Water in the Desert

Water in the Desert

Artist Reception: Wednesday, January 4, 2012 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Poetry Reading: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm

This exhibition features 13 oil paintings by Kat O’Connor, these works feature figures interacting with water. In 1995, during a trip to Texas, Kat went swimming in the hotel pool at night. That quiet moment has continually inspired her:

 “That quiet pool of light in the desert has become the subject of numerous poems, stories, and paintings. The paintings in this exhibit are not portraits, but studies in which solitude is solace. Water and light become buffers, allowing the viewer to stand outside the subject, to watch from the protected darkness, the way we view film. We become voyeurs to these moments, when the subject is surrounded by water, encased in it, needing air and light. Until we have taken that first gulp of air upon surfacing the outside world does not exist.” Kat O’Connor

O’Connor currently teaches at Worcester State University and at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum.  Her work is exhibited at museums and colleges across New England. 

The poetry reading will be hosted on the Grand Staircase at the Hanover Theatre, on Wednesday, March 21. The event will begin with an open mic followed by two featured poets; Kat O'Connor and "Cowboy" Matt Hopewell.

Gallery Hours and Information: The ARTSWorcester Franklin Square Society Salon Gallery is open by appointment during regular Aurora Gallery hours. For information please contact: Cynthia Woehrle, Program Director: (508) 755-5142

Image: Twilight, 4th of July by Kat O'Connor