Past Show • November 7-30, 2019

Elaina Kennedy: Re-imagined

Opening / Amherst Arts Night Plus: First Thursday, November 7, 5-8:00 pm
Forum / Artists In Community: Third Thursday, November 21, 7:30 pm

Re-Imagined, a solo exhibit by Elaina Kennedy, opens November 7, 2019 at Gallery A3 in Amherst, MA. The Opening Reception on November 7, from 5-8 pm, coincides with Amherst Arts Night Plus.  Singer-songwriter Jameson Kidder will perform at the opening.

At an Artists in Community Forum on November 21, at 7:30 pm, Kennedy will discuss her process and her shift from painted abstract landscapes to collage using recycled materials. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

​Traditionally a painter, Elaina Kennedy turned to things that she previously would have tossed out—cardboard, magazines, plastic cups, and envelopes—for her newest body of work.  In the past few years, her work has shifted from abstract acrylic landscape paintings to works created completely from immediately available recycled materials. A focus on geometric shapes, patterns, and colors continues to animate her artwork.
 
With Re-Imagined, Kennedy challenged herself to use only materials that she would otherwise discard, and transform them into artworks. She hopes to highlight awareness about how much one person consumes as well as find beauty in materials already produced.  The new series also reflects on current recycling habits and the increased knowledge about climate change and how to be more environmentally conscious. 
 
Elaina Kennedy lives and works in eastern Massachusetts, where she teaches art to students with autism. 

Artist website: 
​elainakennedy.weebly.com
 
Images:
Badlands, collage, Elaina Kennedy
CMYK, detail, collage, Elaina Kennedy
Scanned and Bought, detail, collage, Elaina Kennedy