Kentucky Wesleyan College is hosting a solo art exhibition by David Wilson, “Seasalt to Bluegrass,” from Jan. 10-Feb. 28 in the Kolok Gallery of Fine Arts at the Ralph Center at South Griffith Ave. and College Dr.
David Wilson received his master of fine arts in painting from Illinois State University in 2001, a bachelor of arts in fine art/design from Columbia College, Chicago in 1998, and an associate in fine art from Joliet Junior College in 1995. In addition to teaching drawing, painting and cartooning workshops for youth and adult learners, he has taught studio art and art history courses for Black Hills State University, Eureka College, Illinois State University, International Music Camp, Joliet Junior College, Oregon Coast Community College and the University of St. Francis.
He has participated in over 100 art exhibitions since 2001, conducted grant-funded research with the military art collections, and organized fundraising events for various organizations. He became the Art Program coordinator, art instructor and Dayman Gallery director for Owensboro Community and Technical College in August 2020. Previously, he was the gallery director and curator at Salem Art Association in Salem, Ore., where he represented emerging and professional artists from the Pacific Northwest and across the nation.
David Wilson shared his thoughts about the exhibition:
“This exhibition features a variety of mixed media, acrylic paintings and introduces a collection of my work to the Owensboro art community. I am formally influenced by the simplistic, flat, hard-edge designs of classic movie posters. I primarily utilize film and television performers as the figurative motif, subtly reenacting situations from my life. I find their constructed personas intriguing because they present a wide range of emotion under the guise of entertainment. In some instances, their characters become so engaging and believable that they transcend the identity of the performer as an individual. Performers in each piece act as surrogates for me, creating a less vulnerable self-portrait. As a result, my own situation becomes entertaining rather than self-indulgent.”
The exhibition is free and open to the public. The gallery is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, contact Humanities Division Chair Heather Logsdon at Kentucky Wesleyan College at hlogsdon@kwc.edu.