Mature but Hip and Refreshing Work at Kenise Barnes
“Julietta,” above, is one of a series of wall sculptures by Julie Maren at Kenise Barnes Fine Art in Kent, Conn. This 36 x 36 x 6 inch work is made of acorn tops that are bedazzled with paint, crystal, glass, brass and more. The show opens on June 6.

Mature but Hip and Refreshing Work at Kenise Barnes

A two-person show of work by a painter from Canada and a sculptor from Boulder, Colo., will open on June 6 at Kenise Barnes Fine Art, 7 Fulling Lane in Kent, Conn.

Works by Julie Maren are from her Biophilia and Monsoon series. Described as “meandering wall sculptures,” they are three-dimensional works that are joyful and delightful, with a smattering of nature in them. 

 Biophilia features acorn caps that have been glamorized with paint, glass, shards of minerals.  

“Each cap sits on a copper pin that is installed at a 90 degree angel to the wall in varying depths that create clusters of biomorphic patterns suggesting organisms, and the exuberance of new life,” according to the artist’s statement. In the Monsoon series “individual elements hang away from the wall on pins, creating a poetic rain of color and texture.” 

Janna Watson, who lives and works in Toronto, Canada, paints on birch wood with thick and thin layers of pigment. 

“Her painting process ends with the addition of deliberate scribbles of buttery oil stick — exclamation marks to finish her statement,” according to the description from the gallery. 

Kenise Barnes, who also has a gallery in Larchmont, N.Y., said, “We will open the two-person show on June 6 in the Kent gallery but there will be no public opening. We will allow visitors wearing masks into the gallery in the groups they arrive with; if it is a family group of two to five, for example, they may visit the gallery together.  

“Otherwise we will stagger visitors; art is always a no-touch experience and I am the only staff member in the space so I feel confident that I can make safe decisions for myself and our visitors.” 

Barnes represents primarily North American artists who are “mid-career or emerging,” she said. 

Watson is “a young Canadian whose work gives a fresh voice to my program, which is heavy on American, especially Brooklyn, artists. 

“Both Watson and Maren are young and I felt that the work was mature but hip and refreshing,” she said.

The gallery’s hours are going to be Thursday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment; call  860-592-0220 or go to the website at www.kbfa.com to learn more.

Latest News

Frederick Wright Hosterman

KENT — Frederick Wright Hosterman passed away peacefully in his home in Kent on April 16, 2025. Born in 1929 in Auburn, Nebraska, he was the son of farmers. He attended a one-room schoolhouse just outside of Brownville, Nebraska, adjacent to his family’s farm. The little brick schoolhouse is still standing! After graduating from high school, Fred attended the University of Nebraska (Lincoln), eventually earning a master’s degree in agronomy. He took a job with Monsanto in Buffalo, New York, where the company was a pioneer in applying biotechnology to agricultural sciences. In Buffalo, Fred met his future wife, Dorothy. Fred and Dorothy moved to New York City for several years in the early 1960s, before settling down in Norwalk. In Norwalk, Fred and Dorothy had three children. The family later moved to Kent. In 1980, Fred and Dorothy divorced, and Fred bought a large tract of land on Carter Road in Kent. He built a house there, largely by himself, which he maintained until his death at age 95. After taking early retirement, he spent the following decades working on his property, adding various buildings, woodcrafting, landscaping, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy (Case) Brenner

CANAAN — Nancy (Case) Brenner, 81, of Canaan, passed away peacefully in her sleep at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, following a long illness on Good Friday, April 18, 2025.

Nancy was born on April 10, 1944, to the late Ray Sargeant Case Sr. and Beatrice Southey Case. She was the second youngest of five children, predeceased by her three brothers, Ray S. Case Jr., David E. Case and Douglas C. Case, and her sister Linda (Case) Olson. She grew up in New Hartford and Winsted, where she graduated from Northwestern Regional 7 High School.

Keep ReadingShow less
Adam Rand

SHEFFIELD — Adam Rand, 59, of Sheffield, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully in his home on April 22, 2025, after a long battle with ALS.

Adam was born on April 6, 1966, to Lee and Charles Rand II of Boston, Massachusetts. Adam spent his early childhood in Nantucket, where his love of fishing and water was born before moving to Sharon. It was here where he made many lifelong friends and later graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in 1984. He attended Hiram College in Ohio before settling in Connecticut.

Keep ReadingShow less