Current Exhibitions & Residencies:

 

Come to the Dayton Art Fair

February 15th and 16th @ The Contemporary Dayton, 25 W 4th St. Dayton, OH 45402

https://codayton.org/dayton-art-fair/

This inspiring, community-driven event will be held in February 15 & 16, 2025 at the iconic Dayton Arcade and promises to bring together art lovers, collectors, and the wider community in a vibrant celebration of local talent and contemporary art.

Building on the 30-year legacy of supporting artists, The Co’s Dayton Art Fair marks a new beginning, uniting Dayton’s creative community in a powerful statement of hope, resilience, and progress. This bold new platform elevates artists by offering them a space to showcase and sell their work directly, while fostering a deeper connection between artists and art enthusiasts in Dayton and beyond.

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Holiday Vintage Artwork Sale

I hope folks will come to the Holiday Vintage Artwork Sale at the Ed Dixon Gallery.

Ed selected some of my small watercolors and colored pencil drawings of sunflowers, and nature scenes, many of which are bejeweled with crystals.

Happy Holidays everyone!

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“One Hundred Views of Aphrodite” in Dayton

The Ed Dixon Gallery put the spotlight on us gallery artists he represents with his Fall Edition exhibition through December, so come see some Marilyns in my One-hundred Views of Aphrodite.

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Watercolor Now! at the Downing Museum in Bowling Green, KY

We members of the elite Watercolor Honor Society have a biannual exhibition, Watercolor Now! this year at the Downing Museum in Bowling Green, KY.

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En Plein Aire at Cincinnati Nature Center Every Summer 

It is a real treat to teach en plein aire at the cabin at Cincinnati Nature Center. The class fills within a week of posting-so many nature-loving watercolor enthusiasts out there!

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I Love That This Painting Fits The “Ethereal” Theme in Kokomo Exhibit

One of my Noir watercolors featuring the temple site at Dion, Greece was chosen for the Ethereal exhibition at Indiana University-Kokomo through July. A lovely catalog was created for the exhibit as well.

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Exciting Workshop I Gave At Pyramid Hill

I was invited by the gallery curator at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, How To Harness The Colors of Nature watercolor workshop. Their community lodge is beautifully nestled in the woods and provides a perfect setting to be inspired.

“Have Brush, Will Travel” Solo Exhibition at the Curt Bassette Gallery

Have Brush, Will Travel was my solo exhibit at the Curt Bassette Gallery in Burlington, KY, through July featuring assorted travel watercolors, including Prince Edward Island.

I also taught a watercolor workshop at the Boone County Public Library there.

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“One Hundred Views of Aphrodite” in the Big Apple at Pier 36

The Ed Dixon Gallery that represents me took seven of my new paintings to the Art Expo NYC at Pier 36. It was such an exciting opportunity so I created these new portraits of Marilyn Monroe.  Previously, I imbedded Monroe in numerous large paintings but never was she in the spotlight.  Ed loved my intimate watercolor portraits of Marilyn so I proposed doing larger paintings on canvas for NYC and called the series One Hundred Views of Aphrodite.

Going National With the Watercolor Honor Society

In April I was inducted as a board member of the Watercolor Honor Society, founded in 1962. I am happy to give back. I have been a member of about two-hundred members nationally, since 2006. Serving on their board as secretary is an honor. 

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“Celebrate Art!” at the Ed Dixon Gallery

Celebrate Art was a four-person exhibit at the Ed Dixon Gallery through April. Here was an opportunity for me to showcase several of my 16 x 20” works on canvas featuring ancient figures and lotuses.

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Aphrodite at The Contemporary Dayton in Dayton, OH

The Co Dayton is a beautiful exhibition space. I was exhibiting there for the first time in their annual large group exhibition. I exhibited one of my new Aphrodite paintings on canvas into which I embedded digital collage.

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Cincinnati Nature Center’s First-Ever Master Class

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When I heard that the Cincinnati Nature Center was caring for an injured owl, I proposed a master watercolor class with a live model, Uni the owl who was fabulous.

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From Goddess to Warrior: Female Form and Figure in Contemporary Art

9/8/23-10/5/23 @ Oxford Community Arts Center, 10 South College Ave. Oxford, Ohio 45056

https://oxarts.org/events/current-exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/ 

What would a goddess look like if she appeared on your doorstep today? What about a warrior? This show explores the boundaries of what it means to be a woman. Artists re-examine their definitions of feminine imagery and illustrate that in their chosen medium.

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Pyramid Hill, Salon de Refuses

9/2/2023–1/2/2024 @ Pyramid Sculpture Park and Museum, 1763 Hamilton Cleves Rd, Hamilton, OH 45013

https://www.pyramidhill.org/art

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SOS Art 2023

June 23 2023 through July 16 2023 @ The Art Academy of Cincinnati, 1212 Jackson St. Cincinnati, OH, 45202

A community art show and event of creative expressions for Peace and Justice

Please join us and spread the word. THANKS.

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1628 Ltd. Summer 2023 Exhibition Saturation: An Exploration of Vibrancy

June 8, 2023 @ 1628 Ltd. 11 Garfield Pl. Cincinnati, OH, 45202

1628 Ltd. Summer 2023 Exhibition Saturation: An Exploration of Vibrancy

Summer is the season of boundless possibilities and pure joy. As the days get longer, the city of Cincinnati comes alive through the hearts of its residents. The energy in the air is strong; it brings people together to create memories in smiles and laughter. There’s so much to appreciate – from being around those who bring joy to exploring the vibrant colors of freshly bloomed flora.

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There’s no better way to embrace this positivity than through art. The city has been blessed with a thriving creative culture, offering up talented artists that have the same goal as the summer breeze: to bring smiles to everyone’s faces. The purpose of the Saturation exhibition is to use vibrant colors to bring a sense of brightness and positivity to those who enter. Featuring art created by local artists, viewers are able to experience an environment full of laughter and an overall feeling of cheerfulness.

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The pieces showcased in this exhibition capture the vibrant aspects of modern pop culture as well as the free-spirited energy captured by artists. Each work carries a unique message intended to evoke a smile, a laugh, fond memories or even just an “Oh Wow!” reaction. With every wall of this exhibition offering up color and excitement, it’s easy for patrons to find something new that will leave them feeling energized and inspired.

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Separating the Earth from the Heavens

June 2, 2023 through July 15, 2023 @ Edward A. Dixon Gallery
222 N St Clair St, Dayton, OH 45402

History-centric exhbit promises ‘rich visual experience’ at Edward A. Dixon Gallery

“Kukla will be the first solo artist to exhibit at the gallery since it moved into the Opal building on St. Clair Street in August. Her exhibition, “Separating the Earth from the Heavens,” explores “thin places” and “thin times” where the veil between heaven and Earth seems to have worn and elements of both are able to come together, according to the artist.

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The exhibition is a culmination of Kukla’s work that draws in elements of history and modernity using historical objects and vibrant, experimental color combinations. Her multi-part “Arcadia” series captures ancient Mediterranean imagery using statues and ruins while also giving a nod to the current political climate. Other pieces by Kukla use color profiles to juxtapose historical elements.

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Part of that experience involves storytelling using iconic historical and pop culture figures like Alexander the Great, Marilyn Monroe and ancient gods and goddesses. Her paintings “celebrate their continued power and meaning in our present,” according to the gallery. Kukla demonstrates how history is still alive and present in the world through her work.”

A review for this show can be found here

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14th Annual Drawing Discourse

January 13, 2023 through February 10, 2023 @ University of North Carolina Asheville’s S. Tucker Cooke Gallery
UNC Asheville S. Tucker Cooke Gallery, 220 Campus Drive, Asheville, NC 28804
As part of an ongoing commitment to promote drawing practices in the visual arts, the University of North Carolina Asheville (UNC Asheville) invites artists to submit entries to a Juried International Exhibition of contemporary drawing. UNC Asheville seeks to examine drawing as it is practiced and defined by today’s artists. Such an exhibition will demonstrate the continued significance of drawing through both conventional and innovative methods. 

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Past Exhibitions:

Watercolor NOW: Watercolor U.S.A. Honor Society

June 4 – August 28, 2022 @ Weisel and Kelly Galleries, Springfield Art Museum
1111 E. Brookside Dr., Springfield, MO 65807
This is the 61st exhibition of Watercolor USA, a national, annual, juried exhibition recognizing contemporary American watermedia painting.

SOS Art 2022: Peace and Justice

June – July 2022 @ Art Academy of Cincinnati
1212 Jackson St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
SOS Art is an annual group art exhibit, run since 2003.

Not Quite Seen

May 23 – August 19, 2022 @ 1628 Ltd.
11 Garfield Pl, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Not Quite Seen is an exhibition featuring abstract regional artists. It is an exploration of form, color, and emotion created individually by each artist and interpreted uniquely by each viewer. Above all, it presents new ways of looking at the world and within ourselves.

 

Write On, Door County Writers’ Residency

May – June 2022
Fish Creek, Wisconsin
Write On provides a place of solitude and reflection on nearly 59 acres of woods, orchards, and meadows nestled between the water of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Writers can work on a current project and find inspiration for the next without the distractions that hound them at home.

 

Upon Further Reflection

February 28 – May 20, 2022 @ 1628 Ltd.
11 Garfield Pl, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Upon Further Reflection features regional artists working in the subject of portraiture and shows how contemporary women are choosing to depict themselves and other women to their viewing audience. 1628 Ltd. is an art gallery and co-working space in downtown Cincinnati that holds quarterly art exhibitions featured renowned artist from across the region and nation.

Concord and Discord: Examining Ancient Stories

 

Mary Anne Donovan and Cynthia Kukla: Concurrent Exhibition
December 3 – January 15 @ The Annex Gallery
1310 Pendleton St, Cincinnati, OH

Current Publications

Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You A major solo exhibition devoted to the work of renowned artist Barbara Kruger. Art Institute of Chicago, September 19, 2021 through January 24, 2022