The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft Exhibits "Narrative Carvings"

Written by Larry Hackley Monday, 19 July 2010 20:58

Louisville, KY – The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, located at 715 West Main Street, will host “Red River: The Narrative Carvings of Edgar Tolson, Donny Tolson, Carl McKenzie and Earnest Patton,” July 24 through October 9, 2010. This is exhibition No. 9 in the Mary Norton Shands Kentucky Artist Series, an ongoing series of exhibitions which focus on the rich variety and quality of Kentucky art and artists, presented in the memory of our Museum founder.  The opening reception will be held Friday, July 23rd from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

Guest-curated by Larry Hackley, the exhibition will feature at least 10 major works by each of the four artists, for a total of 46 works in all. The focus is on their narrative work, so most of the carvings are complex, multi-figure scenes, including six Garden of Eden pieces by Edgar Tolson. Mr. Hackley’s long-time association with all four artists, dating back to the mid-1970s, made him the ideal choice as curator for the exhibition. An extensive, full color catalog including essays by Larry Hackley and Adrian Swain is available for purchase.

“This exhibition was assembled to illustrate the connections, influences, styles, sources, and evolutions of the four major sculptors of the Campton School,” writes Hackley in the exhibition essay. “It establishes that Appalachian Kentucky’s visual arts tradition is equally as rich and vibrant as the region’s music and literature. The work of these artists addresses universal themes and celebrates a particular sense of place.”

“In the end, this project grew and became more exciting with each passing day. We consider it amongst the most important exhibitions that Kentucky Folk Art Center has ever presented,” said KFAC Director Matt Collinsworth. “All of these artists, four of the most important in contemporary American folk art, came out of the same place and were influenced by the same local culture. In one way or another, the other three followed Edgar Tolson’s lead, but all realized something unique and made his work distinctively his own.”

This traveling exhibition was organized by The Kentucky Folk Art Center at Morehead State University, and was funded in part by a Folklife Program grant from The Kentucky Arts Council. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Brown-Forman and the Arthur K. Smith Family Foundation.

About the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft

The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, located at 715 West Main Street in Louisville, Kentucky, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1981. Its mission is to promote and support art and craft excellence in Kentucky. The Museum is supported in part by the Fund for the Arts and the Kentucky Arts Council, a state arts agency that supports the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft through the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or by appointment. Admission is $5 for adults, free for KMAC members, students and children under 12. For more information, please call 502.589.0102 or log on to www.KentuckyArts.org.