Readers of AmericanStyle magazine have ranked Kentucky Crafted: The Market, produced by the Kentucky Arts Council, as the best arts festival in the nation.

Readers of AmericanStyle are arts enthusiasts, art collectors and cultural tourists, who through the years of the poll have indicated a preference for shows offering a diversity of artistic styles and disciplines, high-quality craftsmanship and an appealing setting for enjoying art.

Two additional arts events in Kentucky placed in the 2010 Top 10 list based on results of the magazine’s sixth annual Fairs and Festivals readers’ poll: St. James Court Art Show, also in Louisville, Ky., earned second place; and Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival at Midway College, in Midway, Ky., earned fifth place.

“The winning festivals are typically events that attract a strong local following as well as a national following,” said Wendy Rosen, publisher of AmericanStyle. “Communities that support their artisans are finding that they are paid back with increased tourism and a growing sense of cultural pride. When citizens buy locally produced art, the dollars they spend are recycled in the community.”

“We are very pleased to receive the top ranking from AmericanStyle again,” said Lori Meadows, executive director of the Kentucky Arts Council. “We owe a lot of thanks to Kentucky fans of The Market, but the national support has also been tremendous.”

Kentucky Crafted: The Market showcased more than 200 local and regional artisans March 6-7, 2010, at the Kentucky Exposition Center, South Wing B, Louisville, Ky. Featuring both contemporary and traditional handcraft, art, music, books and film as well as children’s activities, the show is considered an engine of the creative economy. Since 1981, Kentucky Crafted: The Market has promoted and developed the arts as business.

Kentucky Crafted: The Market also offers buyers from galleries, shops and online retail venues across the nation the opportunity to select products from its wide array of exhibitors. The Market was open exclusively to wholesale buyers on March 4 and 5.

Kentucky Crafted: The Market, now in its 28th year, is produced by the Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency that creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.