On 3rd Friday in October, Kiosk Gallery presents “Play” – an exhibition of paintings by Kansas City artist Liz Smith, and Columbia, MO artist Jennifer Ann Wiggs. Smith’s work is informed by the accumulation of visual information in her everyday life, while Wiggs draws inspiration from color and artistic action. Playful movement and lively interaction of color and shape are incorporated in both artists’ work. Stop by the artists’ reception Friday, October 16th from 6-9 pm, show runs through November 12th.
left wall, Jenn Wiggs. right wall, Liz Smith.
Liz Smith was born in Milwaukee, WI. She graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1999, and received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002. Her first art heroes were her mother, followed by Cy Twombly. Lately it rotates between Mary Heilmann and Vincent van Gogh.
Liz currently lives and works in Kansas City, with her husband Elliott Oliver and two awesome kids, Miles and Naomi.
Liz Smith artist statement: “The work I make is a collection of visual information I encounter in my day to day life. I have a romantic notion that there is much beauty to be found in piles of various things along my path. Most recently, my work has become smaller and in turn, more intimate. I work on collages and small sculptures alongside paintings, and always have. As of now, they remain separate entities that inform each other. The sizes and material I use may fluctuate, but I continue to rely on my intuition as an inherent quality of my work. My typical approach to beginning new work includes combining patterns from fashion ads and photographs (my fantasy world) with color inspiration from crayon piles and paint swatches (my real world) to create idealized moments, gestures or pieces of a puzzle.”
left wall, Jenn Wiggs. right wall, Liz Smith.
Jennifer Ann Wiggs has a BFA from Indiana University, an MFA from Washington University, and has taught art at the Art Department of the University of Missouri, Columbia. She is a member of the Watercolor USA Honor Society and her award winning work has been shown in Watercolor USA, the Living Artist’s Magazine, the Missouri Watercolor National, the National Exhibition of American Watercolor at the Taos New Mexico Museum, and the River Market Regional Exhibition in Kansas City.
Jennifer Ann Wiggs artist statement: “The channel between realism and abstraction is rich territory for invention. These latest gouache paintings explore abstraction using sophisticated color relationships and simple shapes.”
left wall, Jenn Wiggs. right wall, Liz Smith.
KIOSK 