September 2, 2009

Windows to the Divine art show set Oct. 3-23

Exhibit at Madden Museum to benefit vocations

More than 400 people, including 100-plus artists and religious, are expected to attend the gala opening and reception of the Windows to the Divine art exhibition and sale set 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Madden Museum of Art in Greenwood Village.

Windows to the Divine is the focal point of the sixth Fra Angelico Celebration of Art & Spirituality, which will run Oct. 3-23 at the Madden Museum of Art.

The Fra Angelico Celebration of Art & Spirituality is sponsored by the Colorado Dominican Vocation Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes the vocations of the priesthood and the artist, and encourages dialogue between people of different faiths about art and spirituality.

“(It) is designed to celebrate the Spirit in the visual arts and the legacy of Fra Angelico, a famous painter of the Renaissance and a member of the Dominican Order in the 15th century,” said event chair Shannon Robinson.

The Windows to the Divine exhibit is one-of-a-kind in the breadth and spectrum of work shown as “spiritual art.”  Significantly, the show appeals to a broad audience because the content of the works is not confined to explicitly religious or sacred subjects, but also includes landscapes, figures, still-life, contemporary, and traditional ethnographic.  Many spiritual paths are represented, including artists from the Christian, Jewish and Native American traditions. 
Artists in the show include well recognized mainstream artists whose work is known to the public and collectors, including the works of renowned artists such as Kim English, Scott Fraser, Tammy Garcia, Albert Handell, William Hook, Quang Ho, Ramon Kelley, Lynn Kircher, Ray Knaub, Emilio Lobato, Karol Mack, Don Sahli, Daniel Sprick, and Nancy Switzer.  The show will also feature the works of a number of Southwest Art Magazine’s 21 Under 31 artists such as Lu Cong, Sean Conrad, and Trent Gudmundsen. 

One of the highlights of the gala opening  is the presentation of the Fra Angelico Artist of the Year Award which is given every two years to a master artist who inspires the community with his or her work and his or her service to the art world.  In 2007, the award was presented to Quang Ho.  In 2009, the Fra Angelico award will be presented to Ramon Kelley. 

Ramon Kelley is an internationally renowned artist who is best known for his southwestern figurative and still-life works in pastel, oil, watercolor and acrylic media.  For more than 40 years, Kelley has been recognized and honored by innumerable arts organizations, institutions and publications.  In 1985, the Pastel Society of America designated Kelley a Master Pastelist, and in 1986, Kelley was elected to the Pastel Hall of Fame by the Pastel Society of America, New York City.  In 1990, Kelley was elected to the Colorado Institute of Art Hall of Fame. 

  Kelley’s career began with a scholarship to the Colorado Institute of Art.  Inspired by the works of the great masters of the Renaissance whose works he studied in Europe’s Italian and Spanish museums during his four years of service in the U.S. Navy, Kelley learned the value of meticulous drawing.  Kelley’s remarkable ability to capture the essence of a subject in a portrait and his lush interplay of light and color in all of his works have earned him an outstanding reputation and following among collectors, critics, colleagues and students.

Kelley’s service to the art world is most notable in his generous and enthusiastic sharing of his hard earned knowledge with aspiring artists through apprenticeships, workshops and books that he has written such as “The Five Essentials in Every Powerful Painting” (2001).  As an enthusiastic and patient teacher, Kelley has touched the lives of many young artists and future generations, including his two sons, Benjamin and Adam.  Sharing his passion, keen insight and discipline, Ramon and Benjamin work side-by-side in their father-son shared studio in Denver.  As long-time residents of Denver, the Kelley family has been and continues to be a powerful presence in the regional and national art scenes. 

On Oct. 15, for the first time, the Colorado Dominican Vocation Foundation will host the Windows to the Divine High School Art Competition at the Madden.  Scholarships and art supplies will be awarded to the winning school.  On Oct. 22, the foundation will host an interfaith adult program at the Madden titled “Art as Prayer: Windows to the Divine.”

Ticket prices for the Oct. 3 Windows to the Divine art exhibit and sale range from $50 to $250 per person.  For more information visit online at www.cdvf.org (upcoming events) or contact Shannon
Robinson at 303-679-1365 or Rev. Louis Morrone, O.P., at 303-477-4219.