A shared hotel lobby will once again become a gallery this summer as the Owensboro Art Guild prepares to showcase its second annual Bluegrass Music Exhibit, a member-only show designed to celebrate regional music and visual art during one of the city’s busiest festival seasons.
The exhibit will be on display June 7 through June 28 in the lobby of the Hampton Inn Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront, offering visitors a free, around-the-clock look at locally created artwork inspired by bluegrass music.
Jamie Kniffen, the coordinator of the event, said the idea is to give guild members an opportunity to interpret bluegrass music through a wide range of artistic mediums, from painting and drawing to pottery and metalwork.
“We’re still members-only right now,” she said. “We do hope to expand in the future to include non-members, but with so many events happening back-to-back, it’s what we can manage at the moment.”
The exhibit is scheduled to coincide with ROMP Bluegrass Festival, drawing visitors from across the region into downtown Owensboro. While the timing aligns, Kniffen clarified that the exhibit is not part of a formal partnership.
Artists interested in participating register through the guild’s website, a process Kniffen said is already underway as submissions continue to come in.
“We had a great turnout last year, and it was really well received,” she said. “A few artists even sold their work.”
Many of the pieces on display will be available for purchase, though Kniffen said not every artist chooses to part with their work.
“Most of the art will be for sale,” she said. “But some artists don’t want to sell their pieces. We had one woman last year who entered a very personal piece and didn’t want to let it go. A visitor in town for ROMP tried to buy it, and she just couldn’t part with it. He still keeps in touch with her to this day.”
Beyond sales and exposure, Kniffen said the exhibit plays an important role in supporting a local art community that has limited traditional gallery space.
“The local art scene is growing, and it’s just great for artists to get their work out there and be seen,” she said. “There aren’t really many art galleries in Owensboro right now. Studio 105 used to be one, but it closed, so this is another way for artists to get exposure, especially with people coming in from out of town.”
Because the exhibit is housed in a hotel lobby, visitors can view the collection at any time throughout its run.
“What’s great about the Hampton Inn is that it’s open all the time,” Kniffen said. “People can come in anytime and view the exhibit. It’s just a really special way to bring art, music, and the community together in one space.”
