068 - Throwin' to Dolly Cornhole Set by Wendy Page Hower

This work is a playful, heartfelt tribute to Dolly Parton, reimagined through the American backyard game of cornhole. Two custom-designed cornhole boards serve as canvases celebrating Dolly’s iconic beauty, artistry and bigger-than-life personality.

On the first board, the traditional hole becomes a stage spotlight, casting rays of light on a portrait of Dolly’s face. On the second board, the hole is reimagined as the sound hole of her guitar—a symbol of her decades of songwriting genius and the countless stories she has shared through music. Together, the boards honor Dolly the performer and Dolly the generous, inspiring human.

The work is fully playable, complete with bean bags made of velvet and extravagantly bedazzled, echoing her signature style: glamorous, sparkling, unapologetically bold. “Throwin’ to Dolly” invites players to engage with the piece as a shared experience—much like Dolly’s music and philanthropy invite connection and community.

Part sculpture, part functional object, part performance, this piece celebrates Dolly’s power to bring people together across taste, class, and culture. More than aiming a beanbag at a hole, “Throwin’ to Dolly” is an interactive work of art, a playful homage to an American icon whose spirit continues to inspire and delight.

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Wendy Page Hower has practiced with watercolor and acrylic paints since age 6. She is part of a family of artists. She grew up in Maine and has lived in Durham since 1997. She is a mom to two humans, three cats and a dog.