Known as the original Rhinestone Cowboy, Loy Allen Bowlin became know as an outsider artist whose work largely included bejeweling his clothing, Cadillac and home with thousands of rhinestones.
He was the recipient of the NEA Fellowship for Painting and Works on Paper by the Southern Arts Federation.
After he died, the Kohler Foundation, Inc. of Wisconsin bought Bowlin's Mississippi home, the Beautiful Holy Jewel Home of the Original Rhinestone Cowboy, which is now on permanent display at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Sources include:
Auer, James. "All that Glitters was Gold to Entertainer." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 19, 2000
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