Loy Allen Bowlin (September 16, 1909 – June 14, 1995), also known as ''The Original

Rhinestone Cowboy "Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written by Larry Weiss and recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. When released on May 26, 1975, as the lead single and title track from his album ''Rhinestone Cowboy'', it enjoyed huge popularity w ...

'', was an

outsider artist Outsider art is art made by self-taught or supposedly naïve artists with typically little or no contact with the conventions of the art worlds. In many cases, their work is discovered only after their deaths. Often, outsider art illustrates e ...

from

McComb, Mississippi McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The city is approximately south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 12,790. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statist ...

. His artwork largely included bejeweling his clothing, Cadillac, home and even his dentures with thousands of

rhinestone A rhinestone, paste or diamante is a diamond simulant originally made from rock crystal but since the 19th century from crystal glass or polymers such as acrylic. Original Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river ...

s. Bowlin's life and work have been acclaimed by various outsider art critics and periodicals including

Raw Vision ''Raw Vision''rawvision.com is a British magazine devoted to outsider art and edited by John Maizels. It features content about the subject worldwide. History ''Raw Vision'' was founded by John Maizels in 1989 as a way of telling people about out ...

. After his death, Bowlin's

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

home, the ''Beautiful Holy Jewel Home of the Original Rhinestone Cowboy'', was acquired by the

Kohler Foundation The Kohler Foundation, Inc., is a philanthropic organization that works in the areas of art preservation, grants, scholarships, and performing arts. History Kohler Foundation was founded in 1940 by Evangeline Kohler, Marie Christine Kohler, Lilli ...

, Inc. and was moved to the

John Michael Kohler Arts Center The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is an independent, not-for-profit contemporary art museum and performing arts complex located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, United States.Sheboygan, Wisconsin Sheboygan () is a city in and the county seat of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 49,929 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populatio ...

, where it is on permanent display.

References

External links

John Michael Kohler Arts Center - Loy Bowlin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowlin, Loy Allen 1909 births 1995 deaths People from Franklin County, Mississippi Artists from Mississippi Outsider artists People from McComb, Mississippi

References

Further reading

External links