
Jim Cantrell has been a professional studio artist in Bardstown since 1971. He earned his BFA in Art Education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1958 and his MA from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley in 1965 with a double emphasis in ceramics & painting. He began his distinguished career as a teacher, but after 14 years he left the academic world to pursue his passion and “practice what he had been preaching”.
Cantrell’s paintings can be seen in major public, private and now over 20 museum collections around the country. Participating in over 300 solo, group, and juried exhibitions, he has been the recipient of many awards, including fellowship grants from the Kentucky Arts Council and from the Southern Arts Federation. He was named Alumna of the Year for Creative Achievement from the University of Northern Colorado in 2000 and from the University of Nebraska in 2012. He has also juried numerous competitive exhibitions around the region.