For the past four years, Kentucky Artisans at the Saddle Factory has been a creative hub in Logan County. While it has primarily served as a retail location for countless Kentucky artists and craftspeople, it has also been home to classes, concerts, and the popular Young Artists’ Boot Camp. 

“Kentucky Artisans at the Saddle Factory has been great exposure for our local artisans and because of that, many of our vendors have moved on to even bigger things. Now we face a logistical issue of staffing our store, which has always been run by volunteers. It is a great but bittersweet problem to have,” says Kentucky Artisans’ volunteer manager, Linda Harlan. “We love that our artists are exploring new avenues, but the search for new volunteers has been a struggle. At this time we feel closing our doors is in the best interest of our artists as they pursue other endeavors.”

While many artists affiliated with Kentucky Artisans at the Saddle Factory have contracts with stores around the state, two artists with local ties have recently launched their own retail spaces. Amanda Pawley can now be found at Pawley Studios on Main Street in Russellville. This location is a full service pottery studio offering functional and decorative handmade products. Jennie Fyhr DiBeneditto, formerly of Russellville, is now a co-owner of the recently opened Gadabout Gallery and Artisan Shop and the Silica Ceramic Studio, both in Jeffersonville, Ind. 

“These ladies, and all of our artisans, are passionate about sharing creativity with others. It is the one thing everyone brought to the table, and they are using that passion to make a huge impact in our region. While our brick and mortar location is closing, we hope to maintain our online presence through Facebook to continue to share the work of these and other talented artists with our supporters. The artistic community in Logan County is very strong and we are very excited what the future holds, even if it means we must close our doors,” says Harlan.

Kentucky Artisans at the Saddle Factory is located in the historic Saddle Factory Museum on 4th Street and is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays. The store will officially close on March 28.