Collector's Notes: The Edward Guy Collection

Kentuck
1 day ago
3 min read

Step into a celebration of legacy, storytelling, and Southern creativity with The Edward Guy Collection: A Major Gift to Kentuck Art Center now on view at Kentuck at Queen City through May 25, 2025. This special exhibition showcases more than 60 works generously donated to Kentuck's Permanent Collection by longtime Kentuck supporter, board member, and collector Edward Guy. In this blog post, we’re sharing photos of the collection’s opening reception, along with reflections from Edward himself on what inspired him to share this incredible collection with the community.

"For me, Kentuck is joy. It is an investment in happiness. It is something worthy. Kentuck is special to me. I am grateful for this opportunity to share a glimpse into a part of my journey with art that moved me and brought me happiness. Now, as these pieces become part of the permanent collection, one of my goals is being fulfilled." -Edward Guy

From Edward Guy:

“My art collecting started around the age of 21 when I bid on and won my first painting. I still have that piece and the rest is history. I have been a part of Kentuck for over 20 years. I was asked by Dianne Baker to serve on the board. I served on the board and executive board which prepared me to serve as president during the 40th year of the annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts. During this time, I enjoyed doing the mental work required but also getting to help so many other volunteers with the physical tasks that bring that incredible event together. Being a volunteer with Kentuck is one of the most rewarding things you can experience and one of the things you will look back on with satisfaction in being part of what makes the magic happen. Meeting people from all over, making new friends, and seeing lifelong friends again. If you are not actively involved with Kentuck, I encourage you to become part of this wonderful nonprofit organization. If you have resources, chip in, or if you have been fortunate and love what this organization does, become a patron, become a benefactor, become part of the foundation that ensures its continuation.

For me, Kentuck is joy. It is an investment in happiness. It is something worthy. Kentuck is special to me. I am grateful for this opportunity to share a glimpse into a part of my journey with art that moved me and brought me happiness. Now, as these pieces become part of the permanent collection, one of my goals is being fulfilled. Kentuck has the space now to house and display a permanent collection. I collected these pieces with the intention of them being donated to Kentuck during my lifetime for you to enjoy. These pieces are deeply meaningful to me. Each shares a story, a life, a moment that the artist brought together into the forms presented to share with someone out there. Art is personal and also universal. The feelings it evokes fuels something in each of us. What is life without art? I hope I never know the answer. This collection will grow, and I encourage you to donate financially or through artwork to the permanent collection to ensure it becomes an epic echo of what was, what was built upon, and what will be. Each person seeing this collection will, I believe, will follow a journey that leads to the anticipation of the annual festival and the thrill of owning something that speaks to them. Art is one of the great connections and expressions that are timeless. Here begins a huge step in ensuring that sentiment endures. I thank you.”

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Visit Kentuck at Queen City!

1901 Jack Warner Parkway Tuscaloosa, AL

Kentuck at Queen City, located in the historic Queen City Pool House in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is Kentuck Art Center’s newest expansion project. It features rotating exhibitions, highlights from the Permanent Collection, Art Markets, and hands-on workshops for all skill levels. Just minutes from Downtown Tuscaloosa and directly across the street from the Tuscaloosa Rivermarket, it offers free access to a welcoming space celebrating Southern and folk art traditions.