return of the show after last year’s cancellation due to Covid, but it is also the 40^th anniversary of this one-of-a-kind art fair. Many of my wonderful patrons have messaged me, saying how excited and eager they are for its return. As artists, we’re all pretty excited, too.

Part of what makes the Berea Craft Festival unique is its scenic setting. Indian Fort Theater is nestled in the undulating foothills of the southwest Appalachian Mountains amid one of the oldest of Kentucky’s privately managed forests, and at 9000 acres, it is also the largest. Owned by Berea College, the land has been maintained since the late 1890s by the College’s Department of Forestry and the theater area serves as the trailhead to the hike up Indian Fort Mountain, which is traversed by thousands of visitors each year.

Once you enter the gate from the parking lot, you’ll be greeted by the sights, sounds, and delicious smells of a festival in motion. You can stroll along the path under dappled shade provided by the tall forest canopy, lured onward by the sweet strains of a guitar and the rhythmic plucking of a banjo. You might be intrigued by the clang of the blacksmith’s hammer, the clack of a weaver’s shuttle, the hypnotic spin of the potter’s wheel. And you will likely find yourself tempted by the mouth-watering smells of Cajun cooking, or a wood-fired pizza—just a couple of the food trucks that will be available at the show.

But of course, the principal reason we’ll all be there enjoying the wonderful atmosphere is to provide our patrons with the opportunity to visit with all the fine creative folks who are happy to talk with you about their artistic process, with many demonstrating their skilled techniques all along the way. This year’s artist roster includes 40 of your favorite Kentucky artists, along with many out-of-state artists who also return year after year. Twenty-five new artists will also be featured. Mediums represented include ceramics, 2D fine art, jewelry, fiber, metal, wood, and glass, along with many others.

Though most of the artists you’ll meet also sell their work through e-commerce platforms and galleries, the opportunity to talk and connect with the person behind the artwork you take home is special. As not only an artist who will be participating in the show, but also a huge patron of the arts, I can tell you that these artists are some of my favorite people, and many of their works have found a place in my home. I treasure them not only because they were made by people I care about and admire, but because they represent beautiful, handmade art forms executed by creative minds and skilled hands in a world where that grows increasingly rare.

So I hope you’ll wear some comfortable walking shoes, pack some rain gear (just in case), and come on down (or up, or out) and see us. I think we’re all looking forward to celebrating our summer of re-emergence from a long, stultifying seclusion. The Berea Craft Festival takes place July 9-11, Fri. and Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for seniors, and children under 12 are free, with free parking. For more information, visit:

https://visitberea.com/berea-craft-festival/

I have long been asked by my customers to create jewelry pieces inspired by the beauty of the wonderful and revered ginkgo tree. I have always resisted doing this, simply because so many artists and commercial sellers already offer their versions of the ginkgo leaf’s form. But one day last fall, with Covid raging and little else to do, I found myself wandering around my mostly empty town and was drawn to the small, park-like area across from Berea’s world-famous Boone Tavern Hotel. It was a beautiful autumnal day, and the ginkgos there were in full golden display. As I sat in the grass admiring the delicate and distinctive fan-shaped leaves of this ancient tree, I thought how it was no surprise so many are so taken with the form and pondered if I might be able to let it inspire me to make something that reflected my individual voice. I tucked a few of the leaves in my pocket to take home.

Did you know that the ginkgo tree is considered a living fossil? It has endured for millions of years and is the oldest surviving species of tree known to exist. In its native country of China, it is traditionally associated with strength, hope and peace, and widely represented in the country’s art and literature. But around the world, and especially in Japan, it is probably best-known as a symbol of fortitude and longevity. When the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, survivors included six ginkgo trees situated at the site of the blast, and though experts predicted nothing would be able to grow there for at least 75 years, the ginkgos have endured. It is expected they will live to be 3000 years old.

Back at home, I pulled the leaves from my pocket and spread them out on the work bench before me. With pencil and sketch pad in hand, I drew a form that I thought looked most like them that I could saw, texture, and form by hand. When I oxidized and finally sealed the finished forms, I thought they looked good, but needed something else. Enter the gemstone known as jade. Discovered first in China with carvings dating to the Stone Age, it seemed a natural partner to the ginkgo, and is known as the gem of good fortune and happiness. Together, the ginkgo and jade represent an aspirational pairing–a long and happy life. The resulting pendant and earrings you see here are fabricated from copper, sterling, and jade, and are available for purchase on this site. ♥

I am often asked by my customers how I started making and selling my jewelry. I guess you could say I came into the profession through a side door, taking my first, tottering steps in the jewelry making arts while on vacation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 1997. At the time I was a freelance writer who fed her creative impulses by constructing handmade books–complete with illustrated prose and poems–and giving them away as gifts. When I first saw jewelry being made by the master silver artisans of Chiang Mai, I thought the techniques would be terrific for embellishing the books. A few years later, while visiting a gallery in Berea, I had a light bulb moment–I thought I could make something new and different from much of the jewelry I was seeing there! So, why not use those techniques for what they were intended–actually making some wearable art! Building on my skills as an illustrator and with a writer’s intuitive eye, I began to do just that, and Twelfth House Designs was born. The rest is a Cinderella story. Within a year of creating my first piece, I was juried into Kentucky’s most respected arts & crafts organizations and making a successful living! Yoo-hoo! Eventually I enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University in the metals program to explore and expand my metalsmithing skills. Now I fully embrace the creative life–living and working with my American Bulldog, Banjo, and my bossy kitty, Sofie–in the inspiring, artistic community of Berea, Kentucky located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.