Special exhibit set at Madisonville arts center

The exhibit “Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers” will be on display Nov. 17–Dec. 17  at the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts, 2000 College Drive, Madisonville.
This special exhibit features the art and traditions of Kentuckians who are considered masters in the making and repairing of guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, dulcimers and other original stringed instruments. “Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers” was first exhibited in 2007 at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea and is the result of years of research and fieldwork by the Kentucky Folklife Program.
Since then, it has been on tour throughout the Commonwealth, reaching nearly 30 different sites including arts centers, history centers, libraries, museums, state parks, festivals, colleges and universities. The exhibit also has a companion website at http://artscouncil.ky.gov/KentuckyArt/LuthierExhibit.htm.
Beginning Nov. 17, the exhibit will be open for viewing weekdays, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., and on performance days and evenings. For a full schedule of the center’s events, visit www.glemacenter.org.
“Made to be Played: Traditional Art of Kentucky Luthiers” was originally funded through an American Masterpieces grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Touring support is provided by the Kentucky Arts Council.
For information about scheduling the exhibit in your community, contact Mark Brown, folklife specialist, at mark.brown@ky.gov or (502) 564-1792, ext. 4491.