The place to see and buy art in Bardstown is Bardstown for the Arts, a volunteer co-op of more than 40 local artists that moved in 2026 to 110 N. Third St., open daily. Add Jim Cantrell’s Bardstown Art Gallery, a painter’s studio on Stephen Foster Avenue since 1971, and then go looking for older art: the legend-wrapped murals of the Old Talbott Tavern and the European paintings in the Basilica of St. Joseph. For big outdoor work, drive out to Bernheim Forest’s recycled-wood giants in Clermont.
Bardstown for the Arts (The Gallery)
This is the heart of the local art scene. Bardstown for the Arts is a nonprofit cooperative founded in 2005 and run entirely by volunteers, with the member artists themselves staffing the shop, so the person at the counter may well have made the bowl in your hand. It now represents 40 artists from eight counties.
For two decades it lived at 90 Court Square in a county-owned building that once held the post office and public library. When Nelson County Fiscal Court sought redevelopment offers for that building, the co-op moved, as the Kentucky Standard reported in March 2026. The new gallery at 110 N. Third St. celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on July 8, 2026. Some maps and listings still send you to Court Square; ignore them.
What you will find
The gallery’s website lists wood turning, fine art, photography, textile art, gourds, needle-felt painting, handmade leather journals, hats, leathercraft, stained and fused glass, baskets, digital art and jewelry. Expect a wide range of prices, from small gifts to framed originals.
Hours and the fall show
The gallery opens Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It has kept shorter winter hours before, so call (502) 348-0044 or email [email protected] between November and March.
From Oct. 10 to 31, 2026, the gallery holds “The Littles,” a fundraiser where every piece measures 5 inches or smaller and costs $25, with proceeds going to Bethany Haven. It is an easy way to take home an original, and a clever answer to holiday gifts.
Jim Cantrell’s Bardstown Art Gallery
At 214 W. Stephen Foster Ave., two blocks west of the square toward the basilica, painter Jim Cantrell has kept his studio since 1971. The gallery calls itself the oldest private art gallery still in business in Kentucky, and his work hangs in nine museum permanent collections, including Louisville’s Speed Museum. You will find his original oils, watercolors, drawings and prints, along with books, CDs and DVDs about Thomas Merton, the monk-writer of nearby Gethsemani.
The catch is the hours: “by chance or appointment.” Reviewers love the personal studio tours and the welcome from his wife, Jeannette, but you need to ring the doorbell, and the door will not always open. Call (502) 348-6488 or text 502-294-0665 before you go, and see his website for the work.
More places to buy art downtown
- At Mary’s, 116 N. Third St., mixes art with antiques and gifts, Monday to Saturday.
- Artist’s Barrel, 208 N. Third St., sells affordable pieces by local artists alongside vintage and repurposed furniture. Recent activity could not be confirmed, so call (502) 331-6049.
- Gartland’s Art Sales, 105 W. Flaget Ave., family-owned since 1974, is a framing shop rather than a gallery, but it is where locals take prints and shadow boxes. Call (502) 348-4150 for hours.
Our shopping guide maps the rest of North Third Street.
The murals and paintings with stories
Bardstown’s most famous murals are indoors, and every one comes with a legend attached.
The Old Talbott Tavern murals
Upstairs in the 1779 tavern, murals uncovered in 1927 are traditionally credited to the party of Louis-Philippe, the future king of France, who stayed in town in 1797. His own diary, studied by historian Leslie Tihany in a 1981 Filson Club article, puts him here for only two days in May, which makes a long painting session unlikely. Then there are the holes: legend says Jesse James, in town visiting his cousin the sheriff, got drunk and shot at the painted birds, a story no record confirms. A fire in March 1998 badly damaged the murals, which, per Wikipedia, have not been restored. Ask whether the room is open. More in our Talbott Tavern history.
The cathedral paintings
The Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, 310 W. Stephen Foster Ave., holds a set of European paintings long said to be gifts from Pope Leo XII, Louis-Philippe and Francis I of the Two Sicilies. Old guidebooks credited Rubens, Van Dyck, Van Eyck and Murillo. Experts have since rejected those names: The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, once the “Rubens,” is now credited to Mattia Preti, and the altarpiece Crucifixion is signed “M. Van Brée,” per the basilica’s history and Tihany. The paintings have their own thriller chapter too: nine were stolen in November 1952 and recovered by the FBI in April 1953. Visit between Masses; our basilica guide has details.
Craft you can walk past
At Federal Hill, the mansion at My Old Kentucky Home, the mantels and windowsills were finely carved by a free Black craftsman, a detail worth asking your guide about on the $18 house tour.
Outdoor art: Bernheim’s giants
The biggest artworks near Bardstown live in the woods. At Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, about 13 miles northwest, Danish artist Thomas Dambo built three Forest Giants from recycled regional wood in 2019: Mama Loumari, resting against a tree, and her children Little Nis and Little Elina. A 2-mile round-trip walk from the visitor center links them. Climb only on Mama Loumari’s legs, and leave a note in Little Elina’s writing capsule. Nearby, Heart of the Forest is a 27-foot “Tin Man” figure at the Jackson-Yoe trailhead. Bernheim asks a $15-per-car donation. The giants were built to last a few years, so check that they are still standing before a special trip. Plan the day with our Bernheim Forest guide.
Buying art to take home
Most co-op pieces are small enough to carry, and the artists on duty can tell you how a piece was made, which is half the pleasure of buying it. For larger work, ask before you pay whether the gallery or the artist can ship. If you pick up a print or a painting at Jim Cantrell’s studio or the co-op, Gartland’s on West Flaget does custom framing; call ahead to ask how long it takes. And if you are traveling with bourbon, remember that a framed piece and a bottle make awkward luggage partners.
Art events through the year
- Bardstown Arts & Crafts Festival, Oct. 10 and 11, 2026: more than 250 artists’ booths through the historic district, local artist demonstrations and free admission, per Bardstown Main Street. It opens the same day as “The Littles.” See our festival page.
- Summer at the amphitheater: The Stephen Foster Story and a Broadway musical play under the stars from mid-June to early August, with tickets from $28 for adults.
Plan your art day
Start at Bardstown for the Arts when it opens at 10, walk two blocks west to the basilica and ring Jim Cantrell’s bell on the way (having called first), then lunch downtown and an upstairs peek at the Talbott murals. If you have a car and an afternoon, head to Bernheim for the giants and a walk; go early on fall weekends, when the trails get busy. Our self-guided walking tour links the downtown stops.
