Art of Darkness

Local man fashions figures out of coal

By JANIE SLAVEN<br>Record Staff Writer

STEARNS — Sooner or later, everything old becomes new again.

For decades Stearns was synonymous with coal. While mining has yet to resume, coal is once again being exported from the coal town.

Kentucky Coal Crafters (KCC) has opened up shop at 71 Bridge Street, producing hand-carved figures.

The new venture was born out of a conversation between Buddy Wilson and Alvin Powell this past spring.

Powell produced similar figurines for MidWest Crafts, which operated in Whitley City from 1975 to 2002, and was looking to return to the crafting industry. Wilson, an entrepreneur with property available, liked the idea and a partnership was born.

“For most of McCreary County’s long mining history, we have been a major coal-producing county,” Wilson stated. “While our business is very small, at least we are exporting some coal from McCreary County…Maybe we can qualify for Coal Severance Tax again,” he added with a laugh.

KCC was able to purchase molds and equipment from the old MidWest Crafts and made the move to Stearns, the heart of local coal country for well over four decades which now centers on heritage-based tourism.

In the early 1990s, there were a number of small Appalachian companies making figurines from coal but KCC owners know of only two similar operations still in business. The market, however, is still there. Powell has contacted a number of old clients and without exception, they have been thrilled and excited to have his expertise and down-home friendliness back to once again supply them with a variety of coal-carved merchandise.

Locally “Sweet Kreations,” inside the Big South Fork Scenic Railway Depot, is the only distributor currently set up to sell KCC figurines but Wilson and Powell hope to expand not only locally but nationally and even worldwide.

Powell can recall his MidWest shipping its products to outlets in over 25 states as well as filling orders for companies in Canada and Japan.

“We did a lot of business with state parks as well as companies in Ohio, Illinois, West Virginia and Tennessee,” Powell told The Record. “I’ve sent pieces as far away as Australia.”

The “coal crafting” process involves a combination of coal, coal dust and a resin binder to hold everything together as the product is molded. Due to the resin in the mixture and the peroxide catalyst added for hardening, figurines come out gray. To create a natural coal appearance, they are power sprayed with a black lacquer. While it may seem odd to have to spray paint coal to get it to look like coal, Powell emphasized that the entire process starts with and has coal as its base.

Powell has worked to perfect the process for 27 years “off and on.” On a good work day, he can cast trim and paint about 40 of the larger pieces and more than 100 of the smaller figures. In terms of variety, Powell can currently produce 135 pieces, some of which include multiple figures.

“We have every thing from Coal Miners, Mountain Madonnas, which are about 11 inches tall, to small Kentucky magnets about 2 inches long...numerous animals, Lincolns, and trains,” Powell stated, counting a donkey cart among KCC’s nicer pieces. “All made from Kentucky Coal.”

“Alvin is great at what he does and can do a reproduction of almost anything,” Wilson stated. “In fact we hope to be able to do custom orders for individuals and companies that would like to like to have their logo’s or objects made from coal.”

A Michigan man once had Powell cast a piece of abstract art for his office and a doctor’s office not too far from Stearns has a 3-foot coal

caduceus, the well-known medical symbol depicting a staff entwined with two serpents, hanging outside his office.

Learn more about Kentucky Coal Crafters and their products at KentuckyCoalCrafters.com or call 376-7535, toll free at 877-245-5493.