Willie Darnell Rascoe
Driftwood Sculptor
“Art is the universal language.”
As a hobby in 1974, I started driftwood sculpturing because I thought it would be challenging to see what could be done with wood that I saved from the river ’s banks.It seemed like the more that I worked with driftwood, the more interesting it became to me.This created a desire in me to want to work with it more.After several years of working with driftwood, I met Ms.Lucille Allen,of the KCAA (Kentucky Coalition of African-American Arts based in Louisville,Kentucky), at the Aaron McNeil Center in Hopkinsville,Kentucky.It was there she first saw my work, and later wrote an article on my God-given talent.A year later,I held my first exhibit at the Trigg County Farmer’s Bank in Cadiz,Kentucky.This included a newspaper article,which also aired on the Cadiz radio station,WKDZ, for three weeks.This was the beginning.
“Wood is looking at you, just like you’re looking at it.”
2001 – Bernheim Forest Workshop
2001 – Kentucky Museum Exhibit, Bowling Green,KY
2000 –Weston Museum Exhibit,Cincinnati,OH
2000 – Bernheim Forest Exhibit
2000 – First and Second Place Awards at Hopkinsville Art Guild ’s 29th Annual Juried Art Show
2000 – Lost River Cave and Valley Earth Day Exhibit, Bowling Green,KY
2000 –The Amplifier article,April,Volume 6,Issue 3,Page 13
2000 – Kentucky Historical Society Exhibit “Saving Kentucky ’s Treasures,” Frankfort, KY
2000 – Nationwide Exhibit “Time:All Over ” through Kentucky Folk Art Center, Morehead,KY
1999 – Highlander Museum, Ashland,KY
1999 – First City Bank, Hopkinsville,KY
1999 – Chamber of Commerce, Hopkinsville,KY
1999 – Kentucky Art and Craft Gallery, Louisville,KY
1999 – Kentucky Folklife Festival, Frankfort,KY
1999 – Instructed Driftwood Sculpturing Session at Kentucky Art and Craft Education Center,Louisville,KY
1998 – Festival of Kentucky Folklife;;chosen 1 out of 100;live telecast on KTLN TV;Frankfurt,KY
1998 – Pennyroyal Art Exhibit, Hopkinsville,KY
1998 – Louisville Arts and Crafts Foundation piece will eventually travel to schools
1998 –Associate Press Articles;numerous
1998 – Courier Journal article, Louisville,KY
1998 – Moorehead Folk Arts Museum, Moorehead,KY
1998 – Southern Ohio Museum, Portsmouth,OH
1997 – Dawson Springs Area Museum, Dawson Springs,KY
1997 – First City Bank, Hopkinsville,KY
1997 – Black Expo in Madisonville, KY
1997 – Folk Arts Festival, Henderson,KY
1997 – Kentucky State Fair, Louisville,KY
1997 – Festival of Kentucky Folklife;;chosen 1 out of 100;Frankfurt,KY
1997 – Pennyroyal Art Exhibit;;2nd Place in juryed Art Show;Hopkinsville,KY
1996 – Pennyrile Park, Folk Arts Show,Dawson Springs,KY Bowling Green International Festival,Inc.
1995 – Homestead Place at Land Between the Lakes, KY
1994 – Published in Tradition Folk Art and Music in Christian and Trigg Counties booklet
1994 – Hopkinsville Community College, Hopkinsville,KY
1994 – Sandy Hooks, KY for their First Annual Art Show
1994 -Pioneer Day in Madisonville,KY
1994 – Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts;;2 Months;Owensboro,KY
1993 – Cayce Yost, Channel 43 of Hopkinsville,KY
1992 –Walnut Street Stadium which were three showings:newspaper,television,and radio,Hopkinsville,KY
1991 – Convention Center, Hopkinsville,KY
1990 – Fort CAMpbell Credit Union which included the newspaper and television, Fort CAMpbell,KY
1985 –AlhAMbra Theatre, Hopkinsville,KY
“I communicate with the piece and I communicate with the people.”
I have demonstrated and lectured in the following schools:
Bowling Green,KY –Western Kentucky University,2001
Hopkinsville,KY –Walnut Street Stadium Workshop,2000
Hopkinsville,KY –Aaron McNeil Center Lecture,2000
Hopkinsville,KY – Pennyroyal Area Museum audiotapes made for school system
Williamsburg,KY – Open Grounds Art CAMp, 1997
Madisonville,KY – several schools
Hopkinsville,KY – Belmont Elementary School, 1997
Pembroke Elementary School,1997
Williamsburg,KY – Open Grounds Art CAMp, 1997
Indian Hills Elementary School,1994
Sinking Fork Elementary School,1994
Crofton Elementary School,1994
Christian County Middle School,1993
North Drive Middle School,1992
“God said,‘I can open up your mind a lot further than just this one piece.”
Current Projects:
v 2001 Kentucky Folk Arts Center:“Lost and Found ” Exhibit, Moorehead,KY
v 2002 Mason ’s Museum Solo Exhibition,Cadiz,KY
v 2002 Kentucky Arts and Crafts Foundation,Louisville,KY
Our youth are our upcoming leaders;therefore,they should continuously focus on their objectives and goals for their futures.My form of art is a way of communicating achievements that can be made by using self-discipline and determination.Recognition from others is a glorious thing.Children dare to become creative achievers who will be recognized for doing good things.
“There ’s love.There ’s caring, sharing, dignity, self-respect. You name it, it can all be there.You just got to look far enough and have an open mind enough to see it.”
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