“Sisters in Art ~ Sisters at Heart” is a unique collaboration between two best friends: Jan Wright, a watercolor artist from Mancos, and KiP Walker, a photographer from Santa Fe, N.M. Creative expressions of same or similar subject in very different media are displayed juxtaposed to each other, creating an original and intriguing look into how two artists observe and interpret the same scene or theme.
The exhibit runs from June 18 through July 7 at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 Market Street. An opening reception will provide tasty treats from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 21.
Jan Wright’s vibrant watercolors tend to be more detailed and intense than many other watercolor techniques. Often a hidden image appears in a composition, such as a kachina, native symbol, bird or animal. Her work may also be seen at Artisans of Mancos.
Wright also has an exhibit, now in its fifth year, of oversized watercolors at Far View Lodge at Mesa Verde National Park. Many of them were influenced by her experiences as artist in residence there in October of 2012. Her artwork can be seen at Etsy.com in her shop of ButterflyArtVisions or on her website of www.butterflyvisions.com.
Walker is re-entering the art scene after a few years of other distractions. She continued photographing and honing her creative vision during this time, and has slowly moved into the 21st century, leaving behind the darkroom and historical processes and embracing digital photography and the wonders of compositing in Photoshop.
Walker sees her work as expressing “multidimensional realities...layering images, ideas, and archetypes”.
Walker has taught college and lifelong learning art and photography classes in New Mexico and Wisconsin, where she received her MFA at UW Madison.
Her work has been in over 100 solo, group, invitational and juried exhibitions around the country and she has received a number of honors and awards including a Wisconsin Arts Board Grant and first prize at the New Mexico State Fair in 3rd grade. In addition to showing in a number of galleries over the years, she owned KiP Gallery, in Gypsy Alley, Canyon Road, Santa Fe. Her work can now be seen at www.KiPGallery.com.
