DeLuce Art Gallery to feature sculpture artist, workshops beginning Jan. 29

Northwest Missouri State University and its Department of Fine and Performing Arts will host an award-winning sculpture artist and his work as the Olive DeLuce Art Gallery’s first exhibit of the spring semester.

The exhibit featuring the work of Kris Kuksi opens Monday, Jan. 29, in the DeLuce Art Gallery at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building, and continues through Friday, Feb. 9. Kuksi will give a talk at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, in Room 244 of the Fine Arts Building with a reception afterward outside the gallery.

Kris Kuksi's art distorts classical and religious imagery into sculpture.

Additionally, he will lead a construction workshop on Jan. 29, giving participants tools, materials and a behind-the-scenes look at his artistic process, as well as a surface workshop on Feb. 5, where participants will learn how to use an airbrush and detail their work. Seating for both workshops is limited to 20 people; reserve a spot by emailing Northwest Assistant Professor Art Tom LaPann at tlapann@nwmissouri.edu.

“We are super excited about Kris's upcoming visit,” Dr. Karen Britt, a Northwest assistant professor of art, said. “He is one of our Missouri Arts Council grant-supported artists and has an innovative, dynamic exhibition planned.”

Based in Lawrence, Kansas, Kuksi earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in painting at Fort Hays State University. Workshop training focused on the techniques of masters in Austria, Germany and Italy furthered Kuksi’s learning, and one of his paintings was accepted into a highly selective exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait gallery. Kuksi later began exploring a new technique of assemblage and distorting classical and religious imagery into sculpture.

His work has been featured in numerous magazines while attracting a long list of public and private collectors in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, including well-known figures such as Alicia Keys, Sean Parker, Fred Durst, Usher and Robin Williams.

For more information about Kuksi and his work, visit www.kuksi.com.

The Olive DeLuce Art Gallery, which is free and open to the public, is open 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday. For more information, call 660.562.1326 or email fparts@nwmissouri.edu.