Barn Studio

The barn on Gumlick Road in Roanoke, Kentucky was built over one hundred years ago by my Great Great Great Grandfather, William Joseph Abner. William’s farm was eventually split between his five children, and the plot that the barn stands on was given to William’s granddaughter Nanny Abner and her husband Frank Race. Aunt Nanny and Frank had a hammer-mill in the barn they used to crack corn and also used the barn to house and care for the farm’s workhorses. The farm and barn were later sold to Aunt Nanny’s niece, Rosamond, and her husband Virgil Mann (my grandparents) who continued to use the barn until the late 90’s when they moved to Dry Ridge, Kentucky. In June of 2004 Virgil C. Mann passed away, leaving the farm to be divided among his five children. A small part of the farm, including the barn, was sold at auction and I purchased the three-acre lot where the barn, a corn shed, and a garage are located in April of 2005. From 2005 -2007 I used the barn as a studio, harvesting materials and rusted treasures to create a number of pieces exhibited in several shows.