NEWS & EVENTS
NEWS & EVENTS
March 21, 2015
June 13, 2014
February 11, 2014
June 1, 2013
March 1, 2013
February 9, 2012
January 3, 2012
January 17, 2012
January 4, 2012
November 11, 2011
October 15, 2011
May 17, 2011
January 27, 2011
September 4, 2010
March 30, 2009
March 10, 2009
September 6, 2007
September 6, 2007
May 1, 2007
April 1, 2007
October 28, 2006
September 7, 2006
September 6, 2006
August 29, 2006
April 10, 2006
March 24, 2006
January 11, 2006
August 20, 2005
November 3, 2004
July 2, 2004
April 28, 2004
March 12, 2004
March 6, 2004
January 15, 2004
December 2, 2003
October 25, 2003
October 17, 2003
August 30, 2003
July 15, 2003
K. L. McKenna wins People's Choice Award at Cowgirl Up! 2015
Exhibition opens at White Pines, Byrdcliffe Art Colony in Woodstock, NY
Exhibition opens at the Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY
"WYOMING" in New York City: Recent Paintings from the American West by K.L. McKenna
Nature in Translation: Visions of Flat Rock Brook through Paintings and Photography
Photographs Taken by K.L. McKenna Requested by the Grammy Foundation
K.L. McKenna at the Prince Street Gallery, NY, NY
K.L. McKenna Exhibits at Prince Street Gallery, NY, NY
Gallery 501 Features 23 Paintings by K.L. McKenna
Exhibition Opens in Woodstock, NY at the WFG Gallery
Painted Journeys Travels to the Clayton Center for the Arts
Lemurs Take Over the Rubin Museum of Art for a Night
The Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) Exhibits "New West Expressions"
Museum of Northern Arizona Selects K.L. McKenna Oil Painting for Permanent Collection.
The Museum of Northern Arizona Exhibits "Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau"
Grand Opening at Visions West Gallery, Denver features K.L. McKenna's work
Museum of Northern Arizona Launches New Artists' Residency Program
The National Arts Club Exhibits Three Woodstock Artists
K.L. McKenna is Featured Artist in Colorado Magazine Online publication
Dwight-Englewood School Honors K.L. McKenna an Distinguished Alumna
The Jewish Federation of Ulster County honors Katharine L. McKenna
US. Ambassadors residence in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso exhibits K.L. Mckenna paintings
Banner of "Wind River Canyon" flies
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Selects Two Paintings by K.L. McKenna for April Episode
U.S. State Department requests paintings by K.L. McKenna
Painting by K.L. McKenna is selected for museum’s permanent collection
Booth Western Art Museum Exhibits Paintings by K.L. McKenna
K.L. McKenna gives lecture at the University of Nebraska, Omaha
Telluride gallery Dolce Jewels features the work of Woodstock artist K.L. McKenna
Documentary filmmaker from Germany films K.L. McKenna
Windham Fine Arts exhibits the work of K.L. McKenna
The Yellowstone Art Museum annual auction supported by K.L. McKenna donation
Big Sky, Montana’s Red Raven Gallery represents artist K.L. McKenna
The Woodstock Guild, Woodstock, NY exhibits work of K.L. McKenna
Senate House shows K.L. McKenna works with the Artists’ Society of Kingston
German galleries exhibit six K.L. McKenna paintings
Woodstock Artists Association chooses K.L. McKenna drawing
Prince Street Gallery, NY, NY selects K.L. McKenna to exhibit
PRINCE STREET GALLERY, NY, NY INVITES K.L. McKENNA TO EXHIBIT
Prince Street Gallery, NY, NY, selects the work of K.L. McKenna for "Small Works Invitational 2003"
(NY, NY) July 15, 2003 -- New York City -- Prince Street Gallery, located in the vibrant section of Chelsea, New York City, NY selects K.L. McKenna for "Small Works Invitational 2003" July 15 - August 2, 2003. The Prince Street Gallery is a long standing cooperative gallery in New York City.
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WOODSTOCK ARTISTS ASSOCIATION CHOOSES K.L. McKENNA DRAWING
Drawing by K.L. McKenna chosen for the Woodstock Artists Association Woodstock Beau Arts Ball Journal
(Kingston, NY) March 1997 -- Hudson Valley Magazine interviews Katharine L. McKenna, president of the Arts Society of Kingston, in article “An Artful Revival,” about the recent influx of artists arriving in Kingston, NY. McKenna states, “Our goal is to promote the arts, visual, poetry, music -- and create exhibition opportunities. We’ve also been writing a newsletter and we’re trying to get artists in Kingston to meet each other.”
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GERMAN GALLERIES EXHIBIT SIX K.L. McKENNA PAINTINGS
K.L. McKenna exhibits six paintings in Germany with the Arts Society of Kingston in the Rhine-Hudson-Bridge Exchange show titled "Potluck"
(Cologne, Germany) October 17, 2003 -- Cologne-- The Rhine-Hudson-Bridge Exchange Exhibition titled "Potluck", sponsored by the Arts Society of Kingston, features 26 artists from the Kinston area. The exhibition opens in Cologne, Germany on October 17, 2003. Six paintings of K.L. McKenna will be on exhibit in the Brauweiler Abbey, Brauweiler, Germany and in the Cultural Center Lohrerhof, Hurth, Germany through October.
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SENATE HOUSE SHOWS K.L.McKENNA WORKS WITH THE ARTISTS' SOCIETY OF KINGSTON
The Senate House in Kingston, NY shows work of diverse, select group of Hudson Valley Artists
(Kingston, NY) October 25, 2003 -- Kingston -- K.L. McKenna participates in the Artists' Society of Kingston's show "Kaleidoscope" at the Senate House, Kingston, NY. The show, October 25 and 26, 2004, includes a diverse and select group of Hudson Valley artists.
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THE WOODSTOCK GUILD, WOODSTOCK, NY EXHIBITS WORK OF K.L. McKENNA
For the fifth consecutive year, the Kleinart/James Art Center, Woodstock, NY sells the work of K.L. McKenna in the annual Woodstock Guild's "5 X 7 Show"
(Woodstock, NY) December 2, 2003 -- Woodstock -- K.L. McKenna participates in the Woodstock Guild's annual "5 X 7 Show" at the Kleinart/James Art Center, Woodstock, NY. This is a special exhibition of over 100 original works of art on 5 x 7 canvases, each being anonymous until after purchase. K.L. McKenna's work continues to sell for the fifth consecutive year. The proceeds go toward the Kleinart/James Exhibition Program of The Woodstock Guild.
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BIG SKY, MONTANA'S RED RAVEN GALLERY REPRESENTS ARTIST K.L. McKENNA
Red Raven Gallery, the new contemporary gallery in Westfork Meadows, Big Sky, MT represents landscape artist K.L. McKenna.
(Big Sky, MT) January 15, 2004 -- Big Sky -- The newly opened Red Raven Gallery has included artist K.L. McKenna in their stable of fine artists. The Red Raven Gallery, located in Big Sky, MT, has carved its own niche in town and is also featuring the works of acclaimed contemporary artists such as Gennie DeWeese, Harold Schlotzhauer, Cydette Vikander, Heather Carisch. "I am more then pleased to show my work in Montana again, and look forward to painting more scenes from the area," says K.L. McKenna.
The work of K.L. McKenna, including oil paintings from Wyoming and Colorado, will be featured in a two person exhibition at Red Rave in September, 2004. Also exhibiting will be Jacqueline Rieder Hud, whose work mines the self-expressive potential of figurative painting, working in the Expressionist manner. Both artists favor the fauvist school. The exhibition opens September 16, 2004. For further information please call Red Raven Gallery, PO Box 160328, Big Sky, MT 59716, (406) 995 - 4145.
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THE YELLOWSTONE ART MUSEUM ANNUAL AUCTION SUPPORTED BY K.L. McKENNA DONATION
Yellowstone Art Museum auctions K.L. McKenna's "Three Trees At Canyon de Chelly" at their premier fund-raising event
(Billings, MT) March 6, 2004 -- Billings -- The Yellowstone Art Museum, a major contemporary art museum in Billings, MT, celebrated its 36th Annual Party and Auction on March 6, 2004. K.L. McKenna's oil painting,"Three Trees At Canyon de Chelly", was one of the 156 pieces of art work bid on by over 550 patrons. This auction is the museum's premier benefit fund-raising event. Revenues from the event go to support all facets of the museums operations.
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WINDHAM FINE ARTS EXHIBITS THE WORK OF K.L. McKENNA
Windham Fine Arts, Windham, NY exhibits the work of artist K.L. McKenna in show "A Body Of Work"
(Windham, NY) March 12, 2004 -- Windham -- Windham Fine Arts proudly presents K.L. McKenna in the show "A Body of Work", March 12 through April 4, 2004. Opening reception, Saturday, March 13, 4:30 - 6:30pm.
K.L. McKenna comes to Windham Fine Arts after showing in such diverse venues as the annual auction at the Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT and the Annual Buffalo Bill Cody Show and Sale in Cody, WY. In her pastel figures, K.L. McKenna uncovers color in shadows and uses many hues to create light. The choices are always unexpected, but delightful. She combines abstract elements with the figures to sculpturally fuse them with heavily saturated hues. The two person show will be complimented by Bruce Currie, who has been in the Woodstock art scene since the 1940's.
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DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER FROM GERMANY FILMS K.L. McKENNA
German television ARD interviews K.L. McKenna for series to be aired on German television.
(Kingston, NY) April 28, 2004 -- Kingston --German director Tilman Buettner of ARD, German Television, filmed K. L. McKenna painting in her studio for a documentary film about time. The film examines the subject of time from different vantage points, from high speed society to a slower paced lifestyle. The five part series, produced by Renee Silverman in New York, shows how high end career personalities have successfully gotten off the fast track onto a slower one. The film , titled "Zeitreisen" which means "Time Travel" when translated, will be aired on ARD German Television next fall.
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TELLURIDE GALLERY DOLCE JEWELS FEATURES THE WORK OF WOODSTOCK ARTIST K.L. McKENNA
"On The Way To Telluride", a solo exhibition of western landscapes by K.L. McKenna, will be on display during July at Dolce Jewels, Telluride, CO.
(Telluride, CO) June 30, 2004 -- Telluride -- Dolce Jewels is featuring new work of K.L. McKenna in the show "On The Way To Telluride" July 2 through July 31, 2004. Located at 226 W Colorado Avenue in Telluride. Dolce Jewels specializes in fine jewelry, gemstones and fine art. K.L. McKenna will be traveling from Woodstock, NY to be present at the opening reception on Saturday, July 10, from 4 to 9pm. The exhibition will consist of recent oils of Wyoming in addition to works painted in and around Telluride. The uninhibited use of color and light in these vibrant, colorful paintings have made K.L. McKenna very much in demand with collectors.
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K.L. McKENNA GIVES LECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA, OMAHA, NOVEMBER 3, 2004
The lecture, "INTERACTION DESIGN: Where Art, Design and Nonverbal Thought Meet Computer Science," will be presented at the Kiewit Institute, College of Information Science and Technology.
(Omaha, NE) October 12, 2004 -- Katharine is one of the "New Breed" that combines Art and Computer Science. Katharine L. McKenna has a BA in American Studies with a minor in Anthropology from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut and a Master of Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York. She has had numerous solo and juried shows. Her paintings are currently represented by several galleries including Dolce in Telluride, CO, Windham Fine Arts in Windham, NY, Red Raven Gallery in Big Sky, MT. She also has her own art gallery, the Coffey Gallery in Kingston, NY.
Before embarking upon her career as a painter of fine art, she worked throughout the United States and Canada as a graphical user interface designer for exhibition design firms and major banking firms including Citibank, First Boston, and Lehman Brothers. She was awarded a U.S. Patent for "The Geozoo" an educational toy designed specifically to stimulate nonverbal thought.
Peter Kiewit Institute room 279. November 3, 2004, 12PM
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BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM EXHIBITS PAINTINGS BY K.L. MCKENNA
The Booth Western Art Museum, a state-of-the-art 80,000 square foot facility in Cartersville, near Atlanta, GA is hosting an exhibition of paintings by K.L. McKenna
(Cartersville, GA) August 20, 2005 --- The Booth Western Art Museum, a state-of-the-art 80,000 square foot facility in Cartersville, near Atlanta, GA is hosting an exhibition of works by K.L. McKenna
The exhibition, which is titled "Illuminating the Mind: Soulful Works by K.L. McKenna" runs September 20 through November 13, 2005 and the "Meet the Artist" reception is October 20, 5pm- 8pm. The museum, which opened in 2003, features contemporary Western American art and is located about 40 miles northwest of Atlanta.
McKenna's vibrant landscape paintings of the West feature her unique usage of color, light and spirit, and are being presented in the 800 square foot Lower Level Lobby Gallery that hosts a variety of exhibitions by Southern and Eastern artists whose works reflect the American West.
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PAINTING BY K.L. MCKENNA IS SELECTED FOR MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION
"Wind River Canyon" has been selected for the permanent collection of the Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA
(Kingston, NY) January 11, 2006 -- James Burns, Director of Curatorial Services and the collections committee of the Booth Museum in Cartersville, Georgia have selected K.L. McKenna's painting "Wind River Canyon", oil on board, 25 x 20 inches, for their permanent collection. In writing to McKenna, Burns notes "The committee unanimously agrees that this is a superb example of your work and makes a wonderful addition to the Museum's existing holdings."
The Booth Western Art Museum, an 80,000 square foot facility, is dedicated to featuring contemporary Western American art. The museum is located at 501 Museum Drive, Cartersville, GA, about 40 miles northwest of Atlanta, GA (770-387-1300).
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U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REQUESTS PAINTINGS BY K.L. MCKENNA
The U.S. State Department's "Art in Embassies Program" sends 2 K.L. McKenna paintings to Africa
(Kingston, NY) March 24, 2006 -- Two of K.L. McKenna's paintings, "Bluffs at Fiddleback Ranch, WY" and "Wyoming Farmland Triptych" were requested by Ambassador Jeanine Jackson through the U.S. State Department's "Art in Embassies Program" for placement in her new diplomatic residence in Ouagadougou, in the West Africa Republic of Burkina Faso. Ambassador Jackson, who was recently confirmed as Ambassador to Burkina Faso, is a native of Sheridan, Wyoming.
"Established by the United States Department of State in 1964, the Art In Embassies Program is a global museum that exhibits original works of art by U.S. citizens in the public rooms of approximately 180 American diplomatic residences worldwide. These exhibitions, with art loaned from galleries, museums, individual artists, and corporate and private collections, play an important role in our nation's public diplomacy. They provide international audiences with a sense of the quality, scope, and diversity of American art and culture through the accomplishments of some of our most important citizens, our artists." -- Art in Embassies Program - http://aiep.state.gov/mission.html
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EXTREME MAKOVER: HOME EDITION SELECTS TWO PAINTINGS BY K.L. McKENNA FOR APRIL EPISODE
Television show gains in popularity and taste.
(Kingston, NY) April 10, 2006 -- Two of K.L. McKenna's paintings, "Front Range, Silver Spruce Ranch, CO" and "Cedar Mountain, Big Horns, WY" were requested for an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to be aired on ABC, Sunday, April 9th, 2006 at 8pm. The two hour episode will feature the Craft Family in San Antonio,Texas.
Be sure to keep an eye for for Katharine's paintings in the Great Room!
"The show garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program, and awards garnered during the second season include the People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show/Makeover and the Family Television Award for Best Alternative/Reality Program.
Each episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is self-contained and features a race against time on a project that would ordinarily take at least four months to achieve, involving a team of designers, contractors and several hundred workers who have just seven days to totally rebuild an entire house -- every single room, plus the exterior and landscaping.
The lives of the lucky families are forever changed when they learn that they have been selected to have their home walls moved, their floors replaced and even their facades radically changed. The result should be a decorator's delight... if it can be done in time. The viewers witness not only the unbelievable transformation of the house, but during the final and emotional reveal, they see how the home makeover has impacted the lives of the deserving families.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is President of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Tom Forman and premiered December 3, 2003, on the ABC Television Network." http://www.abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/
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BANNER OF "WIND RIVER CANYON" FLIES
High Country News of Paonia, Colorado uses image of K.L. McKenna's "Wind River Canyon" for conference banner.
(Kingston, NY) August 29, 2006 -- K.L. McKenna's painting "Wind River Canyon" is being used by High Country News for a six foot banner they plan to use for conferences. "It looks more amazing in person, everyone here absolutely loves it and it will stay on display at HCN in between conferences," writes Carmela Hensyel, High Country News staff.
The original "Wind River Canyon", oil on board, 25" x 20", by K.L. McKenna resides in the permanent collection of the Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA.
High Country News, Paonia, CO, covers 11 Western states. It is the source for news, analysis and commentary on water, public lands, wildlife, grazing, logging, mining, wilderness, growth, politics and other issues changing the face of the West. It is for people who care about the West. Find High Country News at www.hcn.org
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US AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO EXHIBITS K.L. MCKENNA PAINTINGS
(Kingston, NY) September 6, 2006 -- The exhibit "Art in Embassies" features two K.L. McKenna paintings at US Ambassador Jeanine Jackson's residence in Ouagadougou, in the West Africa Republic of Burkina Faso.
"I am very honored to have an exhibit representing Wyoming and Montana artists and am especially happy that your ‘Wyoming Farmland Triptych' and ‘Bluffs at ‘Fiddleback Ranch, Wyoming' are featured works of this small exhibition," writes Ambassador Jackson.
This exhibit will provide opportunity for the very interested Burkinabe, as well as students from the American International School, to compare African art to American "new west" art.
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THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF ULSTER COUNTY HONORS KATHARINE L. MCKENNA
"Katharine L. McKenna helped develop fundraising event"
(Kingston, NY) September 7, 2006 -- The Jewish Federation of Ulster County, Kingston, NY awarded $1,000 to the Arts Society of Kingston in honor of Katharine L. McKenna at their tenth anniversary "Fall for Art" juried show. McKenna was "the driving force who, 10 years ago, steered our fledgling Jewish Foundation committee to undertake an Art Show & Sale, now known as Fall for Art," a successful fundraising art exhibition and sale with an attendance of 350 or more. "When we asked Katharine if she thought we should undertake such an endeavor, her response was, "Go for it!!" and we did," says Barbara Cohen, committee chair.
Katharine L. McKenna is currently president of the Arts Society of Kingston and one of the original founders of the organization.
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DWIGHT-ENGLEWOOD SCHOOL HONORS K.L. McKENNA AS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA
Katharine L. McKenna, class of 1974, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ, is honored as distinguished alumna
(Kingston, NY) October 28, 2006 -- Katharine L. McKenna, class of 1974, returns as a distinguished honoree at Dwight-Englewood School's Reunion and Homecoming Weekend October 27, 28, and 29. A diverse array of her work, including her signature Western oil landscapes, watercolors of Mexico and her figurative pastels will be featured at Dwight-Englewood's Swartly art center from September 25 through October 28, 2006. She will be lecturing to the school's 1,000 kindergarten through 12th grade students on October 6.
Dwight-Englewood School has purchased "Savery Creek, Boyer Ranch, WY", a painting exhibited there for their permanent collection.
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K.L. MCKENNA IS FEATURED ARTIST IN COLORADO MAGAZINE ONLINE PUBLICATION
K.L. McKenna is featured artist in Colorado Magazine Online publication.
(Kingston, NY) April 1, 2007 -- K.L. McKenna is the featured artist in the art section of the April publication Colorado Magazine Online, Coloradomagazineonline.com.
Colorado Magazine Online provides Photo-Feature coverage of a wide variety of topics, including: Art, Music, Travel, Food, Finance, Fashion, Nature, Science, People, Places and Happenings in Colorado and The Southwest. It is published by Finson-Hood Marketing, Boulder, Colorado and Mel Fenson is Editor/Publisher, (303)702-0228.
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THE NATIONAL ARTS CLUB EXHIBITS THREE WOODSTOCK ARTISTS
Three Woodstock, NY painters showcase recent work both common in theme and individual in style at the National Arts Club, New York City, NY
Woodstock, NY(Woodstock, NY) May 1, 2007 -- Painted Journeys • In Search of the Sublime brings together the talents of three Woodstock, NY painters who are dedicated to a common subject, the American western landscape. Abbott, van Rijn and McKenna share a reverence for the land that is expressed through their work. Passionate colors jewel like brilliance and awesome atmosphere portray a celebration of the sublime.
Following a Woodstock tradition, these artists spend time painting in America's western states. Their work expresses a sense of the spiritual power of the great vistas and intimate places of mesas, canyons and deserts. Abbott says, "Abandoning the traditional precepts and techniques in which I was trained, I seek to perceive and convey a sense of the unique spirit of a place. Working on location allows me the sublime experience of being part of a sacred place, one in which I belong." McKenna adds, "I was fortunate to have been brought up in a family that honored and cherished nature. The way I was taught to explore and prospect the land gave me a sensitive appreciation and ability to evoke the divine essence of the natural west in my paintings." van Rijn says, "I look for places that inspire in me a sense of awe and sometimes even of danger. I want my paintings to express that sense of vastness, because along with it comes an accompanying awareness of inner space, only occasionally viewed, hardly explored."
Individually each artist holds their own in style and technique. Whereas Abbott demonstrates magical detail in her body of work, McKenna paints with sweeping expressionistic strokes. Where van Rijn's impressionistic depictions of the vast landscape are atmospheric in their realism, Abbott's work takes realism and presses it beyond the natural state into an other worldly scene. Abbott uses detail to convey a special sense of place and time, McKenna uses color to present an interpretative sensitivity that amplifies joy and hope in the subject matter. van Rijn uses a softness and subtlety in her paintings that is so clear that the viewer literally feels they are sitting on the edge of the canyon.
On view from May 22 through June 2, 2007 at the National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, the exhibition is made possible through the Invited Artists' Gallery Exhibition program. An opening reception will be held Tuesday, May 22 from 6 - 8 pm.
Judy Abbott received a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art in 1970, where she classically trained in the tradition of the old masters. In 1970 she moved to her ancestral home of the Catskill Mountains, where a deep love of nature was heightened by her growing awareness of the Hudson River School of Painters as well as the teachings and art of Native Americans. A belief in the unity of the creator, nature and art continue to inspire her to participate in environmental causes and exhibitions. Abbott has been associated with such galleries as the Marian Locks Gallery in Philadelphia, PA: the Staempfli Gallery in New York City: and the Albany Institute of History and Art. She co curated the exhibition "River Sounding Project" with Alan Gussow at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, PA, as well as "A Continuum: Contemporary Painters in the Tradition of the Hudson River School." Her work is included in the collections of the Albany Institute of History and Art, the Dorsky Museum, the Palmer Art Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. In 1992 and 2006, Abbott received a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and in 2004 she received "The Native American Heritage Award" from Bergen Community College.
Eva van Rijn was born in Den Hague, Holland, 1936 and emigrated to the United States with her parents during World War II. The family settled in Woodstock, NY where the vitality and creativity of a thriving art community formed the basis for her artistic style and work ethic. She attended the Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy. She spent summers exploring western United States with her family, which ultimately became the inspiration for her art. van Rijn continues the camping tradition, creating Plein-Air paintings that become the basis for larger paintings in her studio. She and her daughter Maia Chavez have exhibited together in the exhibition, "Red Canyons / Blue Sky," in Woodstock and Beacon, NY. van Rijn recently won Juror's Choice Award "Paint America," a national competition, and her painting "Gunnison in Low Light" is on tour with the exhibition's "Top 100". Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI and in the Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT. She has exhibited in galleries and museums in the U.S., Holland and Japan.
K.L. McKenna, born in Berkeley, CA, received a BA from Wesleyan University, CT in 1979 and a Masters Degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute, NY. McKenna has exhibited solo at the Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA and is included in the museum's permanent collection. She has participated in the annual auctions "Expanded Horizons," Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT, 2003 - 2007, and in the "Annual Buffalo Bill Cody Show and Sale," Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY, 1998 - 2000. She is listed on AskArt.com, The American Artists Blue Book. She has exhibited in a variety of galleries across the United States and in Germany, and her work is included in many collections. She is represented by Visions West Gallery in Bozeman, MT and Stonebridge Western Treasures, Madison, GA. She recently finished a commission for a private collector. In 2006, her paintings were featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC Television. She is presently on the Board of Trustees at Pratt Institute and is current president of the Arts Society of Kingston, which she co founded in 1995.
For more information, visit www.judyabbott.com, www.evavanrijn.com, www.klmckenna.com
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MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA LAUNCHES NEW ARTISTS' RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Residency is the Museum's First
(Kingston, NY) Sept 6, 2007 -- K.L. McKenna, Judy Abbott and Eva van Rijn, three New York Hudson Valley artists, are the first artists to participate in a new residency program instituted at the Museum of Northern Arizona. The residency program will bring visiting artists to the museum for three week periods of work and research. The residency will provide artists of all disciplines the opportunity to create their work while immersed in the geography and regional culture of the Colorado Plateau and giving them access to the wealth of the Museum's collections.
Lectures on the works of McKenna, Abbott and Rijn are scheduled for September 22, 2007 at the museum in Flagstaff, AZ. Call for details, 928-774-5211.
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GRAND OPENING AT VISIONS WEST GALLERY, DENVER FEATURES K.L. MCKENNA'S WORK
Visions West Gallery expands from Montana to Colorado
(Kingston, NY) Sept 6, 2007 -- K.L. McKenna has been invited to participate in "Western Art Revolution", the grand opening show for the new Visions West Gallery in Denver, CO. Visions West Galleries are dynamic art galleries striving to push the boundaries of Western art. McKenna has been featured at Vision West Galleries in Bozeman and Livingston, MT since their conception in 2006.
The grand opening for Visions West Denver is September 28, 2007, 1715 Wazee St., Denver, CO (303)292-0909
Photos From the Opening: http://www.303magazine.com/galleries/visionwest/index.htm
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THE MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA EXHIBITS "PAINTED JOURNEYS ON THE COLORADO PLATEAU"
Three Woodstock, New York plein aire painters kick off the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Artist-In-Residency Program with an extraordinary exhibition of oil paintings dedicated to the Colorado Plateau that runs through May 26, 2009.
(Woodstock, NY) March 10, 2009 -- Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau is an exhibition that has developed out of the Artist-In-Residency Program at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff. Three Woodstock, NY painters, Judy Abbott, Katharine L. McKenna, and Eva van Rijn each completed a residency where they created a large body of work dedicated to the Colorado Plateau, a region that encompasses a large area of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
The exhibition brings together the talents of these three plein aire painters who are drawn to a common subject, the American western landscape. The artistic expressions of Abbott, van Rijn and McKenna share a reverence for the land that is common in theme but individual in style. Passionate colors, jewel-like brilliance, and awesome atmosphere portray a celebration of the "spirit of place." The three Hudson Valley painters each seek in their own way, a modern interpretation of the sublime, much in the same manner as did Hudson Valley artists such as Church, Kensett and Carlson of the nineteenth century.
The goal of the Artist-In-Residency Program at the Museum of Northern Arizona is to develop new insights and understandings of the Colorado Plateau region through the artistic process. It offers professional writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline, while immersed in the inspiring landscape of northern Arizona and the Colorado Plateau. The finished artwork created as a result of the residency will characterize the Colorado Plateau for present and future generations and offer Museum visitors an opportunity to see the Plateau’s heritage through the eyes and ears of the contributing artists.
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MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ARIZONA SELECTS K.L. McKENNA OIL PAINTING FOR PERMANENT COLLECTION
“Little Colorado River I, AZ” is chosen
(Flagstaff, AZ) March 30, 2009 - The Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff has chosen "Little Colorado River I, AZ" for their permanent collection. The painting is one of 12 pieces painted during the residency program the year before and subsequently exhibited for six months at the museum.
"With her broad expressionistic brushwork and brilliant color, K.L. McKenna depicts an energetic and vibrant vision of the land. She says, 'I was fortunate to have been brought up in a family that honored and cherished nature. The way I was taught to explore and prospect the land gave me a sensitive appreciation and ability to evoke the divine essence of the natural West in my paintings.' As the most abstract of the three painters in this exhibit, McKenna's paintings celebrate the warm color and dynamic structure of the landscape." -- Alan Petersen, MNA Curator
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THE ARTS SOCIETY OF KINGSTON (ASK) EXHIBITS "NEW WEST EXPRESSIONS"
Paintings of Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Arizona by K.L. McKenna
(Kingston, NY) September 4, 2010 - 19 paintings of the west by K.L. McKenna representing recent work are being exhibited at the Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) in their main gallery at 97 Broadway, Kingston. "I started off showing small works with ASK many years ago, so it is a delight to exhibit solo in this large room with my larger recent work," says K.L. McKenna.
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LEMURS TAKE OVER THE RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART FOR A NIGHT
The Lemur Conservation Foundation hosts an exhibition and a benefit
(New York, NY) January 27, 2011 - The Lemur Conservation Foundation of Myakka City, FL, exhibits "Red Lemurs" oil painting by K.L. McKenna at the Rubin Museum of Art, NY, NY. The Lemur Conservation Foundation hosted “Mifohaza (Wake Up!)”, a benefit to help Madagascar survive and to support the Lemur Conservation. “Red Lemurs” is from the permanent collection of the LCF.
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PAINTED JOURNEYS EXHIBIT TRAVELS TO THE CLAYTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Maryville, Tennessee welcomes a visual panorama of the southwest
(Maryville, TN) May 17, 2011 - K.L. McKenna, Judy Abbott and Eva van Rijn traveled with their exhibition "Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau" to the Clayton Center for the Arts in Maryville, TN. The exhibition was previously exhibited at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. Each painter exhibited 9 paintings exemplifying their different styles. "Maryville College had the privilege of hosting their group exhibition, Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau, for two months earlier this year. The show was well received and drew numerous positive responses from our audiences. Many said it was the best show they'd ever seen. Significantly, many viewers came back to see the show again.... Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau is a cohesive, accessible, and visually compelling exhibit. The diversity of approach and style and the consistency of subject are things that our audiences resonated with immediately...." --Carl Gombert, Ph.D., Professor of Art and Curator at Clayton Center for the Arts at Maryville College.
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EXHIBITION OPENS IN WOODSTOCK, NY AT THE WFG GALLERY
Color & Light: The Spirit of Big Sky Country
(Woodstock, NY) October 15, 2011 - K.L. McKenna's solo exhibition at the WFG Gallery in Woodstock, NY opens Saturday night. McKenna is exhibiting a combination of recent paintings with a few older ones. Most remarkable are the paintings done on paper, which seem to define a new direction for McKenna. McKenna is known for her enthusiasm for color in her art and is inspired by western landscapes. As Paul Smart from the Woodstock Times writes, "It appears that your work is taking subtle leaps, becoming truly comfortable in its various strengths. I plan to write about that process, as manifested in the paintings I've seen over the years...through concentration on a landscape that resonates with who you are to what seems an utterly confident aesthetic of more recent years that just keeps getting stronger."
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GALLERY 501 FEATURES 23 PAINTINGS BY K.L. McKENNA
Surrounded by fine art, a fabulous reception and party was had by all
(Villanova, PA) November 11, 2011 - A lively and well attended reception and cocktail party was hosted by Gale Hayman-Hoffman at her incredible 501 Gallery space in Villanova, PA on 11/11/11. The reception was held, as the full moon rose, in honor of two artists on exhibition in the space, Jane Retif and K.L. McKenna. The artists paint in very different styles, but are both keenly interested in color, which created a dynamic counterpoint throughout the exhibition. The large open space allows the paintings to sing and vibrate with the help of museum quality lighting.
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K.L. McKENNA EXHIBITS AT PRINCE STREET GALLERY, NY, NY
"Colorado River Gorge, AZ," is exhibited along with other new members' works
(New York, NY) January 4, 2012 - K.L. McKenna's painting "Colorado River Gorge, AZ," made it on time to the Prince Street Gallery exhibition, "Newest Artists, Newest Year," after being lost for a week in New York City. Delivery was made two streets away, but a Good Samaritan super and his friend walked the painting over to the gallery, where it was expertly hung with an exhibit of high quality colorful paintings of fellow new members. Phew!
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ADVENTURES WITH COLOR
A Color Theory Workshop at the Woodstock School of Art
(Woodstock, NY) January 17, 2012 - K.L. McKenna offers a color theory workshop at the Woodstock School of Art in Woodstock, NY. Students learn to experiment with color through specific studies loosely based on the theories of Josef Albers. By studying the interaction of color with Color-Aid paper, the student begins to understand color by solving problems such as the illusion of transparency, illusion of light, color translation, color translucency, middle mixing, pointillism and changing color perception. This class is guaranteed to bring visual awareness to color and can help anyone use it in a deliberate way with their paintings, crafts and/or design fields.
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K.L. McKENNA AT THE PRINCE STREET GALLERY IN NEW YORK
K.L. McKenna exhibits her pastel drawing "Cleopatra" in Winter Show
(New York, NY) January 3, 2012 - Prince Street Gallery's group exhibition in New York called, "Winter Thoughts, Works on Paper" included K.L. McKenna's 19" x 25" piece, "Cleopatra", a semi abstract pastel.
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PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY K.L. McKENNA REQUESTED BY THE GRAMMY FOUNDATION FOR AWARD PRESENTATION
B&W photographs from the mid 70's presented by the Grammy Foundation amplify the era of folk music for the Caffé Lena History Project
(Los Angeles, CA) February 9, 2012 - Four photographs of performances of Don McLean and Arlo Guthrie taken by K.L. McKenna in 1975 were used in a presentation by the Grammy Foundation in support of the Caffé Lena History Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting the history and impact of Caffé Lena and commemorating the life and legacy of Lena Spencer. Caffé Lena is the oldest continuously operating folk music coffeehouse venue in America.
The Caffé Lena History Project was recently awarded $4,000 by the GRAMMY Foundation for their work in identifying, cataloging and preserving rare reel to reel recordings of live performances at Caffé Lena between 1960 and 1975, as well as preserving oral histories and related photographs.
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NATURE IN TRANSLATION: VISIONS OF FLAT ROCK BROOK THROUGH PAINTINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
A Fundraising Event for the Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, Englewood, NJ
(Englewood,, NJ) March 1, 2013 - Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is pleased to present "Nature in Translation • Visions of Flat Rock Brook Through Painting and Photography"
"Nature in Translation" consists of 20 oil paintings and 12 black and white photographs of Flat Rock Brook Nature Center. Inspired by black and white photographs taken by K.L. McKenna of the nature center in the 1970's, Sara Harris and K.L. McKenna create a body of work that individualizes their own unique personal interpretation of nature in the photograph. The artists usually do not work from photographs, but wanted to create paintings that would show different approaches toward the same 2 dimensional photographic representation, thereby creating an exact viewpoint from which to draw. "Nature in Translation" depicts different media and viewpoints of the same natural settings. The artists aspire to "translate" the vision from photography to oil painting through each artist's personal language or style of painting. Inspired by Post Impressionism and Fauvism, Sara Harris and K.L. McKenna are both keenly interested in color, which created challenges for interpretation from black and white photographs.
K.L. McKenna has exhibited at many museums, including the Booth Museum of Western Art, the Yellowstone Art Museum, The Museum of Northern Arizona, the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Center and the Desert Caballeros Museum. A future exhibition at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art called "Painted Journeys • Visions from the American West" in Corning, NY is planned for January through May of 2014. Raised in Washington, D.C., Sara Harris's love for the art began early. She was accepted at the Corcoran Museum School and continued her studies at Pratt Institute and the Arts Student League in New York City. Harris had had a number of solo and group gallery exhibitions. Her work is in many private and corporate collections.
Flat Rock Brook Nature Center is located at 443 Van Nostrand Ave, Englewood, NJ 07631 Hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 p.m Weekends 1:00 -5:00 PM. For Further Information: 201-567-1265, www.flatrockbrook.org • www.klmckenna.com • www.saraharrisgallery.com
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"WYOMING" IN NEW YORK CITY
Recent Paintings from the American West by K.L. McKenna
(New York, NY) June 1, 2013 - Prince Street Gallery is pleased to present K.L. McKenna's vivid paintings from Wyoming in her solo exhibition at the gallery.
Where: Prince Street Gallery
When: September 3 - 28, 2013
Reception: Thursday, September 5, 5 - 8 pm
"WYOMING" consists of 18 recent oil paintings by K.L. McKenna, many of which were painted over the past three years on site at the HF Bar Ranch near Sheridan, WY. McKenna's inspiration is rooted in childhood experiences with her paleontologist father, whose expeditions with the Museum of Natural History exposed her to the great state of Wyoming, a territory that represents the concept of wide open spaces, dirt roads and the final frontier.
The artist's landscape paintings of the American West exhibit her unusual sense of color and light. Influenced in part by the Post-Impressionists of the last century, she uses color and light to express the spirit of place in her paintings of Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, S. Dakota, Idaho and Arizona.
K.L. McKenna has exhibited at many Museums, including the Booth Museum of Western Art, the Yellowstone Art Museum, The Museum of Northern Arizona, the Buffalo Bill Cody Historical Center and the Desert Caballeros Museum. Her work is included in museum permanent collections at the Museum of Northern Arizona, the Booth Museum and the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum. Her work was also featured on the national television show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." A future exhibition at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art called "Painted Journeys • Visions from the American West" in Corning, NY is planned for January through May of 2014.
"My goal is to create indelible paintings that are unique and individual, each with their own personality and expression." K.L. McKenna
Prince Street Gallery is located at 530 West 25th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10001
Gallery Hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 11 am - 6 pm
For Further Information: 646-230-0246, www.princestreetgallery.com • www.klmckenna.com
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EXHIBITION OPENS AT THE ROCKWELL MUSEUM, CORNING, NY
Painted Journeys • In the Spirit of the American West
(CORNING, NY) February 11, 2014 - The Rockwell Museum is opening a new exhibition of paintings by three Woodstock, NY painters in a show called Painted Journeys: In the Spirit of the American West on January 24, 2014. The public is invited to an opening reception on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are required by 5:00 p.m. on January 28 and can be made by visiting rockwellmuseum.org.
Three Woodstock, New York, painters - Judy Abbott, K.L. McKenna and Eva van Rijn - were the first artists selected for an artist-in-residence program at the Museum of Northern Arizona in 2007. The trio, who made their home base in the historic residences of Northern Arizona, spent most of their time traveling throughout the region in search of outdoor subjects to paint. The resulting exhibition features a large body of work dedicated to this region.
Abbott's paintings are quiet, almost meditative in their inquiry. McKenna's paintings celebrate the warm color and dynamic structure of the landscape and van Rijn's paintings are rich in subtle color and atmospheric depth. The paintings of these three artists strongly evoke the spirit of the American West.
The three respected New York State artists — the realist Judy Abbott, the expressionist Katharine McKenna, and the symbolist Eva van Rijn — happened to appear together in a group show. There they realized they all had been spending a lifetime of summers capturing the American West in oils. This coincidence inspired them to exhibit together, which made particular sense because their styles are so distinctive.
Painted Journeys: In the Spirit of the American West showcases their artistic interpretation in celebration of the spirit of the land and conveys the artists' contemporary journey in the tradition of the nineteenth century Hudson River Valley artists.
The Rockwell Museum collection tells the story of the American experience through a display of contemporary Native American art juxtaposed with traditional bronze sculptures, landscape paintings and other works that embody America. A major strength of the Museum's art collection lies in the quantity, quality, and range of mid-19th-century work. Visitors to The Rockwell Museum will discover that the longstanding migration of Eastern artists westward is alive and well in America. The Museum continues to build this collection by acquisition of more works by the earliest explorer-artists, early portraits of Native Americans, and other documentary works spanning the period from the late 18th century - early 20th century.
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EXHBITION OPENS AT WHITE PINES, BYRDCLIFFE ART COLONY IN WOODSTOCK, NY
Inaugural Exhibition at the Walls of White Pines, Byrdcliffe • Katharine L. McKenna: American Painter
(WOODSTOCK, NY) June 13, 2014 - Painter Katharine L. McKenna inaugurates a new summer series of exhibitions at White Pines, the most spectacular of the historical buildings at the Byrdcliffe Art Colony, organized by Heather Hutchinson and Byron Bell. McKenna’s luminous landscape paintings will be the first to enliven the space in the original home of Byrdcliffe founders Ralph and Jane Whitehead, built in 1902. Dubbed the Walls of White Pines, the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild’s new exhibition space allows visitors to engage with contemporary visual art by regional artists while also voyaging back in time to explore the origins of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States.
Born in California and a long-time resident of Woodstock, Katharine L. McKenna divides her time between the Hudson Valley and the American West. Her often large-scale oil paintings, developed according to what she defines as “color-light-spirit technique,” reveal a profound attachment to the quintessential formal and coloristic harmonies of Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona. Monumental rock formations meet flat plains; angular highways cut eerily through landscapes otherwise seemingly uninhabited; high-keyed contrasts of purple and green, orange and blue, surge as seductive lessons in the power of complementaries; endless sky and natural geometries dominate. McKenna’s artistic paragons are evident: Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin in the realms of color and line; Pierre Bonnard in the flattened patterning of her expansive compositions; Georgia O’Keeffe in every way.
Wavering between the abstract and vividly spatial, McKenna's landscapes such as Rock Creek, WY or On the Road to Sheridan, WY define landscape as landscape, respecting but defying the structured, staged formality of Hudson River painters such as Thomas Cole. Like her Post-Impressionist models, McKenna works in the often vertical, all-over formats of Japanese artists such as Hokusai or Hiroshige. Her signature, a square consisting of schematic initials and the year in which a work was completed, is a tribute to Japanese printmaker stamps. The landscapes comprising Katharine L. McKenna: American Painter reveal her recent conceptual interests in the work of Georgia O'Keeffe, who along with Charles Sheeler and Marsden Hartley was one of the first American painters to adapt 20th-century European modernism to a specifically American idiom. McKenna, as did O'Keeffe, moves between locales in the west and east of the United States: and like O'Keefe, McKenna imbues all her work with the essence of place. McKenna serves as Vice-President of the Arts Society of Kingston (A.S.K.), which she co-founded in 1995.
The exhibition is organized by Heather Hutchison and Byron Bell, a visual artist and architect, respectively, and both long-term members of Byrdcliffe's Exhibition Committee. McKenna will give a talk starting at 4:30 during the reception in White Pines, June 13. In addition to experiencing her lushly colorful landscapes, visitors to the exhibition Katharine L. McKenna: American Painter will be able to explore parts of White Pines, constructed in 1902 as the home of Ralph and Jane Whitehead. Along with Bolton Brown and Hervey White, the Whiteheads founded the Byrdcliffe Art Colony, which has been an enduring site of collaboration for artists, writers, and musicians for the past 112 years. Ralph Whitehead was an acolyte of William Morris, the English designer and theorist who defined the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, which privileges hand-made and individually crafted decorative arts, furniture, and architecture in direct reaction to industrialization. White Pines is the quintessence of that streamlined elegance; its interior consists of exclusively horizontal and vertical forms, the unadorned purity of line of its built-in furniture, grand staircase, and dark wood surfaces reflecting the fundamentally modernist ethos of the Arts and Crafts movement. White Pines, the jewel of Byrdcliffe, is now a summer exhibition space that celebrates the depth of the Whiteheads' dedication to the visual arts.
After the opening of Katharine L. McKenna: American Painter on June 13, a gala fundraising dinner will be held in the beautiful Loom Room at White Pines. Held in honor of McKenna's contributions to the arts and dedication to Byrdcliffe's interdisciplinary vision, all proceeds from this benefit will go towards sustaining the organization's mission as a locus for creative encounters for artists, students, arts professionals, and toward preserving Byrdcliffe's remarkable heritage. For more information about this special event, call Jeremy Adams or Derin Tanyol at 845.679.2079.
Location: The Walls of White Pines, 454 Upper Byrdcliffe Road, Woodstock Dates: June 13 – July 27, 2014
Gallery hours: Saturdays & Sundays 12-5 pm during run of exhibition; Tuesdays through Friday by appointment
Opening reception: Friday, June 13, 4-6 pm at White Pines, 454 Upper Byrdcliffe Road
Admission: Free
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K. L. McKENNA WINS PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD AT COWGIRL UP! 2015
DESERT CABALLEROS WESTERN MUSEUM, WICKENBURG, AZ
(WICKENBURG, AZ) March 21, 2015 - Painter K. L. McKenna won the People's Choice award at the 10th Annual Cowgirl Up! Exhibition at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, AZ. Each year the museum hosts Cowgirl Up! which exhibits the art of 58 talented women artists of the west. "I am very honored to receive this award from the Desert Caballeros Western Museum and thank the people who voted!"
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