Featured Artist
Furnace Opens with a Burning Desire to Bring Art on Paper to Falls Village
Beginning on May 1, the small town of Falls Village CT, who in the 18th century was central to the early production of iron on the east coast, will return to its fiery roots this time, in the artistic realm. Local artist Kathleen Kucka, whose work has been featured in numerous one-woman and group shows and is widely collected because of her unique method of scorching an abstract design into canvas or paper, will launch Furnace – Art on Paper Archive, a new gallery for viewing contemporary art with a focus on works on paper.
“Opening this art space has been a journey, conceived in the summer months of 2020 when we could not see art in person,” says Kathleen who has divided her time between New York City and Falls Village for the last six years. “In 2015, I set up an art studio in an 1850’s barn on a country road in Falls Village,” she says. “The barn was just what I needed to create large-scale work and focus on my art. During the Covid summer months of 2020, I discovered another unique space and opportunity in the small town of Falls Village. (I thought) why not bring amazing artists to the area and introduce a new audience to their work?” According to its website, Furnace seeks to be an energy-maker in the community and region, mounting thoughtful, transformative exhibitions curated from their flat file archives. Visitors can view original works of art by established and emerging artists from the Tri-State area and beyond. The Cooper Union (B.F.A.) and Hunter College (M.F.A.) graduate says her art practice moves beyond the studio to encompass curation. “For me, cultivating a relationship with art is a desire that has only become stronger over time,” Kathleen professes. “I seek to combine that desire with the understanding that the arts are essential to being human.”
On Saturday May 1, Furnace will kick off its inaugural exhibition with artist Stephen Maine. Maine is known for abstract, process-based paintings in which color, surface and pictorial space are crucial components. Working in acrylic on both paper and canvas, Maine combines arbitrariness of composition with precisely calibrated color. In addition to his record of exhibitions in the New York City area, Maine’s work has been seen locally at Five Points Gallery in Torrington, ICEHOUSE Project Space in Sharon, and the RE Institute in Millerton, New York. Maine recently relocated to West Cornwall after living and working in and around New York City since 1982.
In the coming months, the gallery will showcase works on paper and host one-person exhibitions by local artists and artists from all across the area.
Furnace / Art on Paper Archive invites the public to join them for the opening on Saturday, May 1 from 4pm – 6pm on 107 Main Street, Falls Village, Connecticut.
Hours are Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11 am – 4 pm and by appointment.
For more information visit furnace-artonpaperarchive.com
See more of Kathleen’s work at kathleenkucka.com