Success Stories

Success in Incorporating an Art & Craft Component: The Daniel Boone Days Festival in Owsley County

Shortly before last year’s Daniel Boone Days Festival in Owsley County, which takes place the first weekend in July, the festival organizers learned of Kentucky Arts Council grant money that was designated specifically for a summer project. Though in the end they didn’t need this money to make some drastic changes and improvements, it was the impetus they needed to enrich the festival. The Historical Society had expressed a desire to add more to the usual programming that had included a cakewalk, street dancing and fireworks. They hoped to work with the local Arts Council, the Daniel Boone Days festival, and other community groups to add more components that celebrate the unique local traditions of Owsley County. The Kentucky Arts Council grant money was awarded six weeks before the festival last year, so the mostly volunteer group of various community interests—the Historical Society, Arts Council, Daniel Boone Days organizers, Chamber of Commerce, City Clerk, Judge Executive, and Kentucky Arts Council Circuit Rider—worked hard and fast to get ready for a better festival. They held a quilt show, created activities for children, offered a storyteller and bluegrass music, held a parade, and organized a traditional pioneer breakfast at which they collected tapes of “old time stories”.

One of the most celebrated achievements was initiating an art and craft show to present the handmade work of Owsley County residents. Following a successful example from the Redbud Arts Council in Leslie County (implemented at the Mary Breckinridge Festival), they held a forum for the exhibition of work solely to demonstrate the breadth of local talent. Sixty local artists showed handmade crafts, fine art, books, gourds, needlepoint, and many other art and craft forms. The event also featured demonstrations of rugmaking, whittling, and crafting birdhouses. The response was considered remarkable, with 200 community members attending out of only 5000 citizens in the county. With such little time to plan the event, the organizers decided not to allow buying and selling of work but will have a venue for crafts vendors at this year’s festival. The space for the art show was donated and the local Arts Council paid for materials to make posters and advertisements.

Festivalgoers responded with such excitement that many of them chose to join the festival planning committee for this year. These achievements have energized the Daniel Boone Days festival committee to make each year better and more enriching than the last. Nancy Gabbard advises anyone attempting a similar achievement to be in touch with what your community has to offer, as she was surprised and very pleased to see how many artists and craftspeople reside in Owsley County. She also says to listen to others who have experience in planning festivals because this successful experience wouldn’t have happened without Redbud Arts Council’s concept to show the work without jurying or selling and for how to display and present the submissions. She also relied on the guidance of her KAC Circuit Rider, Judy Sizemore. Many great connections have been made among artists within the community because of this event. The Arts Council has attracted more artists and has started offering art classes for community members since the links made at last year’s Daniel Boone Days festival.