The Kentucky Folklife Program, based at Western Kentucky University, began presenting the Homer Ledford Award in 2007. Named after the influential stringed instrument maker who lived in Winchester, this award is given every other year to a Kentucky luthier who demonstrates outstanding craftsmanship and is celebrated by the communities of musicians they serve.

In this webinar, Kentucky Folklife Program Director Brent Bjorkman will interview violin maker Tommy Case of Georgetown, who received the 2023 award, and musician and folklorist Dr. Tom Adler who nominated the 2025 awardee, banjo maker Arthur Hatfield of Glasgow.

This webinar is a preview of the live award presentation which will take place at the Kentucky Crafted Market on Saturday, March 9 in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.

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About the Presenter

Brent Bjorkman is director of the Kentucky Folklife Program (KFP) and Kentucky Museum at Western Kentucky University. Throughout his career, Björkman has worked on many diverse projects throughout the U.S. Currently he is leading a combined team of KFP and Kentucky Museum colleagues, along with community members, to create Sonic Landscape, an exhibit dedicated to sharing and celebrating the musical legacy of south-central Kentucky. This exhibit, based heavily on the oral narratives collected by the KFP team and other folklorists and Folk Studies MA students, will be unveiled in Spring 2025.

This free webinar is part of the Kentucky Arts Council’s Creative Industry Summit Series (CISS). For more series offerings check out our website.