The Paris-Bourbon County Library hosted a special tribute to the
memory of the late Homer Ledford on
Saturday, January 19th, at 1:00 p.m.
Luthier and fiddler extraordinaire Art Mize
delivered a showstopping performance of
bluegrass fiddling.
Remember, you may stop
by the library anytime during open hours to view the
Homer Ledford Exhibitfrom January
11th through March 4th.
Art Mize was born into a family with a heritage of fiddling. He spent
his first 11 years in London, Ky., before the family moved to Illinois
and then to Woodford County. His musical education increased in
Illinois where he studied classical violin and played in the school
orchestra. In Woodford County he "reverted to the fiddle" and the
family continued its folk fiddling. At the University of Kentucky,
Mize earned his bachelor's and master's degree in philosophy and
another master's in Greek and Latin classics. He used his training as
a teacher at the University of Kentucky and several area high
schools.
In 1995, Mize was confronted with the choice between remaining in the
University of Kentucky's Ph.D. Program in philosophy or accepting an
apprenticeship proposal from violin craftsman J.B. Miller. He chose
the latter. Today he operates Mize Violin Repair in downtown
Lexington and also performs as a professional fiddle player with
several area groups such as "The Stony Creek Bluegrass Band", "The
International Harvesters", and "Pale,
Stout and Amber."
