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Joe Dudley Downing 2000 Art Exhibit
The Kentucky Museum collection includes more than 25 examples of art by Joe Downing. For more information about these works or about the artist, go to KenCat, our online catalog, or contact the Kentucky Museum Registrar/Collections Curator.
The art featured on the following pages is part of a private collection and was displayed at the Kentucky Museum in 2000.
1999 Governor's Awards in the ArtsNational Award Recipient Joe Downing
Program Statement
"Joe Downing is a visual artist who has taken his Kentucky roots and shared them not only with the rest of the nation but with the world. His years growing up on a tobacco farm near Horse Cave continue to inspire his work as a painter and sculptor even though he has made his home in France since 1950, dividing his time between Paris and the southern village of Menerbes. His art has been exhibited in France, Sweden, Italy, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and other counties, and yet he never forgets his native Kentucky roots. He has had exhibitions in Owensboro, Bowling Green, Louisville and Horse Cave, as well as Cincinnati, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Charleston, West Virginia and Seattle. His work can be found in the permanent collections of museums in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Israel, Canada, Australia and the U.S.
Joe Downing holds the distinction of being one of three Americans to exhibit work at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France; the other two artists being Whistler and Tobey. Downing is also a writer, having published two books of poetry as well as articles about the art world."
![diptych, oil on canvas, 234 x 79.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/9d85abe1-07ec-4f98-8f80-0ac8eddb4f40.jpeg)
"As Ever Was"
Joe Downing "As Ever Was" diptych, oil on canvas 234 x 79.5 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/d12c5d9a-1cc5-4114-92b8-8984f7d78e30.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/d91a81a5-3fa0-45b6-8d3c-ad4ab3a1a96f.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/6ae3e146-a974-4aad-a43a-d37b651fdb83.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/fe581f21-bcc3-4270-8d6c-ed3503dbfac7.jpeg)
"Place Name"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/b6aac142-5bff-4d93-b78f-254b269669ce.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/1b7a8302-5766-4f0e-8760-98b57767d45b.jpeg)
"Annunciation"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/52b3e5ce-7025-4074-b10d-6327e927b8ed.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/56f1cbc8-aef5-40b3-be7d-068788577e9e.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/b982b19f-8c45-4354-bc0e-0685d788e955.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 64 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/6f5fa0ff-caa8-48a7-ac41-9f990f515c82.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 51.5 x 64 inches
!["If Only Possible", oil on leather on metal, 76 x 89 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/33ff01d9-2d28-4301-9e06-2d83d2a1f9ff.jpeg)
"Blue Totem"
"If Only Possible" oil on leather on metal 76 x 89 inches
![Oil on canvas, 64 x 51.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/11101372-f210-499c-b665-b9f5ebd5df88.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 64 x 51.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/d773b257-4e98-41ea-b239-b41b1de4ad35.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 64 x 51.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/ece4f7ad-6442-425d-83ae-1e61a358b575.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 29 x 24 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/de6a71be-100e-41e4-83d2-897dba401ec2.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 29 x 24 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/bffec6b6-3b46-4068-96a3-4a90855b525f.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 29 x 24 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/24faee2a-962c-4535-8cb6-1481cbdd965e.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 24 x 29 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/126a1b5f-3fca-40ac-b0bb-b96b36689f70.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 36.5 x 29 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/cad2ca39-b2cf-4088-9d29-40cb869bbeea.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 38.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/cad2ca39-b2cf-4088-9d29-40cb869bbeea.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 38.5 x 51.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/0212c4e1-d158-49e6-ae52-613820229a68.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![Oil on canvas, 38.5 x 51.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/61b3eacc-2622-4862-a0cb-5623a84d0aed.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
![oil on canvas, 38.5 x 51.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/7f5d1b8b-7b17-484e-9351-8250ceb9ea9b.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing - oil on canvas
!["Blue Story", oil on leather on wood, 13 x 2.5 x 79 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/407f98a1-07e5-404a-9cda-258e585db577.jpeg)
"Blue Story"
Joe Downing "Blue Story" oil on leather on wood 13 x 2.5 x 79 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/ba734562-9583-4504-a810-6b4b7afcbeed.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/f911c9b2-aed2-4f43-b26c-7fb3fa30a60c.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/22df2072-4402-43cb-aa98-e5366a22fb5b.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/ed9b832f-1e76-4335-85ee-df0f97f93a6e.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/cfba2b7f-2fcd-494b-85ed-2d8c45bb2056.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/2801016a-81fc-4519-8421-6ded87ffb3ae.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/09b7790b-b64a-4dcc-b03d-4a8bd3e81eb2.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/83e612d0-7172-417f-b298-fe709cee1f28.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
!["Herald, Speak of the Days", oil on leather on metal and oil on leather, 76 x 89 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/145a77f3-3bea-4e60-bb5d-4caa92f7eb7b.jpeg)
"Herald, Speak of the Days" oil on leather on metal and oil on leather 76 x 89 inches
Joe Downing "Herald, Speak of the Days" oil on leather on metal and oil on leather 76 x 89 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/6848541e-f521-4642-93d1-75764feba3b2.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/83961838-74b4-45ae-9012-4d00670c3ac1.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing oil on canvas 21.5 x 25.5 inches
!["Vaucluse Autumn", oil on leather on wood, 15.5 x 2.5 x 84.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/8e2f7731-7524-4da4-9824-d5cd9967520c.jpeg)
"Vaucluse Autumn"
Joe Downing "Vaucluse Autumn" oil on leather on wood 15.5 x 2.5 x 84.5 inches
![Watercolor on paper, 2.75 x 4 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/bd185c29-6f0e-4808-90e7-542b934651b0.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing watercolor on paper 2.75 x 4 inches
![Watercolor on paper 4 x 5.25 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/65a19c1c-61e5-4b66-b71d-733498e601f0.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing Watercolor on paper 4 x 5.25 inches
![Watercolor on paper 5.25 x 4 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/8d2118b9-223c-4114-a272-3ffef5de522d.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing watercolor on paper 5.25 x 4 inches
![Watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/ee4c25ae-2ef9-4d4b-a0ca-57c98759fd22.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches
![Watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/7a410f6c-ec01-4a86-8439-5fb9d30164df.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches
![Watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/5e16b63c-ab2a-4728-9d19-dfc17682508f.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches
![Watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/e6c85586-58d0-4927-9e29-a7369b56b621.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches
![Watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/a565ab8d-32cc-4ce5-a7a3-3d78d240ea9f.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing watercolor on paper 2 x 2.5 inches
!["Ismael's Door" oil on wood 34.5 x 2.5 x 79](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/d24a7184-2c24-404c-92e8-32a4117dada4.jpeg)
"Ismael's Door"
Joe Downing "Ismael's Door" oil on wood 34.5 x 2.5 x 79
![Collage on parchment paper, 5 x 11 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/6bd361ba-638a-487a-8669-c943194a2ca7.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 5 x 11 inches
![Collage on parchment paper, 4.5 x 11 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/dd02d843-96b8-45c3-ab60-30337fa926aa.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/cd7ccbd1-10bb-4cde-9039-5e0f1f6ee6f0.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/9bde430b-8bba-480b-9451-567e7cfe9d5e.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/1d729fd7-d433-4a51-a1ba-9be39c25b02d.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/0a193971-8815-4cb9-bc63-972ac240bf8d.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/19209691-fb99-4879-aff5-ed1585e24f1d.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/0bfa4a50-fedf-479e-9a12-be785b0bf407.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/514f154d-4b92-4744-b7b2-13bb7ce33356.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/2f18d025-8a5a-4410-a2ce-b61ce6c4b0c1.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 4.5 x 11.5 inches
![Collae on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/15ab3fbd-eaee-4e53-8d2f-d871ccfd482c.jpeg)
"Untitled"
Joe Downing collage on parchment paper 5 x 11.5 inches
!["And These Times Were", triptych, oil on leather on wood, 64.5 x 71 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/ce07c615-b921-4a82-93e0-d4f9c9da057b.jpeg)
"And These Times Were"
Joe Downing "And These Times Were" triptych, oil on leather on wood 64.5 x 71 inches
!["Red Story", oil on leather on wood, 18 x 188 inches](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/1d9d2113-b850-457c-9f54-2ba37c4d0485.jpeg)
"Red Story"
Joe Downing "Red Story" oil on leather on wood 18 x 188 inches
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/2648a6e2-2219-424d-bebb-19dab2744212.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/1b06d404-005a-409c-aa4c-9733b505443c.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Oil on canvas](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/87a16514-9990-4eb7-b2b6-49452ed5931d.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Watercolor on paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/6d76b45d-fbc8-488d-b20c-9f308184ad6a.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Watercolor on paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/12bbd639-baf5-43f3-87e5-05e75ba5a956.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/0d78db9a-663c-41e3-a662-9af2c1761604.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/0d78db9a-663c-41e3-a662-9af2c1761604.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/3ea82d5b-ca66-4fd4-b0e6-32fba751adb7.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/eb8befcd-d9f1-4271-a1c1-e3f28e2fb225.jpeg)
"Untitled"
![Collage on parchment paper](https://www.wku.edu/ldp_gallery/.private_ldp/a4116/production/master/eb8befcd-d9f1-4271-a1c1-e3f28e2fb225.jpeg)
"Untitled"
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