Press Release:

 

“Beware of the Old Woman, 2014,” an exhibition of art by award-winning artist Jan Kappes, is coming to Tuscola, IL for the month of July at the Vault Artists Collective in their Guest Gallery.

 

A familiar face in Douglas County for many years, Ms Kappes returned to the area after an extended “hiatus” to southern Missouri (2002 – 2008,) and began almost immediately to pursue in earnest her new life as a working artist. Having attained a degree in Visual Arts from Parkland College in 1988, her first step was to enroll in the nationally accredited School of Art at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. “At age 58, going back to school was a real adventure,” she admits. “I had no idea at that time where it would lead me, but I knew in my heart that it felt right.” In two years she attained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Two Dimensional Studio Art, and entered the Masters (degree) Program at Eastern, achieving a Master of Arts degree in Sculpture in 2012.

 

In 2013 Kappes “retired from the rat race” by moving back to rural Douglas County and devoting herself full time to creating art. “I got hooked on showing my art while I was still a student. Being juried into a competition is such an honor, and being selected for an award is always a surprise and very gratifying. Meeting other artists and exhibiting is such a joy. It spurs me on to fresh perspectives and pushes me to hone my skills.” Her works have been included in juried shows as far east as Connecticut and as far west as Texas. Locally, her works have earned many Best of Show awards, as well as People’s Choice awards. Although she was always known among her friends and family to be skilled with a pencil, she is now gaining recognition as an “Emerging Artist.”

 

Most of her hanging works she calls “Inklings,” as they are created with her unique technique that is combination of drawing and painting using alcohol based inks. Most of her Inklings are ambiguous narratives that present just an inkling of a story line that facilitates an engagement with the viewer. “I love to hear how people react to what I’ve created, especially when they don’t know I’m listening.”

 

“AgriSculpture” is the term she uses to define her sculptures. They are created using cast-off parts of farm equipment. Sometimes her sculptures are comically representational, but more often they are assemblages of objects and shapes that are visually intriguing. “I’m just learning to weld, so I’m not building anything very big, nothing I can’t carry, anyway,” she laughs. The underlying message in her “found objects” sculptures is that “...everything has a kind of unique beauty, if you look for it.”

 

“Beware of the Old Woman, 2014” will be on view from July 1 though July 31 at the Vault Artists Collective in downtown Tuscola. You may meet Ms. Kappes the evening of July 5th, during the Vault’s First Saturday event or by appointment. “I’m looking forward to seeing old and new friends alike,” says Kappes.