OLIVET, Mich. — Olivet College will present “Kindred” by Nikki Kazmar on Feb. 20 – March 26 with an artist’s reception on Feb. 29, 7-8:30 p.m. The exhibition and reception will be held at the Kresge Foundation Art Gallery, located in the Riethmiller Blackman Art Building at Olivet College, 320 S. Main St. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
Kazmar is a Chicago resident originally from southwest Michigan. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2011. Since that time, she has experimented with different surfaces and materials to find new ways to express her concepts. Her background working for an art materials retailer has given her the platform to keep discovering the right combination of traditional oil portraits and industrial construction. This process of discovery will continue to evolve her work.
“Part of our human nature is our ability to get lost in our internal landscape,” Kazmar said. “Here we can examine our insecurities, contemplate choices, and follow lengthy rivers of thought. What if we were able to wander with someone through their inner dialogue? What would it look like, and how would it feel?
“This work focuses on the individual, lost in a personal mental landscape. The backgrounds are dead, photographic copies, disconnected behind layers of swirling images. The images only reveal themselves after study, from different angles and perspectives. This code can only be translated when the divide between subject and viewer is bridged. The small pieces are meant to draw the viewer in to examine, while the large pieces are meant to invade, but the end result is the same: close physical and mental proximity between the viewer and subject where an empathetic connection can grow.”
The arts play a vital role in fostering creativity and learning at Olivet College by promoting personal growth, self-expression, appreciation and Individual and Social Responsibility. Annually, the College features artists, exhibitions and performances that reflect the diversity of the arts. View the full Olivet College arts events calendar at www.olivetcollege.edu/calendar/the-arts.
For more information about the exhibit, contact Gary Wertheimer, professor of art, at 269-749-7627 or gbwertheimer@olivetcollege.edu. To learn more about Olivet College, contact the Office of Admissions at 800-456-7189 or admissions@olivetcollege.edu.
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