Women in Art
Minnie Adkins (Elliot, b. 1934)
Adkins’ painted wood carvings and colorful ceramics have become
nationally-known and collected. As her success has grown, Adkins has helped
many other Kentucky artists to gain recognition.
Elizabeth Barret, Anne Lewis, Mimi Pickering, & Justine Richardson (Letcher)
These women filmmakers, all associated with Appalshop Inc. in Whitesburg,
have dedicated their careers to making films that “celebrate the culture and voice
the concerns of people living in the Appalachian mountains,” including a focus on
the lives of women. They include: Girls Hoops (Richardson 1998), Fast Food
Women (Lewis 1991), Dreadful Memories: The Life of Sarah Ogan Gunning
(Pickering 1988), Coalmining Women (Barret 1982).
Jamison Brumm (Pulaski, b. 1951)
An artist in Somerset specializing in anodized metal jewelry, Brumm is active in
the Kentucky arts community, has her own newsletter and Web site, and is the
designer of 100 dream chaser pins honoring women across the U.S.
Visit Jamison Brumm's Web site.
Ollie Childress (Barren, 1929-2003)
A third generation basketmaker, she has spent her life as a proud caretaker of
the distinct western Kentucky white oak basket-making tradition. The
Childresses have received awards from the Kentucky Guild of Artists and
Craftsmen and received the Sarah Gertrude Knott Award from the Kentucky
Folklife Program in 1998.
Jane Burch Cochran (Boone, b. 1943)
A quilter from Rabbit Hash whose quilts are embellished with beads, paint, found
objects, shiny fabrics; often the subjects are about race, women, or other social
issues.
Carmen Ray Coyle (Hardin, b. 1949)
One of the only women glass blowers in Kentucky to own and operate an
independent studio, Coyle and her perfume bottles, paper weights, vases, and
candle holders have been featured on KET’s “Kentucky Life.”
Joan Dance (McCracken, b. 1940)
A native of Paducah who is a visual artist. Her canvases are filled with bold
colors and often themes from her African American heritage.
Clara Eagle (Calloway, 1908-1985)
A silversmith who was the chair of the art department at Murray State University,
1949-1971. The gallery there now bears her name.
Virginia Mason Ivey (Logan, 1828-n. d.)
A nationally known quilter whose quilts can be seen in the Speed Art Museum in
Louisville and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.
Helen La France (Graves, b. 1919)
Her artwork ranges from carved wooden puppet figures to landscape and
religious paintings.
View 2 puppets made by Helen LaFrance, located at the Kentucky Museum.
Alma Wallace Lesch (Bullitt, 1917-1999)
An innovative fiber artist who received the 1987 Kentucky Governor’s Award for
Lifetime Contribution to Visual Arts. Recognized as a pioneer of the
contemporary craft movement, she was also an art professor and author of a
classic text on vegetable dyes.
Susan Pfeiffer (Hardin, b. 1958)
A Radcliff resident who designs and makes furniture. She has won many
awards for her pieces which evidence her environmental consciousness. She is
also an art teacher.
Rebekka Seigel (Owen, b. 1948)
Seigel represented the Commonwealth in the first Great American Quilt Festival
designed to honor the Centennial of the Statue of Liberty. Her feminist art quilts
include “The Beauty Myth.”
Dixie Seldon (Kenton, 1868-1935)
Seldon’s paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States. Her
artwork includes landscapes and oil portraits.
Emily Wolfson (Henderson, b. 1915)
A fiber artist who helped found the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. She
received a Governor’s Award in the Arts in 1987 for her involvement in
community arts.
Enid Yandell (Jefferson, 1869-1934)
A Louisville native whose sculptures graced the 1891 Chicago World’s Fair.
Today, visitors can see her statue of Daniel Boone in Louisville’s Cherokee
Park.
Mary Yeiser (McCracken, b. 1905)
A painter who founded the Yeiser Art Center in 1957. She was also the first
president of the Paducah Art Guild.
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