A pencil portrait of author and activist Gloria Jean Watkins — best known by her pen name bell hooks — drawn by local artist Laurissa Kabithe has been selected for Gov. Andy Beshear’s Kentucky Derby exhibit.
Kabithe, a Hopkinsville native attending the University of Louisville, gifted the artwork to the author’s family for her Celebration of Life on April 2 in Hopkinsville. It was later submitted to Kentucky Arts Council and selected for the Governor’s Derby Exhibit, which features the work of 54 artists from across the Commonwealth with their interpretation of the theme “Tell Us a Story.”
The artwork will be displayed through June 1 in the Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda. The exhibit is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
