FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Janet Cooper

Marketing and Public Relations Manager

Dublin Arts Council

7125 Riverside Drive

Dublin, OH  43016

ph:  614-889-7444

fax: 614-889-9262

http://www.dublinarts.org

cooper@dublinarts.org

  

A Common Center: Benjamin Knepper & Kenneth Morgan

On view at Dublin Arts Council

Oct. 5  - Oct. 29

 

DUBLIN, Ohio — (Sept. 24, 2010) Dublin Arts Council (DAC) will host A Common Center: Benjamin Knepper & Kenneth Morgan, a two-person exhibition of computer-generated digital monoprints and two-sided paintings, in the DAC main gallery, 7125 Riverside Dr., in Dublin, from Oct. 5 through Oct. 29. The exhibition opens with a reception for the artists at DAC on Tues., Oct. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Columbus artist Benjamin Knepper and Connecticut-based artist Kenneth Morgan first met in the 1970s in New York City when they were both working on art installations in a commercial gallery in SoHo. The two were reunited at The Ohio State University 10 years later. They kept in touch, both long distance and in person and developed a friendship -- always respecting the other’s passion. On many important levels, they knew they shared sometimes similar, parallel approaches. As their very compatible visions have evolved, there is much common ground. They are two painters exploring new directions, and their current work shares a common center.

Knepper’s current works have evolved from his painting technique. On canvas, the artist originally allowed paint to flow with his compositions to find its own equilibrium. The wood forms from his painting process then became frame material for the finished canvases. Now, his two-sided paintings are made entirely of painted frame material, and their sail shapes remain from past voyages.

Knepper’s artwork has been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout Ohio and across the United States, including New York, Tennessee, Maine, Texas, Louisiana, Connecticut and California. Knepper served as Exhibition Preparator/Designer for The Ohio State University Galleries/Wexner Center for the Arts for more than 20 years. He currently works as Exhibition Consultant/Curator for Dublin Arts Council. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University.

Morgan’s exhibition history spans 35 years and includes solo and group exhibitions throughout the country. He is the recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Connecticut Arts Commission, Pollock-Krasner Foundation, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and Artists’ Fellowship Inc. He attended Vesper George School of Art in Boston and obtained a Bachelor of Arts from University of New Haven and a Master of Science from University of Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Born into a first-generation family acrobatic act, Morgan and his father, two brothers and a sister performed throughout New England, Canada and as far south as Tennessee, as “Al Morgan and His Toy Boys.”  They began in local bars and eventually moved through county fairs, carnivals and a commercial for unicycles to perform at Madison Square Garden and in Don Ameche’s televised International Showtime. Morgan ran away from the circus to enter art school at age 18. His artwork explores the colors and sensations that surrounded him during his travels.

“A recent stroke has forced me to reinvent myself,” says Morgan. “And in doing so, I have befriended the computer.”

His digital inkjet monoprints are full of vivid geometric shapes. The circles represent a takeoff on arcade pinball machines or the target in a pitch game on a carnival midway – inspirations with which the artist is intimately acquainted.

Morgan will have a major installation of his work at OK Harris gallery in New York City in January. His work will also be included in an invitational exhibition in Beijing in 2011.

The opening reception for A Common Center is graciously catered by the Refectory Restaurant & Bistro, DAC’s 2010 Visual Arts Series catering sponsor. The exhibition and the opening reception are free of charge and the public is invited.

Exhibition hours are Tues., 10am-7pm; Wed./Thurs./Fri., 10am–5pm; and Sat., 11am-2pm.

For more information about any of Dublin Arts Council’s programs, exhibitions and events call (614) 889-7444 or visit www.dublinarts.org. Dublin Arts Council (DAC), is located at 7125 Riverside Dr. in Dublin, Ohio. Hours are Tues., 10am-7pm; Wed./Thurs./Fri., 10am–5pm; and Sat., 11am-2pm. DAC is supported in part by the City of Dublin’s Hotel/Motel tax endowment and the Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund Dublin Arts Council and its programs with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. DAC is further supported by individuals, corporations, foundations, and through in-kind contributions. DAC engages the community, cultivates creativity and fosters life-long learning through the arts.

 

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