Kepner, Rita
Sculptor
Born Binghamton, NY USA Work: Warsaw Mus, Poland; Seattle City Collection, Wash; Kenmore Libr; Wash Mutual, Seattle; Children's Hosp, Seattle; Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Wash. Comn: wood Sculpture, City of Znin, Poland, 77; wood sculpture, City Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, 77, Bronze sculpture, Develop Authority, Seattle, 78; granite sculpture, Seattle Publ Libr, 78; cast stone sculpture, US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Ca. 94 & 96.
Exhib: WA State University, 2006,2007,2008,2009; Arts Alliance Gallery,Port Townsend, Wash, 2002, 2004; Bruskin Gallery , Port Townsend, Wash, 98; State Univ NY, Binghamton, Univ Art Mus 96, 2008;
Artist in the City, Seattle Art Mus, Wash, 77; Int Sculptors, Znin, Poland, 76 & Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, 77; Am Artist in Poland, Zoliborg Mus, Warsaw, 81; Am Artist in Wiebaden, Die Roemer, Ger, 88; Quimper Arts, Port Townsend, Wash, 93 & 94; , Ichikawa, Japan 97; Pos: artist-in-residence, Seattle, 75, 77-78.
Teaching: Instr. Sculptor Experimental Col, Univ Wash, 72-74; master sculptor, Evergreen Col Interndhip prog. Olympia, Wash, 74-78.
Awards: Appointed Visual Arts ambassador-informal-between USA & Poland, 76-81; Kosciuszko Found travel Grant Award Winner, 75, 76, 79, 81.
Bibliog: Something Happened in Seattle, NEA Newslett, 76; David Miller (dir, video), Rita Kepner Sculptor, 81; Stephany Irving (auth), In support of the arts, Penninsula Mag, fall 91; Symon Bojko, Polish American Artists, Warsaw, Poland, Women Artists of Am, Vol 2.
Mem: Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities coun (founder, 86); Int Artists Asn UNESCO, Paris; Artists Equity Asn; Int Artists Coop, Edelvecht, Ger; Quimper Arts, Port Townsend, Wash.
Med: All Media
Publ: Contribr, Northwest Art, The Arts, Leonardo Mag, Poland Mag, Polska Panorama, Seattle Post Intelligencer.
Sculpture is my primary medium. While most of my public works are large abstract wood or stone carvings, I use the figure as inspiration for all my work. I learned to study the beauty of the human form while at Harpur college in the mid 60s. I spent my studio time with Ed Wilson and Chuck Eldred. I turned slides for every art history class taught at that time, thanks to historians Ferber and Lindsay. Ken Lindsay encouraged me, to tour Europe and visit the works of the masters, in person.When I was in Florence, I solidified my own notions of what it would mean to integrate art into my everyday life.Every thinking citizen needs a personal form of creativity. Pure Art if that means separate from normal living is insufficient. From the times of the cave dwellers to today, artists have found a way to integrate art into all they do.
Study: WA State U PhD. Candidate: City Univ, MA, 1998; Western Wash Univ, 91-92; Seattle Pac Univ, 90; Okla Univ, 88; State Univ NY, Harpur Col,BA, 66; Elmira Col, NY, 62-63 Hon Degrees: Accad Bedriacehse Calvatore, Italy, hon MFA, 83.
