Large Horse Carved, painted wood • 20" x 6" x 38" $800

Small Possum with Babies Carved, painted wood 7" x 2" x 15" $275

Small Horse Carved, painted wood 9" x 3" x 15" $250

Large Possum with Babies Carved, painted wood • 12 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 40" $800

Pig with Babies Carved, painted wood • 7" x 2" x 15" (size of mother) $300

Small Tiger Carved, painted wood 6" x 2" x 18 1/2" $250

Small Bear Carved, painted wood 7" x 3" x 15 1/2" $250

Terminator Eater Carved, painted wood • 9" x 2" x 13" $250

Large Fox Carved, painted wood • 13 1/2" x 6" x 43" $800

About the Artist

Minnie Adkins was born in 1934 and her first husband, Garland was born in 1928, both in Isonville, Kentucky. Garland died at home in Isonville on November 6, 1997. They spent many years working in Ohio and returned to Minnie's homeplace in the 1980s, which she renamed "Peaceful Valley." Minnie carved as a child, but she took up carving full time after returning to Kentucky. Garland started carving a little later.

Although the Adkinses co-signed everything they made, they usually worked separately. Minnie is famous for her carved and painted red foxes and black horses, but she also makes bears, pigs, possums, tigers and other animals. Garland was best known for his elegant horses that were either painted black or left unpainted, depending on the look of the wood.

In 2000, Minnie married Herman Peters, a retired pipe-fitter, who worked with Minnie to create her signature animals in steel until his death in 2008. Minnie continues to work in wood, with help carving her big pieces from her grandson, Greg.

In 1987, she was chosen as one of five Kentucky artists featured in Millard and Ramona Lampell's book, O' Appalachia. Minnie was the 1992 recipient of the inaugural Jane Morton Norton Award given by the Norton Center for the Arts for achievement in advancing the arts in Kentucky. She received the Award of Distinction from the Folk Art Society of America in 1993, as well as an Al Smith Fellowship for Individual Artists, granted from the Kentucky Arts Council; and the Appalachian Treasure Award in 1994. In 1998, she was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Morehead State University. In January 1998, Kentucky Governor Paul Patton presented to Minnie the prestigious Individual Artist Award of the Governor's Awards in the Arts in recognition of her contributions to art and artists.

Minnie's work has been featured in many museum and gallery exhibitions. Her work is in the permanent collections of the American Folk Art Museum, NYC, NY; the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, Ky.; the Kentucky Folk Art Center at Morehead State University; the Huntington Museum of Art, W.V.; and the Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles. Her work is also in the collections of Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Streisand.