ARTIST STATEMENT: Kimono Pieces and Mixed Media Collages
I create mixed-media collages, combining painting, drawing, and photography to discover evocative and primal statements that represent a positive awareness of the experiences of aging.
The form and evolution of the kimono that arose during the Edo era in Japan inspires the Kimono format of my art pieces and serves as a window into a culture just before fundamental change. This cloak was called a kosode, a visibly unifying cultural marker in Japanese society between 1603 and 1868. Every Japanese person wore a kimono, regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic position. On those rare occasions when a Japanese person came into contact with people from other places, one visible distinction was that other cultures did not wear the kimono.
In the Edo culture, the kimono represented inclusion as well as individualization. Yet every person’s kimono was unique in design, expressing that individual's personal and family aspects. As I began working with these kimono images, I found my emerging textures, paintings, and drawings served as narratives of the challenges and wisdom found through the process of aging.
These kimonos reflect an acceptance of the changes that emerge as one gains years and wisdom through the aging process. Textures and colors with rough surfaces emerge, forming images of caverns reflecting an inner change and growing insight. The images resemble an outer space context and present a growth in Cosmic Awareness through the trials, challenges, and fortitude discovered in the aging process.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS
ASIAN ART BIENNALE National at the Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy , Dhaka,
Bangladesh, 2025. Juror: Lena Kelekian.
GALLERY AGNES NORD in Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris, France. Art Basel, Paris, France, 2024.
Swiss ArtExpo The Art Basel in Zurich, Switzerland, August 2024.
Swiss ARTEXPO, The Art Basel in Zurich, Switzerland. August, 2024.
Swiss ArtExpo The Art Basel in Zurich, Switzerland, August 2024.
Swiss ArtExpo The Art Basel in Zurich, Switzerlan
JASPER ART JASPER ART CENTER EXHIBITION. Jasper, Indiana. 2024.
Gallery Cipriarte. Venice, Italy. May 1-31. 2024.
Andakalova Gallery. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. May 1-31, 2024.
Thompson Gallery Fine Art. Zug, Switzerland. May 1-31, 2024.
ART BASEL. Art Week in Miami, Mana Convention Center Wynwood Miami. 2023.
SWISS ARTEXPO THE ART BASEL FESTIVAL SWITZERLAND June, 2023. SBB Eventhall Bahnhofplatz 1 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
ANDAKULOVA GALLERY, DUBAI, United Arab Emirates. 2023
ANDIE ART GALLERY, ATHENS GREECE Farantaton 17, Athens 115 27, Greece
2023 PRAGUE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION BIENNIAL. Beckspedition, Prague, the Czech Republic.
BOLD ABSTRACTS 2023 FINALIST AWARD. International Juried Arts Awards. Camelback Gallery. Jurors: Filipe Assuuncao,
Marie McCallum, and Holly Cannon.
CIPRIATE VENEZIA GALLERY, VENICE. “Allegro,” Mixed-media on canvas. July 2023
MOONARK SELECTION OF WORLD-RENOWNED ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, AND WRITERS to be sent to the Moon via The Moon Ark. Here is
a list of exhibitions where the NanoArt of myself and other artists working with Nano Imagery will be included in the MoonArk which
is slated to be sent to the Moon in partnership with Astrobotic in July 2021. CNN story 2020.
These group exhibitions include:
Matsudo International Science Art Festival / Japan. 11.2019.
Miller Institute of Contemporary Art / Pittsburgh 10.2019
Museum of Fine Arts / Budapest, Hungary. 06.2019.
Mars New Years Festival / Mars, PA. 05.2019.
Centre Pompidou / Paris, France..2019.
CMUThink Bay Area / Palo Alto, California. 12.2018.
New Worlds Conference / Austin, Texas. 10.2018.
5th Int’l Festival of NanoArt / Heraklion, Crete. 2018.
Galeria Miejska bwa in Bydgoszcz / Poland. 11.2017.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History / Pittsburgh. 09.2017.
Trondheim Biennale for Art & Technology / Norway. 03.2016.
Andrew Carnegie Society / New York City. 11.2015.
MUHAMMAD ALI SHINE A LIGHT INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST AND EXHIBIT. Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, Kentucky. 2016.
POWER OF ART AWARD, ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG FOUNDATION. Washington, D.C. 2011.
THE LUCY HARTH SMITH-ATWOOD S. WILSON AWARD FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN EDUCATION. Kentucky Education Association. 2009. COMPETITION WINNER.
1ST INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVE FESTIVAL OF NANO ART. 2007. The exhibition was held at the Kotka Photographic Centre, Kotka, Finland. One of four artists from the United States was chosen.
WHO’S WHO OF AMERICAN ARTISTS.2002 on.
Marquis Who’s Who, New Providence, NJ. 21ST CENTURY AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT. 2004- 2005.
The International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, England. WHO’S WHO OF AMERICAN TEACHERS. 2004-2005. Marquis Who’s Who.
WHO’S WHO OF AMERICAN WOMEN. 2004-2005. Marquis Who’s Who.
DIALOGUE MAGAZINE COVER CONTEST. HONORABLE MENTION. Columbus, Ohio. Feb. 2003. PURCHASE AWARD.
DIGITAL ART COMPETITIVE EXHIBIT. Kentucky State University. Juror: C.J. Pressma. 2002.
KENTUCKY GOVERNOR’S ARTIST’S FELLOWSHIP AL SMITH AWARD. Sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts 2000 and 1983.
VERMONT STUDIO CENTER. Johnson, Vermont. Summer, 2001.
ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS. 2001, awarded by the State Journal Newspaper in Frankfort, KY. Each teacher was chosen by one of the top 4 academic students at Western Hills High School as a teacher who was the most positive influence in their educational history.
WHO’S WHO IN AMERICAN ART. 2001, Marquis Who’s Who.
GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS FACULTY. Danville, KY. 1994-’97. ARTS ADVOCATE AND MENTOR AWARD, GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS. Louisville, KY. 1994.
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE. Awarded for performance as Chair for the Education Foundation, Louisville Chapter, American Association of University Women. 1991.
FELLOWSHIP. Kentucky Foundation for Women. 1987. PURCHASE AWARD. Eight State Annual Graphics, J.B. Speed Art Museum. Juror: Brooke Alexander, Director, Brooke Alexander Gallery, New York City.
MERIT AWARD. Water Tower Annual Exhibit. Juror: Jackie Winsor, New York City Sculptor. 1983.
PURCHASE AWARD. East Coast College Invitational. Norfolk State University, VA. 1981. ART CRITIC, COURIER-JOURNAL NEWSPAPER. Louisville, KY. 1979.
SELECTED INVITATIONAL AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS
PYRO GALLERY INVITATIONAL. 2023.
LIGHT AND SPACE ONLINE GALLERY. Abstract Painting Juried Exhibition.2023 and 2019. ZEPHYR COOPERATIVE GALLERY MEMBER SHOW INVITATIONAL, 2007. Louisville, Kentucky. 1ST INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF NANO ART 2007. Kotka, Finland.
NANO ART INTERNATIONAL ONLINE COMPETITION 2007. Competition winner. Kotka Photographic Centre, Use of digital and electron microscope photography.
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION. Kaza Gallery, Tokyo, Japan. 2005. ”
KENTUCKY WATER, 2005. Kentucky Folk Art Center, Morehead, KY.
THREE STATE INVITATIONAL POLITICAL ART EXHIBITION. 2004.
Glassworks, Louisville, KY. “ALTERNATIVE VIEWS: APPROACHES TO ABSTRACTION.” INVITATIONAL, ALLEN R. HITE INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, KY. 2004
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 2004. Greeley Square Gallery, N.Y., N.Y. HASSELBLAD INTERNATIONAL PHOTO COMPETITION 2004. Linz, Austria. 2004
NATIONAL JURIED PHOTO COMPETITION. “THROUGH A LENS–URBAN LANDSCAPE.” The Coastal Arts League. Half Moon Bay, California. Juror: Photographer Richard Newman. Glassworks, Louisville, KY.
JOHN HARRIMAN GALLERY, PERUVIAN BRITISH CULTURAL CENTER. Lima, Peru. August 2002. “Artistas del Vermont Studio Center en Lima.”
DIALOGUE MAGAZINE COVER CONTEST EXHIBITION. Columbus, Ohio. Acme Art Company. Feb. 2003.
DIGITAL ART 2002, COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION. PURCHASE AWARD. Kentucky State University. Frankfort, KY. Juror: C.J. Pressma.2003.
2000 OHIO ANNUAL ART EXHIBITION. Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany, IN.
ARTS ON MAIN EXHIBITION. Juried art exhibit, Shelbyville, KY. Juror: Leah Stoddard, Assistant Curator and Registrar at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, OH. 1998.
KENTUCKY FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN INVITATIONAL. Ten-Year Retrospective. Eagle Gallery, Murray State University, Murray, KY. 1995.
17TH ANNUAL FINE ARTS COMPETITIVE. Arts Consortium of Cincinnati, OH. Juror: Beryl J. Wright, Associate Curator of Exhibitions, Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. 1993.
KENTUCKY SOUTH CAROLINA EXCHANGE. South Carolina State Museum, Columbia, S.C. 1992.
INTERNATIONAL INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION OF AMERICAN ARTISTS. ASSEMBLAGE AND COLLAGE. Dongnang Gallery, Seoul, South Korea, with artists such as Robert Motherwell and Chuck Close. 1988.
INTERNATIONAL JURIED ART COMPETITION. Mussavi Art Center, New York City. Jurors: Holly Solomon, Donald Kuspit, Art Critic, “Art in America,” Barbara Toll, Louis and Susan Meisel.
MID-AMERICA BIENNIAL NATIONAL ART EXHIBITION. Juror: Thomas M. Messer, Director, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City. Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, KY.
J.B. SPEED ART MUSEUM COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION. Juror: Abram Lerner, Director Emeritus of the Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, D.C.
AMERICAN ANNUAL WORKS ON PAPER EXHIBITION. Zaner Gallery, Rochester, New York. Juror: Andre Emmerich of Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York City.
EIGHT STATE ANNUAL GRAPHICS COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION. J.B. Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY. Juror: Brooke Alexander of Brooke Alexander Gallery, New York City.
WATER TOWER ANNUAL EXHIBITION.Louisville Visual Art Association, KY. Juror: Janet Flint, The Hirsch Adler
Gallery, New York City.
WHITEWATER VALLEY ANNUAL PAINTING COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION. Juror: Ned Rifkin, Assistant Director/Curator, The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York City.
FIRST ANNUAL ALL KENTUCKY EXHIBITION. Juror: Iris Cohen, Director of Contemporary Art, The Hammer Galleries, New York City. Purchase Award.
WATER TOWER ANNUAL EXHIBITION. Louisville Visual Art Association. Juror: Robert Reed, Chairman Undergraduate Art Department, Yale University.
SOUTHEAST PAINTING COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION. Fine Arts Center, Bellair, FL. Juror: Miriam Schapiro, Painter, New York City.
KENTUCKY ARTISTS’ EXHIBITION. James Hunt Barker Gallery, New York City. Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. C. Vanderbilt Whitney.
WATERCOLOR U.S.A. NATIONAL PAINTING COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION. Springfield Art Museum, MO. Juror: William Struve, Director Frumkin and Struve Gallery in New York City.
MID-STATES INVITATIONAL EXHIBITION. Evansville Museum of Art, IN.Juror: Horace Jansen, Art Historian.
LA GRANGE NATIONAL PAINTING EXHIBITION. Juror: Ted Potter, Director, Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. EMERGING
KENTUCKY ARTISTS EXHIBITION. Juror: Franklin Page, Director J.B. Speed Museum. Louisville, KY.
CAPITAL ART EXHIBITION. Washington, D.C. Juror: Sam Gilliam, Painter, Washington, D.C. W & J NATIONAL PAINTING EXHIBITION. Washington and Jefferson College, PA. Juror: Peter Plagens and Fred Spratt, Painters.
NATIONAL APERTURE 85. Associated Artists’ Gallery, Winston Salem, N.C. Jurors: Cornell Capa, Executive Director of the International Center for Photography in New York City, and Rob Hernandez, Photography Editor, National Geographic Magazine, Washington, D.C.
TERRANCE GALLERY NATIONAL EXHIBITION. Hudson, N.Y. ROCKFORD INTERNATIONAL PRINT AND DRAWING EXHIBITION. Rockford, IL.
EAST COAST ART INVITATIONAL. Norfolk State University, VA. Purchase Award.
VERMILLION NATIONAL PRINT AND DRAWING SHOW. ND.
COLLECTIVE CONTRASTS EXHIBITION. Zephyr Gallery, Louisville, KY. Kentucky Women's Foundation Grant Recipients.
EIGHT STATE SCULPTURE EXHIBITION. J.B. Speed Art Museum, KY.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
ONENESS CENTER. Louisville, KY. “Syrian Sojourn.” Paintings. 2018.
ZEPHYR GALLERY. Louisville, KY. “Under the Knife.” July, 2010. ZEPHYR GALLERY. Louisville, KY. June,
2008.ZEPHYR GALLERY. Louisville, KY. June, 2004.
JOHN HARRIMAN GALLERY, PERUVIAN BRITISH CULTURAL CENTER. Lima, Peru. August 2002.
ZEPHYR GALLERY. Louisville, KY. June 2002. ZEPHYR GALLERY. Louisville, KY. 2000. ANNE WRIGHT WILSON ART GALLERY. Georgetown College. Georgetown, KY. 1997. “Fusion.”
MCGRATH GALLERY. Bellarmine University. Louisville, KY. 1994.
“After the Storm.” SWANSON CRALLE GALLERY. Louisville, KY. 1989.
ARTSWATCH. Louisville, KY. 1988. “From the Night,” FLOYD COUNTY ART MUSEUM. Floyd County, IN. 1978.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
PUBLIC RADIO PARTNERSHIPS. Louisville, KY. COLDWELL FINANCIAL. Louisville, KY. CAPITAL PLAZA HOTEL. Frankfort, KY.
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM. Norfolk, VA.
TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY. I.C.H. CORPORATION. Louisville, KY. BROWN, TODD AND HEYBURN LAW FIRM. Providian Building, Louisville, KY. SIGFRIED, FESSEL AND MOLLER ADVERTISING. Louisville, KY.
TISCHNOR INTERIOR DESIGN. Louisville, KY.
OLD NATIONAL BANK. Louisville, KY. FARMERS BANK. Louisville, KY.
TACHAU, Maddox Hovious & Dickens LAW FIRM. Louisville, KY.
WYATT, TARRANT AND COMBS LAW FIRM. Louisville, KY.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fall 2019 issue of Popular Science Magazine. MoonArk artists are featured along with other significant contemporary and historical works.
Feder, Barnaby J. “ The Art Of Nanotech.” NEW YORK TIMES. Accompanying slideshow with Nanoart by Janis Kirstein included. January 25, 2008.
Ahrens, Paula. “Interview: Three Artists, A Discussion of the Visual Arts in Their Lives and in Louisville.” LOUISVILLE DINING, SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT.Kentucky. P. 10. September, 2004.
Munoz, Julian. “El Arte Que Alento La Esperanza, Tras El 11 5.” ARTE Y NATURALEZA. Madrid, Spain. May 18,2004.
“Plastico Contacto.” CARETAS MAGAZINE ILUSTRACION PERUANA. P, 75. Lima, Peru. August 15, 2002. “En el Britanico: Arte desde el Vermont Studio Center.” P. 20. EXPRESO NEWSPAPER. Lima, Peru. August 9, 2002.
“Miguel Velit y Janis Kirstein en el Centro Cultural Britanico Arte de Vermont Studio Center.” P. 24. LA REPUBLICA
NEWSPAPER. Lima, Peru.August 17, 2002.
Martin Vargas. “La Angustia y el a Asombro.” EL PERVANO NEWSPAPER. Lima, Peru. August 15, 2002. Dominick, Wayne. “’ Digital Art 2002′ Opens at KSU.” THE STATE JOURNAL. Frankfort, KY. April 21, 2002.
Peterson, Karen S. “Relationship Respite.” USA TODAY. July 19,2000. The article includes my painting session at the Vermont Studio Center.
Brown, Nichole. “Looks Like Rain.” LEO NEWSPAPER. September 14, 1994. Heilenman, Diane. “McGrath Gallery.” THE AMERICAN VOICE. 1986 Winter Quarterly, Kentucky Foundation for Women. Louisville, KY. Charcoal Drawings.
EDUCATION
MASTER OF FINE ARTS THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS. AMHERST. 1981.
BACHELOR OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE, KY. 1977. INDIANA UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON. 1975.
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