by Jessica Robles

It’s the start of another year, which means the COS Art Gallery is back with exciting new shows! To start out our semester, we bring you Visions of Power featuring works by Anna Kenar. The show will run from February 3 through February 27 with a reception on Thursday, February 5 from 5-7 p.m.

The exhibition features dark and delicate prints and drawings that revolve around the themes relating to the human condition. “I am interested in constructing environments that illustrate the ideas of conflict, alienation, power and control. I use historical and cultural references, along with abstracted body-related forms to visually investigate a realm of personal struggles, and allow the viewer for a careful and intimate examination and reflection,” says Kenar.

Details of a 30 foot long graphite drawing entitled, VISIONS OF POWER by Anna Kenar

Kenar, who was born and raised in Poland, obtained her BA in History from Benedictine University in 2003, and then obtained her MFA in Printmaking from Northern Illinois University in 2009. She currently teaches as an adjunct instructor at University North Carolina Charlotte and a number of community colleges in the Charlotte region. During the past year she has been working with the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art as an art instructor, developing and teaching art courses at the Mecklemburg County Jail.

Her work has been shown nationally and internationally. She has been recognized in a number of juried exhibitions, such as 29th Annual Positive/Negative Juried Art at the East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee, 9th Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints in Ino-cho Kochi-ken, Japan and 33rd Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition in Peoria, Illinois. She was awarded a second place at the 6th Biennial National Print Exhibition at the Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona.

Details of a 30 foot long graphite drawing entitled, VISIONS OF POWER by Anna Kenar

The COS Art Gallery is located on the bottom floor of the Kaweah Building in room 214 on the College of Sequoias Visalia Campus. As always, our events are free and open to the public. Free parking is available during the night of the reception in parking lots 3 and 7. If you are visiting the gallery during the day, there is 20 minute free parking available in lot 3 on the corner of Meadow Lane and Mooney Blvd. Parking passes can be purchased in lots 3 and right outside lot 7, for further questions regarding parking please contact the COS Art Gallery for details.

Gallery hours are Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Thursday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For any questions or information regarding the show, you may call the COS Art Gallery at 559-737-4861 or visit the COS website at www.cos.edu. Don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook to receive news on upcoming events.

Jessica Robles was born and raised in Visalia, California. She studied fine art at the College of the Sequoias, then went on to receive her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and her MFA from Northern Illinois University, both with an emphasis in printmaking. She is now an adjunct art instructor and the Gallery Director of the COS Art Gallery at the College of the Sequoias.