ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Art, according to the brilliant painter, Knox Martin, is a metaphor for truth, and the artist is the maker of shapes that give rise to the metaphor. Or, to borrow from Ms. Kennedy's other world, res ipsa loquitur. At its best, art is organic, and according to the artist, the painter is more or less an amanuensis. "In my work, I draw what I see, and then comes the hard part. The most difficult thing is to step back and let the work tell you what it needs. Or, just as importantly, that it needs nothing." For her, the painters who best represent this ideal include: Titian, Velasquez, Cezanne, Picasso and Matisse, and, of course, Knox Martin.

Ms. Kennedy began her art career in the Fall of 2001 in the aftermath of 9/11. Having worked at ground zero for a number of years, she was moved by this cataclysmic event to return to the creative process she had abandoned as a teen-ager. Her first paintings were accepted in a number of juried shows, including the prestigious Ridgefield Guild of Artists. From there she has gone on to exhibit in numerous juried group and solo shows throughout the U.S., including: Art-o-mat at the Whitney Museum, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, the Katonah Museum of Art, Ohr-O’Keefe Museum (Biloxi), Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, the American Academy of Fine Arts (NYC), the National Museum of Women in the Arts (D.C.), Barrett Art Center (Poughkeepsie), Silvermine Guild (New Canaan), Maude Kerns Museum (Oregon); Sperone Westwater, Ceres, and Agora galleries in NYC; The Parrish Art Museum, and Artists Woods in East Hampton, NY. International venues include the Anguilla Biennial, Singapore, Buenos Aires and the Saatchi Gallery in London http://www.saatchiart.com/katekennedyarts.

She spent over l0 years at the Art Students League of New York taking master classes with Knox Martin, and also studied with Larry Poons, William Scharf, Chuck Hinman, and Leonid Lerman. Martin, however, was unquestionably the strongest influence: painter, poet, teacher, mentor, magician, he has, according to Ms. Kennedy, "perfect pitch when it comes to art. Knox is a force of nature, and I am profoundly lucky to know him." Kate resides in Tivoli, NY, where she is restoring a 150-year-old farmhouse, and is part of a vibrant arts community stretching from Rhinebeck to Hudson. She has held membership in many local and regional art associations including: the Woodstock Artists Association and Museum, the Arts Society of Kingston (ASK), Silvermine Guild, the Gallery at Rhinebeck, Spencertown Academy of the Arts, the Tivoli Artists Gallery and the Red Hook Community Arts Network (RH CAN). She holds a B.A. magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College with distinction in English literature, and a double minor in art history and political science. She received her J.D. from Rutgers University Law School (Newark) where she was Law Review editor. Kate also studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She was a practicing attorney in New York City for 25 years, specializing in international finance, with Skadden Arps, American Express, and White & Case.

Her volunteer activities include: student advocacy under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New York League for the Hard of Hearing, the Alexander Graham Bell Foundation, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, Project Orbis, the flying eye hospital, and the Organic Consumers Association. She is committed to reuse, recycling, and reduction of our carbon footprint. Accordingly, much of her work incorporates upcycled and repurposed materials.

For Kate's unique, handmade jewelry, assemblages and sculptures, as well as interior design projects, please visit our sister website, www.thejadedpalette.com.