Kathy Piwowar | Feathers and Wings, Beaks and Bills
Kathy Piwowar
Feathers and Wings, Beaks and Bills
FOCUS GALLERY
March 1 - 30, 2024
Opening Reception: March 1, 5-7pm
Whispers in the wind, movement from the south.....
People of the Yukon cracking open front doors
Furtive glances left and right
Looking for breezes above zero
Perhaps a lime green blade of grass
Jacket instead of parka?
Bang, they’ve arrived
Feathers and wings, beaks and bills
Skipping hopping, a chirp a song
The birds are here
Birds have drawn me by their beauty and inaccessibility since childhood. I have a vivid memory of finding a dead blue jay a few blocks from home and carefully holding it by its feet to take the prize home to my parents.
Rapidly rising membership in the Yukon Bird Club demonstrates we are nothing short of joyful at the arrival of flocks from the south. I find inspiration in the vibrant blue bill of the ruddy duck at the Yukon Game Farm as well as the determined circles the phalarope swims looking for food. I fee l that our Whitehorse’s emergence from winter confinement parallels the seasonal migration of birds.
From the self-indulgent oyster catcher on the coast to the supermodel swans parading our lakes to the loyal raven trickster, we, as Yukoners, value and are inspired by our birds.
KATHY PIWOWAR
As a young woman Kathy came to Faro to seek her fortune in mining. In the thirty-five years since then, Kathy’s pent up artist expression has found fertile ground in the Whitehorse art scene. Her mixed media versatility is a result of many local workshops, as well as stints at art colleges in Calgary, Vancouver and Red Deer which provided a rich environment for her exploration and experimentation with media and techniques.
Texture, pattern, grids and other strong graphic elements distinguish her work. Figures, wildlife and birds reflect her degree in Biology as well as her aquatic insect research, and many years teaching science courses at Yukon College. As a result her pieces often illustrate the intersections of art and science.
Kathy's work has been exhibited three times at the Yukon Art Centre Gallery, thirteen years at The Great Northern Art Festival in Inuvik, as well as numerous solo, two-person, and group shows in Whitehorse. She enjoys sharing her passion and knowledge with the local arts community as a regular workshop instructor.
Past Exhibitions
