Kentuck 2023 was a blast!
If you do not know what Kentuck is, Click HERE for Kentuck info! I will just say that Kentuck is the place to go to see folk and outsider art!
My friend, Hallie Edwards, invited me to go to Kentuck. How could I say no?
Hallie and I have been friends all our lives. Our families have been friends for over 100 years. Hallie and I both love Folk Art. There was not much that would stop me from going on this trip! Here is a picture of me and Hallie back in the day! Check out the ☮ sign above her head!
We headed out from The Big Gully in Butler, Georgia, on Saturday, October 14, 2023. With a little guidance from Waze, we arrived at Northport, Alabama, close to noon. We pulled in the City Cafe Gravel parking lot, grabbed a ride on a school bus with one of the “official” county bus drivers, and headed to Kentuck 2023. We both sat silently and had visions of Folk Art dancing in our heads.
Kentuck truly stands out as the ultimate experience for folk art enthusiasts! Here's some useful information for those attending the folk art event.
To kick things off, make sure to secure your tickets online! While the lines may be short, every moment spent waiting is a missed opportunity to immerse yourself in the incredible world of folk art.
Before you go, dive into the wealth of information available online. Kentuck.org is a treasure trove where you can find answers to nearly all your queries. Detailed maps and an excellent FAQ section await your exploration.
Once you step into the festival, take a moment to absorb the entire 360-degree spectacle. Prepare to be amazed and delighted from every angle.
Kudos to the Kentuck organizers for orchestrating a truly
spectacular show! The thoughtful signage deserves special mention, making
navigation a breeze. Check out the visual feast below and see for yourself!
Also, potties were quite abundant! You had porta potties from the Chevy Chevette Potty to the Lincoln Continental Potty. For the porta potty haters, you could always use the regular restrooms at the festival. Hey, it was great! Everyone likes options!
What about t-shirts? Every festival needs a t-shirt, right? Well, as soon as you walk in the entrance, the t-shirts are just hanging around waiting for you to purchase.
We decided to walk around the entire festival before stopping to make a purchase. Actually, this was pretty hard. You see, Hallie is a BIG talker. It was hard for her to focus and keep those feet moving. We took a long time to walk the entire festival, but we made a lot of friends along the way! Hallie had been involved with several folk art shows as an "artist" several years back. So, she really had some catching up to do with her old folk art friends. Folk Art people are just nice. They love to talk and make a memory and laugh to get a giggle out. If you are around a bunch of Type A personalities during your week, head on out to a folk art show. You may even live a little longer hanging out with these free-spirited folks.
On our walks, we saw a lot of cool art.
We saw Bailey Jack. I liked her big fat pig.
We really like Billy and his wife. Her support has been truly invaluable, especially in enhancing the quality of the hooks on back of his artwork! It's worth emphasizing the importance of hooks-they play a crucial role! Billy is genuinely one of the most pleasant individuals you will ever meet!
We saw Brooke Albrecht's Art. Brooke Albrecht's art was cool, but it made me a little hungry. Click HERE for a link to her Facebook Page
We saw Dr. Bob Shaffer's art. He sure does like those bottle caps.
We saw Elizabeth Collins Hanes' Art. Wanna see her art, Click HERE at Chicken Tracks Art Ranch! Hallie loved talking to Elizabeth. They were hugging. I think they had some love for each other. Love sure is good.
There are a lot of songs about love...💚💛💙💜
"All You Need Is Love" -
The Beatles..."I Will Always Love You"
- Whitney Houston..."Can't Help Falling in
Love" - Elvis Presley..."Love Me Tender" - Elvis
Presley..."What's Love Got to Do with
It" - Tina Turner..."Crazy in Love" -
Beyoncé..."Endless Love" - Lionel
Richie and Diana Ross..."Love Story" - Taylor
Swift..."I Just Called to Say I Love
You" - Stevie Wonder...."My Love" - Paul
McCartney and Wings..."To Love Somebody" - Bee
Gees..."The Power of Love" -
Celine Dion..."All Out of Love" - Air
Supply..."L.O.V.E." - Nat King
Cole..."Love Is a Battlefield"
- Pat Benatar..."Love Will Keep Us
Together" - Captain & Tennille..."Can't Buy Me Love" -
The Beatles..."Love Stinks" - The J.
Geils Band..."Love Shack" - The B-52s..."Addicted to Love" -
Robert Palmer..."Love Hurts" - Nazareth..."Love Takes Time" -
Mariah Carey..."I Want to Know What Love
Is" - Foreigner..."Love Me Do" - The
Beatles..."Love of My Life" -
Queen..."Whole Lotta Love" - Led
Zeppelin..."I Love Rock 'n' Roll" -
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts..."Where Is the Love?" -
The Black Eyed Peas..."All My Loving" - The
Beatles..."Can You Feel the Love
Tonight" - Elton John..."Crazy Little Thing Called
Love" - Queen..."Best of My Love" - The
Emotions..."Somebody to Love" -
Queen..."Love in an Elevator" -
Aerosmith..."What Is Love" -
Haddaway..."Love Bites" - Def
Leppard..."Tainted Love" - Soft
Cell..."Love to Love You Baby"
- Donna Summer..."Crazy Love" - Van
Morrison..."One Love" - Bob Marley
& The Wailers..."Everlasting Love" -
Carl Carlton
Here is some of Elizabeth's Art!
Here is goofy Hallie in front of Elizabeth's booth!
We saw Eric Legge Art! Hallie really wanted to catch up with Eric, but he was very busy!
We saw Garland Farwell Art. Hallie fell in love with his art. Garland had a super cool booth. We both enjoyed meeting him and seeing his art.
We saw Jayne Morgan Art! We met her and took a picture in front of the biggest piece of art that she had! She was nice. She was pretty. Her art was pretty, too!
We saw Joan Curtis Art. It was very abstract. We did not meet Joan, but I am sure she was nice. Everybody at Kentuck was nice. If you like Joan's Art, Click HERE to see more!
We saw Justin Akin. We saw his VW van. It was cool. He likes grits and Jesus. I like grits and Jesus, too.
We saw some Katherine Michael Folk Art. We talked to her a minute. Yes, she was nice!
We saw Ken Pease and talked to him quite a bit. You see, he and his family lived in Tallahassee, Florida, where my sis,1969, lives. Ken and 1969 had done some gigs with his art down there. Then, Ken's wife got a job teaching at a college in Virginia. Luckily, Ken headed down to Northport and I got to meet him! Ken is a super nice guy. I think his art is so fun. Clever, I tell ya! Have a look and if you like it, Click here and head on over to Ken's Facebook page!
We saw Kerry Leasure Art. It was super cool. If you like it, Click HERE for Here a Chick, There a Chick!
We saw Kimberly Dawn Crowder Art, too!
Who knows what song "Like Disco Lemonade" comes from? I am embarrassed that Hallie guessed it and I did not! Click HERE for the song on YouTube!
We saw Lisa Pirkle's Art and talked to her a minute. I told her that once I purchased one of her fish and gave it to my dad for Father's Day. He did not understand that it was an expensive piece. He put it outside by the lake and let it get ripped to pieces by the wind. My sis, 1969, told him that it was not cheap. He TRIED to fix it.
Like all the artists, Lisa was super nice. If you dig her style, Click HERE and Head on over to HER Facebook Page
We saw Marian Baker Art. Hallie had met her in the past. They talked for a minute. I looked at her cool art! You can find more of her art at Marian Baker Blockheadarts on Facebook!
We saw Mary Proctor and her hubby, Tyrone. Tyrone is the bomb! If you want some preaching, stop by and talk to Mary. She will sprinkle lots of Jesus words and love on you.
Mary is pretty steady on her Facebook page.
We saw Ned Berry's pottery! He has cool stuff. I love his face jugs.
We saw Nicario Jimenez art! It was so small, but so intricate! Nicario's only tool is a small piece of wood resembling an enlarged toothpick.
We saw Penny Dobson's work! It was so detailed! Wow! The beading was amazing! The photos do not do her work justice! Click HERE and go to her website for some great shots of her work! She was so kind and talked to us about some experiences she had as an artist. Great art and great gal!
We saw Ruth Robinson's art, too! We loved her folk art! As far as having a closer look at Ruth's work, you will have to go to Marcia Weber I love her story and how she shares her life through her paintings.
We saw some Scott McQueen art, too! We sure did enjoy visiting with Scott and his wife!
Funny thing, when you google Scott Mcqueen for folk art information, a lot of Lightning Mcqueen cars pop up from the Movie, "Cars". Scott kind of reminds me of this car! Look:
Here is some of his cool art...
We bought several pieces from Scott! Unfortunately, I left the Grateful Dead behind!
Also, Scott is one of Kentuck's Studio Artists! Click HERE for the Kentuck studio artists
Hallie and I stopped by his studio beside the Kentuck Art Center in Northport. We had a blast looking at stuff that Scott had sitting around. Have a look:
What was amazing to us was that folks did not take his art! Northport, good job with your folks and raising them right!
Also, we saw this pile of stuff just sitting on the front porch.
When
we inquired with Scott about this matter, he informed us that people regularly
leave items outdoors for him to use in his artwork. Northport has some nice and sharing kind of folks.
Scott was one of our favorites!
Speaking of The Kentuck Arts Center, we did manage to get a shot in front of their building. Look!
Kentuck was so much fun! We both needed the trip. We bought the 2-day pass, and we were so glad that we did!
Finally, we had to leave. On the way out, we saw this fun stuff on the front of a truck.
Our fun did not stop when we left the festival. While on the way home, we got lost due to my phone getting overheated and shutting off. Unfortunately, my phone decided to take a nap as we were about to take a major exit. Eventually, we had to stop for gas. At this point, I found out that we had missed a major exit and just went with it. I plugged in Butler, GA, in on Waze. We started again on our journey. At some point, we passed by a cool house on a hill. There was a Mama Bigfoot, a Daddy Bigfoot, and a Baby Bigfoot. And there was the biggest metal chicken that I had ever seen. I wheeled the Bronco around and we headed up the hill to see the biggest metal chicken ever. Hallie was not happy about this turn of events or turn of the Bronco. I guess she had watched too much Oxygen True Crime. We passed an awesome old truck with a lot of pansies on the truck bed. When I pull up, I notice that I am at someone's house. For some reason, I had in my mind that it was some type of farm business when I started scooting up the hill. Once we had creeped up far enough to see the BIG chicken, I began to turn around. Well, Hallie said a dog was coming out of the house coming our way. Then, Hallie says that a lady is coming out of the house and coming our way. Hallie said she was walking really fast towards us. I knew that we could not be rude and drive off. What kind of southerner does that? As the lady approached the Bronco, I could tell she was going to be a friend and not a foe. I let down the window and she asked us what we were doing (in a friendly way of course). I told her that we had been to the Kentuck Art Festival in Northport. I thought maybe she would have heard of it, but she had not. I told her that she should go next year. I mean, I am just out there in the country doing a little advertising for Kentuck with a stranger. I told her that we had admired her yard art from afar. Once Hallie stops shaking in her shoes, she warms up to the nice lady. The lady introduces us to her husband. We discussed their pretty house and their pretty fig bush that I thought was a hydrangea. The lady and her husband invited us to their big yard sale that they had yearly. She was a caterer, and they have lots of food. Also, they have a live band for a couple of days. They even showed us the little house that we could stay in! Wow, it was a beautiful place. Hallie was so happy to meet the folks that she said, "Ain't it great to be a southerner!" The lady smiled and agreed. And, at that moment we all became Facebook friends because of a little yard art and a malfunction with the Waze app.
Finally, we made it back to Butler and I dropped Hallie off in The Big Gully.
Hallie and I had a great weekend together. Although many of our family members have passed on, we are sure that they would be pleased to see us continuing the family traditions. Our hearts were full, and we enthusiastically suggest a visit to Kentuck for anyone who enjoys folk art and good times!
💚, 1965
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