september 10, 2016

“Trust in your journey. You’re on the right track.” Unknown

Today was Cannel City’s Pickin In The Park. Much like Market in the Park in West Liberty, this little art and music festival lasted only the day. Not far from my table again was Minnie Adkins. If you follow art at all, then you’ll know that Minnie is one of the most cherished folk artists in the country. I don’t mean the country as in Kentucky country, I mean in the United States. Her work is all over the world; in museums galore, including the Smithsonian. She is a Commonwealth treasure. I’ve known Minnie for better than twenty years now. Pam Oldfield Meade introduced us when Minnie was at White Oak. I don’t remember why she was there, and I didn’t really see her again until Market in the Park last month. We got to talking, and before I knew it, she had invited me to show my work at next year’s Minnie Adkins Day in Elliott County. That was a real honor!

Minnie is so unassuming. She’s soft spoken, kind to every person she meets, and genuinely interested in fostering art. She has inspired dozens of artists, not just in Kentucky, but all over. She has done a lot for the Eastern Kentucky area artists in particular. She really tries to help people practice their art, and she goes to events like Pickin in the Park because she knows communities need art. I just can’t say enough about how much she means to so many people. I had the opportunity to introduce her to dad today. Neither one of them have ever met a stranger, so naturally they acted like old friends casually running into each other. Minnie is my shero, and I’m grateful to call her friend.

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