Artist Talk with Kate Katomski

This event is past.

  • Jun 19, 2018

Multi-media artist Kate Katomski will give a presentation at the Lewiston Public Library in conjunction with an exhibition at Kimball Street Studios. This free, public program will take place on Tuesday, June 19th at 5:30 PM in the Library’s Jeanne Couture Conference Room. The presentation will begin with a brief history of Kate’s past work and influences that led her to focus on the abandoned quarry landscapes of Vermont, Tennessee and Maine. She writes:

“My discussion will demonstrate the importance of process and material in the creation of my work. These are long term projects that involve historical research, collecting archival material, oral histories, and my personal sketches, photographs and video documentation. I am interested in the story of the quarry workers and their families, European immigrants and African Americans. Their labor was the foundation of an industry that provided raw and finished materials for many of our country’s architectural masterpieces, including the US Capital, the Supreme Court Building and Grand Central Station. It’s a testament of human ingenuity, human-power and sacrifice.”

At this talk, Kate will introduce her new project “Quarry Project-Maine,” funded in part by a Maine Arts Commission Project Grant for Artists. The exhibition at Kimball Street Studios, running through June 27th, includes selected works on paper that were inspired by the material collected while researching and mapping the quarries. The hybrid works illustrate the vibrancy of the quarries when they were active, and the rich textures of rubble and nature that they are today, layering both past & present. The sculpture honors and recognizes the contribution of women to the success of the industry, a central theme to her current work.

The conclusion will feature two collaborative multi-media installations with Judd Mulkerin, “Quarry Project – Tennessee” 2016 in Knoxville TN at the Knoxville Art Museum and the Museum of East Tennessee History, and “Quarry Project – Vermont” 2014 at the marble quarries in W Rutland, VT for SculptFest 2014, Carving Studio & Sculpture Center and, Of Land & Local, A Statewide Exhibition of Contemporary Art, 2014 Burlington Center for the Arts, Burlington, VT.

Kate Katomski was born in Schenectady, NY and received an MFA in Studio Art at Maine College of Art in 2002. She is a multi-media artist and educator whose inter-disciplinary experience throughout the United States and Europe includes art and architecture history, environmental landscape and set design. Her body of work includes sculpture, printmaking, performance, video and installation. She is based in Portland, ME and is currently a member of Pickwick Independent Press.

This presentation is free and no registration is required. For more information, contact the LPL Adult & Teen Services desk at 513-3135 or LPLReference@Gmail.com.