Friday, March 17, 2006
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Southern arts and crafts are abound in Berea
Berea, Ky artisans display their unique work throughout town
By
Lori Beckman
Nothing spells uniqueness like a small town filled with shops selling not only handmade wood furniture, but handmade brooms, dulcimers, fireside woven baskets, ceramics and wrought iron. Visitors of the quaint college town of Berea, Kentucky, will find several shops like this as well as ones filled with pottery, art galleries and gifts. Known as the folk arts and crafts capital of Kentucky, Berea’s Appalachian tradition is evident throughout the laid back, southern town, which is filled with more than 50 shops run by artisans, craftspeople and gallery owners.
Located about two hours south of Cincinnati and 35 miles south of Lexington, Berea lures visitors with its history, southern hospitality and charm. With the old, red brick buildings (circa 1855) of Berea College serving as a backdrop, the college town invites guests to take a break from their daily routine and relax while browsing arts and crafts studios and shops and dining at one of the area’s many one-of-a-kind restaurants.
Because shopping is a main attraction in Berea, there are three areas of town that tourists will want to visit during their day trip to experience what the town has to offer: the Old Town Artist Village, Chestnut Street and College Square.
Shop for anything from Christmas decorations to jewelry at the Old Town Artist Village. Make your own beaded jewelry at Fish Wisdom Beads or Jazzy Jewels by Linda. The Glass Studio allows visitors to watch Michelle Weston use her traditional glass blowing techniques to create glass ornaments, vases and starfish. The Gastineau Studio offers handmade jewelry and pewter objects located in the heart of the village. Up the hill from these shops is Haley-Daniels, home of custom-made hardwood furniture, where dining tables, chairs and rockers are the specialty.
For a twist to the visit, take the family to the tiny roller skating rink that sits almost directly next the Welcome Center in Old Town. Skating can be a good alternative for dads who might not be interested in shopping and need to tend to their antsy children while their wives shop.
Around the corner and within walking distance from Old Town is Chestnut Street, where five more shops/studios are located as well as the town’s public buildings. Find a book store, a woodworking studio, folk art, outsider art and PeaceCraft, a not-for-profit organization that offers rare clothing, jewelry, accessories, furniture, baskets and musical instruments from developing countries.
A short car ride will take visitors to College Square, which as the name reveals, is the area on the outskirts of Berea College that includes a group of gift shops, galleries, craftsmen’s shops and more. Many of the shops are located in a historic white building that covers one town block, which also houses well-known Boone Tavern. The town’s original art gallery, called The Gallery, is home to the studios of several local working artists, photographers and a handmade furniture maker. The adjoining Appalachian Arts & Crafts & Quilt Shop features quilts and materials for quilt projects, regional food and gifts, Bybee pottery and more.
Around the corner on Short Street is a fun shop to play in called The Blue Tail Fly. Beautiful cards, educational and unique toys, games and books for children and adults are what make this store so distinctive from many of the other folk art and craft shops in Berea.
Across the street sits Berea College’s showcase, The Log House Craft Gallery, Berea’s oldest and largest craft gallery. Items such as traditional furniture, fine woodcrafts, weavings, ceramics, handmade brooms and forged iron works, all handcrafted by Berea College’s Student Craft Industries are on sale here. On weekdays, tours of the Student Industry working studios leave from the College Visitor Center.
Down the street is the home of America’s largest and foremost hand weaving studio, Churchill Weavers, where visitors can take the opportunity to see hand weaving in person on a free, self-guided tour. The charming building also houses a gallery full of crafts, gifts, jewelry and more from some of the nation’s finest artisans.
Aside from the three shopping areas in Berea, The Kentucky Artisan Center is worth a stop on your way in or way out of town, located directly off of I-75’s exit 77. The center offers plenty of crafts, music, literature and other arts, history and heritage that are related to Kentucky. With free admission, browse this large open building filled with crafts, two-dimensional art, music, books, film and specialty foods. Many of the featured artists have been juried into such prestigious programs as the Kentucky Craft Marketing Program and/or the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsman. Because shopping works up an appetite, the center offers an in-house cafe and grill that provides breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between every day.
If a sit-down meal is more appealing, stop at the Boone Tavern Hotel Dining Room in College Square. As guests walk up the large porch adorned with white columns and in through the stately front doors of the hotel/restaurant built in 1909, they will be taken back in time as they walk through the old hotel lobby that is traditionally decorated.
The high, ornate ceilings, large windows and creaky hardwood floors give the Tavern a quaint, yet elegant, atmosphere. White tablecloths and napkins decorate the tables where lunch and dinner are served. Many of the servers employed at Boone Tavern are Berea College students working their way through school.
Other restaurants in Berea include Main Street Café in College Square, Old Towne Restaurant, Berea Coffee and Tea Company among many others.
Every year, Berea has a long list of events that fill its calendar and the town’s streets or green spaces. Popular annual events include The Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsman Spring Fair, which takes place in May; Bluegrass in the Park held in June; the 4th of July Festival and Arte Vida International Folk Festival scheduled for July; and the Quilt Extravaganza in August.
For a more complete event list, more information on individual shops, galleries and restaurants, visit Berea’s Web site. For a taste of a small, Kentucky art and craft town, plan to take a day trip away from the big city to Berea, Kentucky.
Lori Beckman is a production manager at Gardner Publications and is a Cincinnati native.
