Fourteen local artists painted bourbon barrels with various themes as part of a fundraiser to raise money for area nonprofits. A voting contest is being held to determine the community’s favorite barrel, with the winning artists receiving a prize. The barrels will be on display through mid-September.
This is the second year that United Way of the Ohio Valley has hosted a “Barrels of Heart” fundraiser. Artists had to apply, and 14 were selected (artists and their themes are listed below).
The barrels were unveiled Friday evening at United Way’s 75th Diamond Celebration. The money raised from the fundraiser will be used during the UWOV grant cycle when local nonprofits apply for funding.
Two awards will be given this year to the barrel artists. The grand prize winner will be determined by three art jurors: Diane Huff, Aaron Kizer, and Mary Katherine Maddox. That winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, and UWOV will donate to the artist’s choice of area nonprofit.
The second award will be determined by community vote. There are multiple ways the votes can be cast. The barrels will be displayed at the Owensboro Convention Center through September 17, and there will be a QR code on site for people to scan and vote. Alternatively, you can visit this voting page to make a selection; the site includes photos of each barrel along with the artists’ names.
Both winners will be announced at noon on September 17 at the Convention Center. The public is invited to attend.
This year’s artists and their themes are:
- Patrick Bennett — “Celebration”
- Tony Henning — “Freedom, Hope & Serenity”
- Adrian Nash — “A Dream of Bluegrass and Horses”
- Jenna Faucheux — ” Kentucky Bottled Up”
- Sara Beatty — “The Kentucky Gallery”
- Brooklyn Logsdon — “YesterYears of Kentucky”
- Leeza Dukes — “Wild Horses”
- Will Evans — “The Future of Art”
- Parker Medley — “Kentucky Proud”
- Terri Minton — “Bourbon Barrel Blooms”
- Brittany Samsil — “Voices of Kentucky”
- Rex Robinson — “Symphony of Botanical Harmonies”
- Danny Sexton — “Famous History of Owensboro”
- Gena Wilson — “Bourbon on the River”
Additionally, Rex Robinson is not in the contest but was a Diamond Sponsor (Owensboro Health) barrel artist with the theme “Symphony of Botanical Harmonies.”
The Barrels of Heart event was a special event fundraiser that United Way of the Ohio Valley first adopted in 2023 from the Bourbon with Heart organization.
