Minnie Adkins

Minnie Adkins is a Kentucky-born American folk artist known for her playful carvings of animals.

For her contributions to folk art, Adkins’ work is displayed in books, music, and several galleries within and across her home state. She also appears in the Day in the Country folk art fair, which she co-founded with her husband Garland!

Folk art is a type of decorative or practical art that is unique to people of a specific location. It is distinctly used to express these people’s shared values, needs, or aesthetic views with simple materials like wood, cloth, or metal. Similarly, it is often associated with traditions and grassroots history. This sets it apart from the academic or cosmopolitan forms of art frequently discussed in art history.

When Minnie Adkins began woodcarvings in Isonville, Kentucky—a region of the United States soaked in woodcarving tradition. At the time, her family was poor and carving was practiced primarily by boys and men. So, she was initially ridiculed for her work, which featured painted, whimsical critters and Biblical characters.

Despite criticisms and financial struggles, Adkins decided to sell her carvings to support her family. She would hunt for sticks, twigs, and branches to use before frequenting local flea markets with her products. As she grew in sales, she grew in renown and began to sell from home!

Adkins is humble about the recognition she’s received for her work, including an award of distinction from the Folk Art Society of America. She’s also been featured in children’s books, as well in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Georgia Museum of Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, the Huntington Museum of Art, and the Kentucky Folk Art Center.

Nonetheless, Adkins produces and sell her work from Isonville, Kentucky. She believes her roots are with the traditions of her hometown, and she continues to exemplify that with even the smallest and strangest of carved animals!

Learn More

• Oral History Interview
• Interview: Kentucky Life
• Artist Biography: American Folk Art Feature
• Artist Biography: KMAC Contemporary Art Museum
• Artist Page: Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Huntington Museum of Art: “Story Carvings”
• PBS Video: “Wooden Animals”
• PBS Video: “Muse Moments”
• Short Lecture: “Friends and Neighbors with Minnie Adkins”

Selected Works

• Black Horse (1998): This black horse exemplifies Adkins’ usual carving style. She has carved many other horses with the same panache!
• Blue Rooster (2000): This iconic blue rooster is made of recycled pipe and a comb, an example of Adkins’ use of everyday materials. It is another version of her carved roosters.
• Animals Quilt (2009): Adkins can do more than woodcarvings! This piece carries the charm of her animal carvings into another traditional medium.

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Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Minnie Adkins is classified as a “folk artist” in the United States?
2. What separates folk art from other types of art?
3. Review the quilted work by Adkins in the selected works list. Then, analyze the work shown in the CAM look video. Answer the following:
   • What are characteristics of Adkins’ carving style?
   • How well does Adkins’ carving style translate to a different medium?
   • Why might Adkins have chosen to use quilting as a medium?

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