THE KENTUCKY MUSEUM OF ARTS + DESIGN PRESENTS

AS I SEE MYSELF:

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ART

Friday, January 9 – Saturday, March 27, 2004

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 8, 2004, 5:00pm-7:30pm

Sponsored by

The Kentucky Museum of Arts + Design is proud to present As I See Myself: Autobiographical Art, January 9 through March 27, 2004, with an opening reception on Thursday, January 8 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm. This exhibition will explore the self-portrait and how it is seen as one of the most time-honored subjects of artistic expression. 

“Aspiring young artists create crayon images of themselves that are destined only for the family refrigerator,” says KMA+D curator Brion Clinkingbeard.  “Famous and diverse artists such as Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol created self-portraits that are now famous and adorn museum walls.  Regardless, the self-portrait has continued to provide a challenging and formidable concept for artists through the centuries. This exhibition will explore the self-portrait idea with a wide range of artists from across the country,” says Clinkingbeard.

Invited artists work in a variety of media and include, among others, doll maker Deborah Banyas, Oberlin, Ohio; ceramist Debra Fritts, Roswell, GA; fiber artist, Printmaker Clifford A. Harvey, Morgantown, WV; sculptor Lynne Peters, Red Bank, NJ; Graphic artist Julie Saecker Schneider, Philadelphia, PA; ceramic sculptor Beth Cavener Stichter, Helena MT.

Some of the self-portraits will be straightforward, realistic portrayals, and some will be more abstract approaches to the subject.  For some of the artists, the idea of a self-portrait will coincide with the ongoing nature of their work, and for others, the idea will come out of the blue, providing a new challenge and approach.  The combination of the two will create an intriguing exploration of the self-portrait concept and a unique group portrait of some of Kentucky’s finest artists and craftspeople. 

Kentucky artists include Suzanne Enriquez Dougherty, Wayne Ferguson, David Harpe, Shayne Hull, Mary Dennis Kannapell, Judith Pointer Jia, Jacque Parsley, Tom Pfannerstill, Phyllis Profumo, Sarah Robinette, Doug Russell, Arturo Alonzo Sandoval, Cathy Shepherd, Roea Wallace, and Shannan Wells. 

As I See Myself: Autobiographical Art will be on view from January 9 to March 27, 2004 in the Mary and Al Shands Gallery at the Kentucky Museum of Arts + Design at 715 W. Main Street.  The opening reception will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2004 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. Admission is free. 

 For more information about the exhibition, contact the Kentucky Museum of Arts + Design at (502) 589-0102 or log on to www.kentuckyarts.org. Museum hours are Monday thro