Bessie Lou Cornett Parker (1896–1984) was an American painter and a prominent figure in the field of American folk art. A native of Kentucky, she began to paint systematically only after the age of sixty, dedicating herself to a self-taught form of art. Her works, created primarily in oil on canvas, are described as "memory paintings" and document rural life in the Appalachian region in a naïve style. She depicted scenes of daily life, community events such as baptisms and funerals, agricultural labor, and family traditions, visually preserving the culture of her community. Although her career began late in life, her work achieved national recognition. Her paintings are now included in major permanent collections, including those of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., consolidating her status as an important chronicler of 20th-century Appalachian life.