The Janice Mason Art Museum opened a new exhibition on April 29. The title of the showing is “Two Generations,” and features works by two regional artists, Tom and Allie Kelly. As the title suggests, the tandem represent two generations of the Kelly family, as uncle and niece.

With a lavish reception featuring sparkling wine, fruit, cheese, crackers and canopies, a crowd gathered to enjoy the works of the two artists. Though oil was the predominant medium, pen-and-ink, graphite, photography and wooden carvings were also displayed in the exhibit.

Tom Kelly, of Aurora, delves into realistic drawings of figures primarily, using soft colors and occasionally, a wry sense of humor. One painting, a self-portrait, sees a fish on top of his head. Asked if there was any symbolism there, he said, “It could be symbolism,” and after a pause to allow speculation, added, “It could be for intuition.”

He pointed out a wood carving of a face and continued to describe his work and creative process. “This piece is interactive. I made the eyebrows movable. Here the face has one expression, and just by changing the position of the eyebrows, it completely changes the piece. I planned to glue them down, but in the process of creating, I saw a chance to change it a bit. In the process of doing, I arrive at the final product.”

His niece Allie Kelly is a bit more abstract than her uncle, though still shows something of a preference for softer colors. Though of different styles, Allie Kelly believes that the exhibit with her uncle blends well together.

For the rest of this story, please see this week's edition of The Cadiz Record.