Art Guild's Brown Bag Lunch program with Willie Rascoe

Willie Rascoe, Hopkinsville's award-winning folk artist, will present a program at the Art Guild's upcoming Brown Bag Lunch Series. From his first carving in 1973, Willie Rascoe's artwork expresses his vision of the natural materials he gathers from the woods and waters of Western Kentucky. His inspiration comes from his unique relationship with the driftwood, stones, shells and other materials he finds in nature. "It speaks to me," he said. Galleries and art publications across the United States have featured Rascoe's wood sculptures. The Tanne Foundation in Boston recognized his work in 2012 with an award given to artists who fill a "cultural void." Rascoe carved artwork from wood for nine years before he showed anyone what he was making. His first art show was about 25 years ago at a bank in Cadiz. Recently, Rascoe received a Folk Heritage Award at the 2015 Kentucky Governor's Awards in the Arts.