death_date birth_place nationality birth_date article_title name occupation
2006 clay city , kentucky american 1915 nellie meadows
 nellie meadows artist
nellie meadows

nellie meadows -lrb- 1915 -- 2006 -rrb- was an artist from clay city , kentucky whose painting '' `` kentucky the great state '' '' became the state 's official piece during the u.s. bicentennial .
meadows was born in 1915 , and spent most of her life in clay city , kentucky .
in the 1960s , she began painting birds and wildflowers that were indigenous to her area .
she was part of the kentucky heritage artists program , and traveled throughout the state presenting programs on painting , at numerous schools , libraries and other locations .
she distributed her prints , and various note cards at a number of state parks and other venues .
she was presented with a plaque in 1970 for her contributions to kentucky 's public libraries .
in the 1980s , she was commissioned by the kidney foundation of central kentucky , to paint a series of kentucky winter and holiday scenes to be used as christmas cards and prints , which earned tens of thousands of dollars for the foundation .
nellie also marketed prints that benefited the arthritis foundation , various women 's clubs , and other organizations , her paintings of local , powell county , kentucky , attractions ; such as natural bridge , and the red river gorge , paid tribute to the powell county area she was so proud of .
her joy of painting was immense , and she loved to share her artwork with people .
her reputation as a generous , kind , and fun loving person was known in her hometown , home state , and in many other states around .
in 2006 , nellie died at the age of 91 .
she was in the process of painting a new original work .
al cornett , a powell county artist , described her as `` an excellent wildflower artist and landscape painter '' .
