Art in Paducah

A couple stops to admire one of the 52 murals by artist Robert Dafford and his team.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

The Queen of the Mississippi steamboat paddle-wheeler can be seen through an opening in the mural-covered floodwalls in Paducah.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Located in the historic Market House building in downtown Paducah, Market House Theatre puts on plays and musicals featuring local actors.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

A former church and photography studio are now home to Make, where people can take art classes or just drop by and create something special.

People work on eclipse-related pieces of art during a workshop at Make, 628 Broadway St.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Original art hangs on the wall of the Mellow Mushroom restaurant in Paducah’s restored Coca-Cola bottling plant, which now houses a yoga studio, artist collective, craft brewery and more.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Meagan Musselman talks to an employee at Dry Ground Brewing Company, one of several businesses housed in an abandoned Coca-Cola bottling plant. Musselman and her husband, Ed, recently restored the plant, which was built during the Depression.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

A quote from Paducah native and author Irvin S. Cobb is proudly displayed on a sign post in the city’s historic downtown.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

A red yak sits outside Yeiser Art Center, whose permanent collection features more than 300 pieces by local artists and big names like Mary Cassatt and Alexander Calder. The center has a small-but-nice gift shop, too.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

The artist collective Bricolage in downtown Paducah sells clothing, soap, paintings, jewelry and much more from local artisans.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Bricolage Art Collective and Must Stitch Emporium are a couple of the shops on Market House Square in downtown Paducah.   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )

Artist Char Downs, who moved to Paducah from the San Francisco area as part of the city’s artist relocation program, stands in her studio by her painting of Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry’s quilt titled “Corona II: Solar Eclipse.”   (Lori Rackl/Chicago Tribune )