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Bio
Through the unique usage of color, light and spirit, K.L. McKenna’s style captures the landscape in a most unexpected way. Her paintings are not just paintings of landscapes but color harmonies of a very high and unusual order.
K.L. McKenna’s inspiration for the west comes from childhood summers she and her family spent prospecting for fossils in Wyoming with her paleontologist father. Her scenes of Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming and Montana reflect her enthusiasm and spiritual connection to the geology of the west, where she paints on site with the idea of ‘place” in mind.
K.L. McKenna, a resident of Woodstock, NY and Ward, CO, has had extensive experience working for museums and top exhibition design firms in New York, such as Ralph Appelbaum Associates and Albert Woods Design. In the 1980’s, she also worked throughout the United States and Canada as a graphical user interface designer for major banking firms such as Citibank, First Boston and Lehman Brothers.
K.L. McKenna was awarded a U.S. Patent for “The Geozoo,” an educational toy design. She studied color first with Mary Buckley at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY and oil painting later with Nicholas Buhalis at the Kingston School of Art, Kingston, NY.
K.L. McKenna participated in the Artist-In-Residency Program at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ where she completed 12 paintings which were exhibited at the museum in 2009. Her oil “Little Colorado River I” was chosen to be included in the museum’s permanent collection. She has also exhibited 24 of her paintings at the Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA, where “Wind River Canyon, WY” was chosen for the museum’s permanent collection. She has participated in the annual auctions “Expanded Horizons,” Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT, and the “Annual Buffalo Bill Cody Show and Sale,” Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY. She is listed on AskArt.com, and she has exhibited in a variety of galleries across the United States and in Germany and Africa. Her work is also included in many corporate and private collections.
She is currently on the Board of Trustees at Pratt Institute. She is Vice-President of the Arts Society of Kingston (A.S.K.), which she cofounded in 1995, and holds memberships with the Woodstock Artists Association and The Woodstock Guild. Additional information is available at 845-246-9590 or by visiting www.klmckenna.com.
Statement
Through my formal education, I was trained to discover color in shadow and to use many hues and values to create light. The use of line and space in my compositions combine abstract elements with the figurative, which are sculpturally fused by bright color.
My paintings of the west begin on site where I have spent my summers for over 40 years. The reds of Wyoming and Arizona – the brilliant yellows and greens of Colorado and Montana are my passion and inspiration.
CV
1984 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY. MID – Master of Industrial Design
1979 Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT. BA in American Studies / Minor in Anthropology
1976 Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY – Freshman, Sophomore 1974 – 1976
1974 Dwight-Englewood School (High School), Englewood, NJ
REPRESENTED BY
Visions West Gallery, Bozeman, MT / Livingston, MT / Denver, CO; www.visionswestgallery.com
Westgate Fine Art, Columbia, MO; www.facebook.com/westgatefineart
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
2013 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY, “WYOMING • Recent Paintings from the American West” • Sept 3 – 28, 2013
2013 Dwight-Englewood School 125th Celebration • Englewood, NJ • October, 2013
2014 Rockwell Museum of Western Art, Corning, NY • Jan 17 – May 2, 2014
2014 Desert Caballeros Museum, Wickenburg, AZ – Cowgirl Up” • March 21 – May 4, 2014
2014 White Pines Byrdcliffe Guild, Woodstock, NY • Woodstock, NY • Summer, 2014
INSTITUTION AND MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
2013 Nature in Translation • Visions through Painting and Photography – Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, NJ • May 2013
2013 Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenburg, AZ – “Cowgirl Up” • March 22 – May 5, 2013
2011 Clayton Center for the Arts, Maryville, TN – “Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau”
2011 Rubin Museum of Art, NY, NY – “Mifohaza (Wake Up!) – A Benefit to Help Madagascar Survive
2009 Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ – “Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau”
2009 Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT – “Expanded Horizons” Annual Auction • 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
2006 U.S. Embassy, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa – U.S. Department of State “Art in Embassies” program
2005 Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA – “Illuminating the Mind: Soulful Works by K.L McKenna”
2001 Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Cody, WY – “Annual Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale” • 1999, 2000
RESIDENCIES
2007 Museum of Northern Arizona Artist-in-Residence Program, Flagstaff, AZ
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ
Woodstock Artists Association and Museum, Woodstock, NY
Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ
Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, GA
CURATED AND INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS
2011 Gallery 501, Villanova, PA
2008 Woodstock School of Art Gallery, Woodstock, NY – Preview Exhibition “Painted Journeys on The Colorado Plateau”
2007 Elisa Pritzker Gallery, Highland, NY – “Powerful Women”
2007 The National Arts Club, New York, NY – “Painted Journeys • In Search of the Sublime”
2005 Kleinert / James Arts Center, Woodstock, NY – “Byrdcliffe / Second Century ‘continuing the tradition'”
2004 Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Art and Environmentalism: An Ethic of 24 Artists of the Hudson River Valley”
2003 Prince Street Gallery, New York, NY – “Small Works Invitational”
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2011 WFG Gallery, Woodstock, NY – “Color & Light: The Spirit of Big Sky Country”
2010 Arts Society of Kingston, Kingston, NY – “New West Expressions – Works by K.L. McKenna”
2008 Visions West Gallery, Bozeman, MT – “Meet Me Here – Paintings by K.L. McKenna”
2006 Swartly Gallery, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ – “Color, Light and Spirit”
2004 Red Raven Gallery, Big Sky, MT – “Form and Color – K.L. McKenna and Jacqueline Rieder Hud”
2004 Dolce Gallery, Telluride, CO – “On the Way to Telluride”
2004 Windham Fine Arts, Windham, NY – “A Body of Work – K.L. McKenna and Bruce Currie”
2002 Kleinert / James Arts Center, Woodstock, NY – “Color Harmonies from the West”
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2012 Prince Street Gallery, NY, NY – January, February
2008 Arts Society of Kingston, Kingston, NY – A.S.K. Artist Open Studio Tour • 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006
2006 Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY – “External Light”
2005 Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Gift Show”
2005 Enderlin Gallery, Roxbury, NY – “Small Packages”
2005 Enderlin Gallery, Roxbury, NY – “Art from Life”
2005 Enderlin Gallery, Roxbury, NY – “Landscapes”
2005 Woodstock Day School, Woodstock, NY – Art Auction
2004 Kleinert / James Arts Center, Woodstock, NY – “The 5 x 7 Show” • 1999 – 2003
2004 Windham Fine Arts, Windham, NY – “An American Sampler”
2004 Red Raven Gallery, Big Sky, MT – “Grand Opening Exhibition”
2003 Kleinert / James Arts Center, Woodstock, NY – Members Show • 1997, 1999 – 2001
2003 Rhein-Hudson-Bridge International Exchange, Cologne, Germany – “Pot Luck,” sponsored by A.S.K.
2002 City Hall, Kingston, NY – “Kingston Library Live Art Auction”
2001 Danforth Gallery, Livingston, MT – “Four Artists”
2000 City Hall, Kingston, NY – “Kingston Library Live Art Auction”
1997 A.S.K. Gallery 61, Kingston, NY – “Small Wonders”
1997 The Gallery Frame Shop, New Paltz, NY – “Summer Inspirations”
1997 Lorraine Kessler Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY – “From Kingston to Poughkeepsie”
1996 The Loft Gallery, Kingston, NY – A.S.K. Members Exhibition
1996 Unison Gallery, New Paltz, NY – “Landscape Retrospective”
1996 Jacob Javits Center, New York, NY – “Artexpo ’96,” Booth #1259
1995 Donskoj & Company, Kingston, NY – “Toys by Artists”
1995 Gallery at Park West, Kingston, NY – “Hudson Valley Sampler – Group Exhibition”
1994 Warwick Gallery, Warwick, NY – Group Show
1994 Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Paintings • Drawings,” Callahan, McKenna, Moore
1994 Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Grand Opening Group Exhibition”
1993 Gallery at Park West, Kingston, NY – “Buhalis and His Influence”
1993 Buhalis Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Drawing Exhibition”
1992 Buhalis Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Holiday Show”
1992 Buhalis Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Paintings of Vermont”
1992 Buhalis Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Four Artist Drawing Exhibition”
1991 Buhalis Gallery, Kingston, NY – “Group Exhibition”
1990 Livingston-Strauss Gallery, New York, NY – “Small Paintings Show”
COMMISSIONS
2009 Chamber of Commerce, Saugerties, NY – Hors’n Around Saugerties -” Roja Cenozoa” painted horse
2008 Woodstock Day School, Woodstock, NY – “Overlook Mountain, Woodstock, NY”
2006 Private Collection – “Sleeping Giant, Near Helena, MT”
2003 Myakka City Lemur Reserve, Myakka City, FL – “Red Lemurs”
2003 Private Collection – “Trees at Canyon de Chelly III”
CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Tower Products, Inc., Saugerties
Bread Alone, Inc., Woodstock, NY
Blaire Hotels, Cody, WY
REVIEWS
2011 Smart, Paul “Painting in the West.” Woodstock Times, Oct 13, 2011
2009 Brunner, Betsey. “How others see us.” Arizona Daily Sun, Jan 18, 2009
2009 Stanley, J. “NY artists capture the Colorado Plateau in ‘Painted Journeys’ exhibit.” Arizona Republic, Jan 9, 2009
2008 Mountain, M. “Museum of Northern Arizona announces ‘Painted Journeys Exhibit.” Gateway to Sedona, Dec 13, 2009
2002 Cassai, Mary. “Strong fauve exhibit on display in Woodstock.” Daily Freeman, March 2002
1993 Horn, Gerald. “Splendid mentor.” Woodstock Times, July 14, 1993
PUBLICATIONS AND CATALOGS
2010 Ross Rice. “Bringing a Little West Back East” Roll Magazine, January, 2010, pp. 8-12
2009 Museum of Northern Arizona. “Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau,” Exhibition Catalog, pp.21-34
2009 Cassai, Mary. “Three Eastern Artists and one Western Museum Create the Perfect Storm.” Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, April, 2009, pp. 53-56
2009 Museum of Northern Arizona. “Painted Journeys on the Colorado Plateau,” Exhibition Catalog, pp.21-34
2008 Cassai, Mary. “Painted Journeys,” Western Art Collector Magazine, December, 2008, pp. 118-121
2008 Booth Western Art Museum. “Works from the Permanent Collection,” Catalog, pp. 77
2007 Visions West Gallery. “A Western Art Revolution,” Exhibition Catalog, 2007
2007 Straub, Noelle. “Taking Art to Africa • Diplomat uses art as uniting force,” Billings Gazette, Billings, MT, July 08, 2007
2007 Smart, Paul. “Abbott, McKenna, van Rijn in New York,” Woodstock Times, Kingston, NY, May 17, 2007
2007 Fenson, Mel. “Katharine McKenna’s Western Landscapes” Colorado Magazine Online, Boulder, CO April 2007
2006 Smart, Paul. “Beauty & the butte,” Almanac, Woodstock Times, Kingston, NY, Jan. 5, 2006, pp. 10-11
2005 Samuels, Renee. “Conversation with Katharine McKenna,” Guide Magazine, Hunter, NY, Dec. 2005, pp. 126-137
2005 Sedley, Jeremy, Exec. Editor. New Art International. Book Art Press, Woodstock, NY, copyright 2005, pp. 42-45
2004 Abbott, Judy. “Art and Environmentalism: An Ethic of 24 Artists of the Hudson Valley,” Exhibition Catalog, 2004, p. 36
2003 Cassai, Mary. “Kingston’s Golden Girl,” Kaatskill Life Magazine, Delhi, NY, Summer, 2003, pp. 76-80
MEDIA
2012 Grammy Foundation, LA – 4 images of Don McLean and Arlo Guthrie used for Grammy Foundation presentation
2006 High Country News, Paonia, CO – Image used for Convention Banner
2006 ABC Network Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Episode April 9, 2006. Two paintings featured
2005 ARD German Television documentary directed by Tilman Buettner, “Alle Zeit der Welt” (All the Time in the World)
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
Grand Image, Ltd., Limited Edition Giclees
LECTURES AND PANELS
ArtBridge, Kingston, NY – “Connects Public to the Arts”. Curatorial Panel
2013 Woodstock School of Art – Presentation of art and teaching style
2007 Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ – “Painted Journeys”
2007 The National Arts Club, New York, NY, Wesleyan Alumni Chapter Meeting – “The Art of K.L. McKenna”
2004 Kiewit Institute, College of Information and Technology, University of Nebraska, Omaha – “Interaction Design: Where Art, Design and Nonverbal Thought Meet Computer Science”
2002 Woodstock School of Art, Woodstock, NY – Saturday Lecture Series, “The Art of K.L. McKenna”
AWARDS / HONORS
2006 Distinguished Alumni Award, Dwight-Englewood School, Englewood, NJ
2006 Honoree, Fall For Art, The Jewish Federation of Ulster County, NY
CREDITS
Listed in the American Artists Blue Book – www.AskArt.com
National Museum of Women in the Arts – Recorded in the Archives on Women Artists
PATENTS
1988 U.S. Patent #4.722.712 granted for “The Geozoo,” a geometric toy
ASSOCIATIONS
Woodstock School of Art – Teacher, “Painting for Life” and “Adventures with Color”
Prince Street Gallery, NY, NY
Pratt Institute – Board of Trustees since 2002
Woodstock Artists Association and Museum – Member since 1999
Arts Society of Kingston – Co-founder 1995, current Vice-President, Board of Directors