06/18/2026
Ships Ahoy!
We are overjoyed to share the story of the uniquely talented Greg Alvey. Greg recently joined the Owensboro Art Guild with an inquisitive mind and a deep love of learning. While he hopes to learn more about painting and color theory, Mr. Alvey already dabbles in drawing and is quite successful in that endeavor.
Beyond the new skills he is developing during our monthly meetings, there is a much more complex and niche art form that Greg is widely known for. In 1998, he set out on the adventure of a lifetime. His journey began with the art and craft of building ships, folk art, and whimsies inside bottles. Greg acts as a builder, collector, and historian for this rare craft. It is so niche that Greg notes, “There is very little known about it, with some historic pieces dating back to the 1700s and 1800s.” His own art pieces beautifully reflect his passion and deep knowledge of bottle art. He conducts extensive research on the history and development of folk art in a bottle, which is exactly where his inspiration comes from.
Over the years, Greg has personally owned over 750 bottles built by artists around the world, and his current private collection holds approximately 300 bottles. Acquiring many international friends along the way has been a true highlight of his studies.
As guild members, we recently had the wonderful opportunity to attend a private showing of his collection. Greg occasionally passes on his extensive knowledge of this unique craft to others by opening his home to curious minds and art enthusiasts. Although his personal works are not for sale, he actively buys and sells pieces from other well-known artists. His grandchildren marvel over his imaginative, whimsical pieces and have already “called dibs” on their favorites. Greg takes immense pride in documenting these pieces to keep the rare art form alive and well for generations to come.
One of his most recent pieces, titled “A ROMPing Good Time,” is currently on display at the Hampton Inn in downtown Owensboro. This piece is featured in the Annual Bluegrass Exhibit, running from now until June 28th in conjunction with Owensboro's renowned ROMP festival at Yellow Creek Park. Festival-goers from all over will have the pleasure of viewing Alvey’s work alongside pieces from many other talented art guild members.
You can learn more about Greg and discover other bottle artists through the website he owns and operates: www.folkartinabottle.com. If you would like to contact Greg for a private showing or have any questions, he can be reached at [email protected].
