William Joseph Petrie painted screaming angels, talking cows, drag queens, cowboys, Elvis and Jonas Salk, landscapes lit by shooting stars, mammoth hearts beating wildly in the sky, athletes dancing cheek to cheek, frenzied fundamentalists and scenes of sacred solitude. In Dreams Awake is the heartfelt story of this prolific painter, tobacco farmer, political activist and passionate gay man living in the rural bluegrass of Kentucky. In Dreams Awake looks at the man, his work and the impact his life and art continue to have. It is a look at where a generation has been and how the collective memories of a group are held together by one common thread, creating a lasting legacy and tribute to their friend, brother, uncle, lover, artist.