KMAA Artist Talk

“Celebrating words and images and their place in our cultural landscape, we asked artists to submit two dimensional representational and abstract works that are inspired by words and storytelling. Does your art tell a story of personal narrative, history, poetry or prose directly in your subject or woven into your creative process? This year, our winter juried exhibition will be held at the Pound Ridge Library, which historically, since 1952, has held a special place for the history of stories and the written word. What story do you share through your work?”

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” – Leonardo da Vinci

How does your work fit into this paradigm?

The mission of the Katonah Museum Artists’ Association (KMAA) is to develop and enhance an artistic community by providing exhibition opportunities, educational programs, and venues for networking while supporting the activities and exhibitions of the Katonah Museum of Art.

Our juror this winter will be Kenise Barnes. Kenise is a curator and the director and owner of Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Litchfield County, CT. Kenise earned a degree in Fine Arts from Cazenovia College, NY, and studied at the University for the Arts, Philadelphia before transferring to Temple University to pursue a degree in Women’s Studies. After graduating, Barnes moved to New York City and began working at the bookstore of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She joined Christie’s after being headhunted by the auction house, eventually rising to the position of specialist in charge of contemporary art at Christie’s East. After five years with Christie’s Barnes left the company and, after a brief period volunteering in the Museum of Modern Art’s education department, left the city to start a family. After two years she began exhibiting and dealing art in her suburban town, which quickly led to the establishment of Kenise Barnes Fine Art in 1994. Today the 2600 square foot gallery represents many artists, including a significant number of women.