Spotlight on Oldham County Artists

Oldham County is home to many things – horse farms, trains, history and a Kentucky Derby hat maker - but the list doesn't stop there. Several distinctive artists call Oldham County home and they will have their place among regional and national artists at this year's Arts on the Green at The Maples Park (AOG).

Crestwood artist Josie Wiseman will be one of them. Since 1993, she has been creating her one-of-a-kind jewelry. No two pieces are the same, setting her work apart and ensuring a quality piece for whomever purchases it.

She said she became interested in making jewelry because "I love jewelry, particularly handmade jewelry." When Josie and her daughter saw an ankle bracelet she knew they could make, Josie purchased the necessary materials and embarked upon a hobby that would become a curative career.

The next step was to take a silversmithing class at the Louisville Visual Arts Association. She took additional classes in North Carolina, California and Mexico and finally decided to add fine silver clay to her material list. For embellishment, she handsets precious stones in fine silver or 14 karat gold. Each piece is designed, cut formed, soldered and polished by the artist so the buyer receives a truly handcrafted piece of Silver Kingfisher jewelry.

Pewee Valley's Gene King, owner of King's Woodworking, will return to AOG this year. Gene is a self-taught woodworker who became interested in the craft about 10 or 11 years ago as a hobby.

"I started out making outdoor furniture, then I got bored," he said. He tried his hand at crafting other wooden items, but wanted to create something different. He stumbled across a YouTube video for MTM Wood, a company based in Russia that makes unique cutting boards. He corresponded with the owner who gave him a lot of information. "It took me two years to figure it out," he said.

Gene uses a variety of woods to make cutting boards, cheese boards and lazy susans, and completes them by applying a mineral oil and bees wax finish. His hand crafted all natural hardwoods selection includes walnut, maple, cherry, padauk and jatoba. He gets woods from Bagdad Lumber in Shelby County and imported wood from Indianapolis, Ind.

Each board requires 20 hours of hand sanding. At that rate, he may produce one or two a week or as many as four if he has upcoming shows or an order to fill.

La Grange artist Crystal Carol grew up on the Great Plains. Always fascinated with nature, one of the first things she drew was horses. "My childhood love of these free and wild beings have inspired my art ever since," she said.

As a self taught artist, Crystal has experimented in various media. She creates one-of-a-kind paintings and drawings on canvas, wood and leather. She has been strongly influenced by the symbology represented in the pictographs of the Plains Indians.

But she is also inspired often by the symbols used in other cultures such as the Anasazi in the Southwest, the ancient Celts and the Paleolithic cave paintings found in France. "There is a fascinating similarity in the portrayal of symbols in cultures from different parts of the earth and different times. When I speak through my paintings, I hope my two-legged brothers and sisters can find the protective meanings and connections I want to share."

Crystal's art was featured on "That's Clever", an HGTV show. She established SpiritHorse.Gallery and donates 10% of all profits to Native American creative endeavors or local food and farming endeavors.

These are just three of the great local artists who will be represented among many regional and national artists at Arts on the Green at The Maples Park in Crestwood on June 10 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and June 11 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event is organized by the non-profit, Arts Association of Oldham County (AAOOC).

This will be the 23rd year for this juried fine arts and crafts festival which will feature 15 food trucks daily from the Louisville Food Truck Association, children's activities, local entertainment, adult beverages and free shuttle bus service to and from the park and three designated sites: South Oldham Middle, South Oldham High and Camden Elementary Schools.

For more information, contact Helen McKinney, [email protected] or 502-487-0379 or the AAOOC at 502-222-3822 or [email protected]