Take a stroll down the main drag of Historical Rabbit Hash, Kentucky and you never know what you may find, whether it is motorcyclists, hippies, artists, musicians or a local relaxing on the porch of the general store. Recently, on a late summer day my fiancée and I decided to take an afternoon adventure on the back roads of Kentucky. Historical Rabbit Hash, a small river town situated in Boone County, is a town with an old time feeling. The Rabbit Hash General Store, established in 1831, is a prominent fixture in the center of town and Lucy Lou, a red and white collie and a lifelong Rabbit Hash resident, resides as the Mayor. Rabbit Hash also serves as a welcoming scene for developing, local artists and musicians.
Folksiders, a brand new creative consortium with members from the Cincinnati, Southeast Indiana and Northern Kentucky area, includes artists, crafters, pottery makers, bakers, antiquers, printers, designers and much more. Folksiders, a play on outsider and folk art, is the joint brain child of artists Jarrod Becker and Susan Utley.
It’s kind of a soft version of Kentucky, quirky art meets conceptual,” Becker said, “Outsider art meets folky, funky country folk.”
Every second Sunday of the month, Folksiders, in a market style setting, will showcase the creative wares of their members and various local vendors in downtown Historic Rabbit Hash. If you’re on the hunt for an early Christmas present or in need of a change of pace, you’ll be able to find a wide assortment of things: paintings, ceramics, jewelry, illustrations, prints, found-object mixed media, clothing, locally made food, live music performances and much more, all crafted by the hands of local artists.
The consortium currently includes Jarrod Becker, Susan Utley, Marge Adkins, Donna Becker, Kelley Becker, Amy Curry, Terrie Markesbery, Julie Mullins, Maggie Wilmhoff and Jessica Wolf. If you are a local artist interested in displaying your artwork and have passion for the creative lifestyle, the Folksiders are always looking for fresh faces. Applications are available online at http://www.folksiders.com/default.html.
If you prefer to view your artwork in a more classical artistic setting, Rabbit Hash can also fulfill that need with the Lowell Lee Scott Fine Art Center or otherwise known as the Rabbit Hash Gallery, located in the Rabbit Hash Barn. Jane Burch Cochran, gallery manager and fellow artist, emphasized that there is no commissioned paid to the gallery.
“I think what helps us is the name Rabbit Hash. On your resume it would look good to say that you showed at Rabbit Hash, “Cochran said. “There’s not that many places to show anymore.”
Anyone can propose a show for the space and the gallery is open by appointment only. For more information about the gallery you can visit the Historical Society of Rabbit Hash’s website for more details.
Rabbit Hash has a lot of local color and events that includes barn dances, live music performances, the Dog Days of Summer Art Fair during late July or early August, and the yearly Old Timer’s Day Festival. And it is this local fare and flavor that brings people back for more.
“I think it’s like the farthest point out. It’s like a destination,” Becker explained, “It can almost be defined by the motorcycle riders who find it all weekend. It’s that destination. It’s that far off place that’s just far out enough and cool and crazy and wild. Everybody and anything’s down here.”
For more information about the Folksiders and Historical Rabbit Hash, you can visit their websites for more details.
–Shawn Daniel