Draft:Wylie Caudill

Wylie Caudill, born May 9th, 1996 in Cynthiana, Kentucky, is an acclaimed and accomplished artist. Known for his distinctive, self-described style of “organic repetition,” Caudill’s art is unique in the sense that his works often include repeating patterns of an organically shaped subject matter.

From a young age, Caudill’s imagination was sparked by Pokemon, trains, and dragons, which laid the foundation for his career as an artist. It was during his time at Eastern Kentucky University that he began to make a name for himself. He gained recognition as “the chalk guy” on campus, making intricate designs with chalk as his medium and a college campus as his canvas. These works on EKU’s campus garnered local attention and catalyzed his future career.

Since then, Caudill’s artistic endeavors have continued to prosper and find success in notable collaborations with MTV, Mountain Dew, and YouTube. Most significantly, Caudill was selected as the official artist for the 150th Kentucky Derby in 2022, solidifying his recognition and prominence in the art world. Overall, though, his portfolio showcases a diverse range of work, from large-scale murals that adorn downtown Lexington, KY to intricate paintings of cerulean roses that have become synonymous with his name.

As an LGBTQ artist, Wylie’s work reflects inclusivity and creativity, all stamped with his eccentric style. His journey serves as a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and paving one’s path.

Early Life and Career

Caudill has been creating art his whole life, but as a child, he dreamed of being a marine biologist rather than an artist. He was immersed in the arts growing up, as he came from an artistic family. However, art was never forced on him, it was something he loved on his own. He took many advanced art classes in high school, yet he never considered himself an artist.

In 2013, Caudill’s passion for art grew as he studied photography and film at the Governor's School for Arts. In 2015, Caudill left Cynthiana and began school at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) as a prospective Broadcasting major. He liked how EKU was close to home, he had a scholarship, and he learned a lot about the broadcasting program on his tour. While in college, he hoped to work in film, and he spent much of his free time creating large-scale chalk murals around EKU’s campus. His love grew for creating large-scale artworks, and he was known around campus as ‘ The Chalk Guy’. His chalk murals consisted of large-scale anime characters including Pokémon, angel wings, and different real and mythological animals. EKU students used his chalk murals for different picture opportunities, as his murals were interactive. His murals have been described by his classmates to brighten their days and make walks to class an art show. Along with creating chalk murals and majoring in broadcasting, Caudill was heavily involved in the EKU theater and found it to be his on-campus home.

In 2018, Caudill graduated with a degree in broadcasting, but he quickly realized that he still loved film, but there were not very many opportunities for film while living in Kentucky. He also did not like broadcasting and could never see himself working for news stations. So he started working for KY for KY, a local Kentucky merchandise store as a cashier and questioned what he wanted to do for a career. However, his career began to fall in place at KY for KY because one day, while working, the store received a phone call from a restaurant in Frankfort, Kentucky, The Stave. The Stave asked if they could paint a mural of KY for KY’s ‘Kentucky Kicks Ass’ logo on the side of the restaurant building, and also asked if KY for KY knew of any mural artists that could paint it. Caudill was suggested to paint the mural, and permission was granted. This was Caudill’s first professional mural. He then went on to paint a few more KY for KY logo murals and then left his cashier job to be a professional artist.

As a professional artist, Caudill has collaborated with many different well-known companies and brands such as YouTube, Mountain Dew, and MTV, and he has over 200,000 followers on TikTok. In January of 2023, Woodford Reserve reached out to Caudill and offered him the job as the official artist for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby, was drawn to Caudill’s repetitive florals, and they found that the florals resonated with their tradition of crowning the winning thoroughbred with a garland of red roses. Along with being titled ‘The Official Artist of the Kentucky Derby’, Caudill’s art also is featured on Woodford Reserve bottles.