Staniar Gallery Opens New Display “Public Dreams/Private Myths”

By Erica Turman
October 2, 2018

Washington and Lee University’s Staniar Gallery presents “Public Dreams/Private Myths,” an exhibition of paintings by Florida-based artist Steven Kenny. The show will be on display Oct. 5 – Nov. 1.

Kenny will give a public artist’s talk on Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall’s Concert Hall on the W&L campus. The lecture will be followed by a reception for the artist. Both are free and open to the public.

Using oil painting techniques inspired by artists of the Renaissance and Northern Baroque periods, Kenny creates surreal compositions that often combine the human figure with imagery evocative of the natural world. His canvases reflect his own stated desire to “create images of beauty and mystery that allow the viewer to find their own personal significance in them.”

Since leaving a career as a freelance illustrator to devote his time to fine art, Kenny has exhibited his award-winning paintings in galleries across the United States and Europe. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art (Tarpon Springs, FL), Museo Arte Contemporanea Sicilia (Catania, Italy) and many private collections around the world.

Staniar Gallery is located on the second floor of Wilson Hall, in Washington and Lee University’s Lenfest Center for the Arts. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 540-458-8861.