The Pike School of Art-MS wants to bring the Rhinestone Cowboy back home — or at least some of the artwork by the late folk artist Loy Bowlin.
Bowlin was an eccentric local celebrity in the 1970s and ’80s, with everything from his hat to his boots — eyeglasses and dentures included — bejeweled in rhinestones. He drove a rhinestone-covered Cadillac and lived in a house adorned with rhinestones.
Bowlin’s devotion to covering his world in the tiny gems earned him acclaim outside of his native McComb. His house — known as the Beautiful Holy Jewel Home of the Original Rhinestone Cowboy — was acquired by the Kohler Foundation after his death and moved to the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wis., where it is on permanent display.
PSA director Calvin Phelps said some of Bowlin’s works will be up for auction on Saturday, and he’s trying to acquire two more pieces to go with one other that was purchased in April 2020 to be on display locally. Phelps is seeking local donations for the purchase.
PSA is leasing the former Pike County Juvenile Detention Center to use as a community space and museum space for both regional or national artists. He also hopes to start a museum dedicated to Southwest Mississippi. Acquiring some of Bowlin’s works will be fitting for that purpose, Phelps said.
“Over time, many people have expressed interest in a McComb art museum, and the PSA-MS board considered whether taking on such an undertaking fit within our mission,” he said. “We decided an art museum did indeed make sense under our exhibition programming umbrella.”
Phelps formed a committee to establish “a relevant collection of art and cultural artifacts” and to raise money to purchase them.
“Buy-in from the public will, of course, be crucial from a monetary standpoint, but it will also show that the community is invested in the museum,” he said.
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To contribute or for more information, contact Phelps at cphelps@psa-ms.org.
