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Many of you took the bait and informed me that the beautiful striped bessies shown in my previous column are not, in fact, "steel-belted bovines," but rather Belted Galloways. The beautiful spread and cows pictured are those of Roy and Dreama Menefee, who will soon be hearing from a certain Vulture to accept their farm tour offer. You can learn more about these cows (and pick up kitschy cow crafts) on the Web at www.beltie.org. A big thank you to all who wrote to me or phoned my editor.

OK -- had enough of farm art and created cows? Let's go shopping for art at the thrift store!

I really haven't gone around to area thrift stores to scope out the art scene. I'm here to tell you about a segment of art collectors and artists who already have an established presence, both on terra firma and on the Internet.

Taken to the cleaners

Art Quiz! Of the two paintings shown, one is thrift store art and one is hanging in the prestigious Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Can you guess which is which? The answer is at the bottom of the page.

Not so long ago, this newspaper printed a story about a local art collector who festooned the walls of a local dry cleaning business with art -- art that was not procured from the usual sources, such as galleries or art festivals. We've all read of how someone purchased something from a flea market and it ended up being the work of an old master.

That's not the kind of treasure hunt we're onto here. This is about art that, for one reason or a thousand, was not only relegated to off-wall status, but also was possibly unceremoniously cast aside as an undesirable. Yes folks, just like fish and Hollywood beauties, art can have an expiration date, and when it goes bad, whether because of changing tastes or the eye of the beholder, well, let's just say they have places for art like that, and they're not pretty.

Castaway

When Uncle Elmer painted that picture of cousin Suzi back in the '70s, it was sweet. But, uncle's gone on to a better place, and Suzi ran off with that numbers runner, and there's a ton of stuff left in the attic. So, we donate the whole pile, get a tax break and feel good about recycling. Or, we sell it at a garage sale or flea market. Or dump it.

Painting No. 2

What do thrift store art collectors do with these pieces? Some focus on a certain genre, such as pet portraits, people, still lifes or landscapes. In the case of paintings, they are often displayed en masse on a wall, creating a feeling of opulence in toto that no one piece could ever aspire to on its own. Sometimes, with the right frame and amid the right assemblage of accessories, thrift store art can create a feeling of glamour on a shoestring budget. And sometimes, it just feels good to give a sad little puppy a loving home, a second chance. It can be the same with a castoff piece of art, especially if you're the sentimental type (the Culture Vulture is dabbing a tear from her eye this very minute).

And then there's Eddie

Of course, not everyone who buys thrift store art has such sweet and innocent intentions. Next, we'll see what becomes of thrift store castaways in the hands of an offbeat, diabolical artist. In the words of his Web site, "Although married to an art school graduate ... Eddie generally refrained from expressing himself artistically, being rather intimidated by talented individuals around him. Whenever he did have an idea for a subject that would make a good painting, he scared himself and kept his mouth shut." That is, until Eddie bought an old painting for $1 at a church rummage sale.

Must-sees on the Web:

Belted Galloway Society links: www.beltie.org

Museum of Bad Art: www.museumofbadart.org

Barn Toulouse thrift art: www.members.tripod.com/~brianpink/barnart.html

Miriam Young is a creative director living in color in Roanoke.

Art quiz answer: "Harlequin in Gray," 1928 (right), by painter John Graham, hangs in the Phillips collection in D.C. The other painting ended up as something ... quite ... different. Stay tuned to see what.

Note: Some Web links provided by the Culture Vulture may contain art featuring nudity, strong political content and bizarre visions. Parental guidance is suggested. Please respect the copyrights of the owners when visiting online galleries, and obtain artists' permission before downloading any images.