Curt Kiwak’s illustrations and mixed media collection is on display in the Tucson Jewish Community Center’s Fine Art Gallery from July 8 through Sept. 6. An artist’s reception for “Monsters Under the Bed” will be held Sunday, Aug. 28 from 2–4 pm. This reception is open to the public.
Born in Chicago, Kiwak attended the Art Institute in Chicago and then moved to Tucson in the late 1970s to earn a bachelor of fine arts at the University of Arizona. His early work was inspired by the Chicago Imagists, who found artistic inspiration everywhere: in other types of artwork, comics, toys, advertisements, their families, theater, music, books and more. He fell in love with the work of Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Roger Brown and Ed Paschke.
Kiwak initially enrolled at the UA to study scientific illustration, but changed his artistic direction after having classes with Jim Waid, Wayne Enstice, Chuck Hitner and Bruce McGrew. After graduation, he joined the Central Arts Collective and remained an active member until 1990. Kiwak took a 15 year hiatus from the art community and in 2007 returned to studio work at the 9th Street Studio.
“I like to use my art to tell stories; thinking of the page that I work on as a mini-theatre. When I sit down to do a drawing, I have no idea how it will turn out. I may look at something around the room and briefly sketch it or I may use a portion of something that I have drawn before,” says Kiwak. “A lot of my drawings include images of things that reflect my childhood fears. I am intrigued by how my imagination gets reflected on the page and how the work then takes on a life of its own.”
The Tucson J is located at 3800 E River Road, Tucson. For more information, call 520-299-3000 or visit tucsonjcc.org.
