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The Arts

Kathryn Van Steenhuyse Art Exhibit, through Dec. 7

By November 12, 2012November 15th, 2018No Comments
Just Breathe Through It 21

An example of Van Steenhuyse’s work

What is it? What does it mean?

What’s your reaction to this painting? These are just a few of the questions you may ask yourself when viewing the works of art in the Iowa Hall Gallery at Kirkwood Community College.

Wichita, Kan., artist Kathryn Van Steenhuyse said the works she’s displaying at the college range from pleasing and beautiful to just plan odd, and that’s part of her plan.

Kathryn Van Steenhuyse2

Kathryn Van Steenhuyse

“I like to have my paintings delay the process the mind typically takes to come to a conclusion,” said Van Steenhuyse. “I want the viewers to trust their own interpretation of the works, and figure out for themselves what each piece is supposed to mean.”

The paintings in Van Steenhuyse’s exhibition were all created this past year. They use an acrylic medium on unstretched canvas, painted on both sides.

“You can see some little hints of the paint on the backside show through,” said Van Steenhuyse. “Because the canvas is unstretched, it can pull and warp a little bit, changing the shape of the piece.”

Van Steenhuyse is a lecturer at Wichita State University and Friends University, both in Wichita. She is the creative director at CreativeRHINO, a production and creative consulting company that specializes in interactive new media. She has displayed her artwork from coast to coast and in Europe. She is originally from Vinton, Iowa.

The exhibit is on display in the Iowa Hall Gallery through December 7. Admission is free to the public. The gallery is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2-4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. A reception for Van Steenhuyse is on Thursday, December 6, at 11 a.m.