The theme of the Art Center’s newest virtual exhibit is “Connections.” Here’s how a few of the artists in the show responded to that theme. You can see all of the work in our virtual gallery by clicking here.
Connections by Kathleen O’Brien
Mixed Media | 9″ x 13″ | $500
“Connections is one of the mixed media collages that was selected for the Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council in 2012. It’s an abstract landscape. The giant orb is surrounded by mistletoe to represent divine love. We’re all the smaller orbs that are blessed with the connections we have with each other under divine providence. You have to look closely to see the connecting pencil lines!”
Joy by Lynda Ross
5″ x 7″ | $95
Who doesn’t like a good laugh? At a time when society is more and more isolated and in many cases fearful I know I find solace in speaking with friends and family and sharing a good laugh. Sometimes just the sound of a familiar voice will put a smile on my face. Is there anything more important than one’s health? Maybe not but I submit that a sense of humor runs a close second. You don’t have to be a joke teller. Everyone can recognize that optimism in the face of uncertainty can be a common thread that connects us. Call a friend, have a laugh, repeat
Hidden Pond, by Linda Horn Gover
24″ x 18″ | $325
Traveling rural Kentucky brings me great joy as there is often a hill, a meadow, or an unexpected pond just around the next curve. The joy of viewing our Kentucky landscape connects me to the land and her inhabitants.
“Hidden Pond” was inspired by a farm pond, around a curve, of course, and visible only in winter. Perhaps the painting brings you a nostalgic, happy memory of Kentucky.
Children of the Front by John Andrew Dixon
Mixed Media Collage | 11″ x 17″ | $400, framed
Through my work in collage, I am constantly aware of a genesis that takes place in the spontaneous composing of mundane found material and the discarded remnants of ordinary living. This creative process yields a symbolic artifact that transcends the intrinsic reality of the ingredient elements. The featured artwork is a meditation on the theme of compassion that connects me to the greater realization of warfare’s effect on the young — a less abstract, more “programmatic” outcome than typically occurs for me. There may be a parallel connection with today’s worldwide crisis. It opens the potential for a companion piece that could be titled, Children of the Quarantine.
Water Color Crane by Kathy Thompson
24″ x 18″ | NFS
I was inspired by my love of birds and an image in a children’s story book. I think we are all connected through the earth. This painting evokes such a peaceful feeling in me, which is much needed in these trying times, I hope it pleases your eye as well. The birds have never sung louder in my yard than now.
Sahara by Brandon Long
Metal Assemblage | 36″ x 36″ | $300
I use found/reclaimed roofing tin and other various metals to create assemblage. I allow the rusted textures and found patinas to present themselves in a way that is evocative to minimalist abstract painting. Using the materials that are often the remains of rural barns in disrepair allows me to create work that is a memorial to the agrarian past of our region while creating something that is new. Creating this “Connection” between the past and our present is essential to my work.
Symbiotic Assemblage by Roni Gilpin
15″ x 24″ | $300
This piece is an exploration of the connections between all living things. The skull might represent the world and other elements the animal and plant kingdoms. If you look closely, you will see a tiny bee in one of the hands. That bee holds the only color in the piece which is meant to heighten its importance in the scheme of things. All other elements in the piece, as in the world, depend on the little bee.
Elemental Woman by Sara Morency
16″ x 20″ | $175
The female form is simultaneously delicate and powerful. It is soft and, at times, rugged. It is stable and dynamic. It is mountain and valley. It is water and fire. This piece is meant to reflect the sacred connection between nature and woman.
