Amy Kucera at Shumei International Institute

La Capilla de Todos los Santos Catholic Shrine
Black and white photo montage
Approx. 24x30”

The winter exhibit season begins October 28 at Shumei International Institute! Amy Kucera will present architectural photomontages through December, and Bernice Strawn will show wall sculptures in January and February. Please join us for artists’ receptions on the third Sundays of November and January, at 3 p.m.

Kucera’s work represents architecture in a more personal and emotional style than most photographs. By merging multiple photographs, the artist can convey her experience of a building – and the viewer gets an idea of that structure’s essence.

Kucera elaborates: “Just as a person has qualities that one picks up on during a conversation, so a building has qualities that one can pick up on if they let themselves experience their surroundings. One can see if a building has character… Many of the photomontages defy reality. The montages do not show the building as it actually exists. Instead of reconstructing the building in a straightforward way, each montage plays with merging different sections and perspectives to create a new space.”

Among the buildings depicted in the November-December show are the Denver Convention Center, Denver Pavilions, and Sacred Heart Church in Alamosa.

Kucera’s show begins the short 2007-08 Winter Exhibit Series. This year, two exhibits will be featured, with artists’ receptions at 3 p.m. on November 18 and January 20. SII in Crestone, CO, is a not for profit organization created to promote spiritual growth through interfaith activities, the practice of Natural Agriculture, and the sponsorship of the arts and cultural events.

Through symposia, exhibitions, and community receptions, SII actively encourages the integration of art and beauty into daily life. Art can put humankind in touch with the best qualities of human nature. When touched by beauty we place a higher value on life and on all creation. The arts foster harmony both within the individual and among communities. Shumei encourages its members and friends to make the arts an integral part of their lives.

Shumei’s gallery is free and open to the public 7 days a week from 9-5 PM. To find out more about SII, or for directions to the gallery, call Matthew Crowley: 719-256-5285.
To inquire about photomontages by Amy Kucera, contact Katherine Benke, Insight Art Connection: 719-588-9044, or email Katherine@InsightArtConnection.com.