Mel Kistner is the 2nd. place winner at the 2017 Women in the Arts Inc. competition "Celebrating the Genius of Women" at the Orlando Public Library in Orlando, Florida.
Mel Kistner, "Walk For Water", Acrylic On Canvas, 18 x 14 in.
Artist statement
“Through my experience working as a clinical therapist, I developed an interest in painting figures in moments of introspection and contemplation and how these moments of emotional tension can lead to redemption and hope. My current series focuses on the needs of impoverished children around the world. The limited color palette echoes the limits faced by children who are lacking basic needs like food, clean drinking water and security.
By using acrylic paint to develop layers of texture, I aim to create a sense of emotional depth and evoke the passage of time. The figures are in solitary moments of contemplation and I often include objects that symbolize the unseen results of their struggle. My desire is to draw the viewer into the needs of these children and question their own involvement in providing for or responding to The Least of These.”
Education
BA in Painting from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
MA in Art Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago
Recent exhibitions and awards
2016
Oakton Foundation Spring 2016 Juried Online Show and Awards, Third Place for “For the Least of These”, Honorable Mention for “Waiting for You”.
2015
Freedom 58: Faces of Freedom, Traveling Exhibit, Donated Portrait of Woman Rescued
Storytellers Creative Arts Exhibit, Covenant Church, Naples, FL
2014
Expanding Borders: ONU Regional Exhibition Juried show at Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, IL
The Contemplative Artist Invitational Show. Burning Bush Gallery, Wheaton, IL
Spring Show-Juried Group Show at Water Street Studios, Batavia, IL
The exhibition is on view until April 23, 2017 at the Orlando Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, Florida 32801.
Contact: Mike Donohue 407 835-7483 | Community Relations, OCPL
Contact: Maria Guerrero womeninthearts@gmail.com | Women in the Arts Inc.
Visit Women in the Arts: www.womeninthearts.org
Support this program:
This event is sponsored by Women in the Arts, corporate and private donors,
Contact: Maria Guerrero womeninthearts@gmail.com | Women in the Arts Inc.
Visit Women in the Arts: www.womeninthearts.org
Support this program:
This event is sponsored by Women in the Arts, corporate and private donors,
Studio-T Photography, and Baterbys Art Gallery, in partnership with the Orlando Public Library.