By Kyren Gibson, Alliance Arts Council
The Alliance Arts Council presents Jean Jensen in the upper Marjorie Lue Skala gallery at the Carnegie Arts Center. The exhibit “A Glimpse of Spirit” will be up until March 19.
Traveling allowed Jean to see Western Nebraska with a new perspective and to see the natural, largely untouched beauty of her childhood home.
Returning to Nebraska, she began 35-year career as an artist. Mostly, Jean paints local subjects, combining her passion for the region with the aliveness and energy that she experienced in Kenya. She is skilled in watercolor, pastel and oil, using the raw emotive power of brilliant colors to capture the essence of flowers, wildlife, people and landscapes. Jean has attended the Autumn Art Workshop for twenty-eight years and serves on its board. She has taught some middle and high school art classes and community workshops. She lives near Lewellen, where she and her two brothers are the exhibiting artists and owners of the Most Unlikely Place gallery and café.
In addition to Jean Jensen’s exhibit, The Box Butte Art Society Spring show is on display in the Garwood Gallery from February 15 until March 19th. The Spring show is the annual guild show of the Box Butte Art Society, based in Alliance.
The show was judged by professional artist, Michelle Denton, Director of the West Nebraska Arts Center February 25.
The awards are as follows. Best of Show was awarded to “Bubble Bee” by Kyren Gibson. Certificates of Excellence went to “Sparrow” by Tom Samson and “You Can Keep my Things” by Clarice Hynes. Honorable Mentions went to “Autumn’s Bounty” by Steph Mantooth, “These Boots are Made for…” by Charles Lierk, and “Where Bright Ideas Come From” by Becci Thomas. Youth Certificate of Excellence went to “Dance Like Nobody’s Watching” by Leala Palmer. Their reception will be tomorrow, Feb 26th 5-7pm in conjunction with the Alliance Arts Council artist reception for Jean Jensen.
Please remember to check out Carnegie’s website, www.carnegieartscenter.com for information on our artists as well as information on upcoming events and classes. You can also visit our Facebook page and Instagram for updates on exhibit pieces and events.
As always, we want to thank the incredible local businesses that support arts opportunities for their community. Thank you to the Alliance Arts Council and our February sponsors Seasons of Hope Counseling, Edward Jones-Dalsey Lambley, and R&J Industries. We also want to thank our generous grantors who provide operational funding, the Nebraska Arts Council, Nebraska Cultural Endowment and Peter Kiewit Foundation. Last but certainly not least, we want to thank our grantors that make free and reduced cost art classes available through educational grant support. Thank you, DF Dillon Foundation, Snow Redfern Foundation, Mission Store, CA Story Foundation, Kimmel Foundation, and St. John’s Lutheran Church.