Opening reception is Thursday, March 9
Conrad Kaufman, of Galesburg, Michigan, will be featured as part of this year’s Glen Oaks Visiting Artist program.
Kicking off with an opening reception on Thursday, March 9 from 4 to 6 p.m., his work will be on display at the Flora Kirsch Beck Art Gallery on the campus of Glen Oaks Community College through April 12. He will have about 30 new paintings for the show.
Public Lecture – Thursday, March 16, 7 p.m.
As part of the Visiting Artist program, Kaufman will offer a public lecture that is open to the public on Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m., on the grand concourse at Glen Oaks. He will lecture on his art philosophy and provide examples of his work.
Master Class
On Thursday, March 23, Kaufman will lead participants through the process of painting a landscape through a master class from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the new campus art studio. The class is open to the public and will be a hands-on art class. Participants are asked to bring their own canvas and primary colors, including white. To register or for more information, contact: [email protected] or call (269) 294-4277.
Biography
Although he graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Anthropology, Conrad Kaufman is actually a self-taught artist who began creating mural art in the early 90s. It wasn’t long before he became known for his murals and by 1995, the mural business became his full-time profession.
In the late 90s, he shifted over to landscape paintings, and began painting landscapes of Southwest Michigan on canvas. While he continues landscape paintings today, he has added other art mediums to his art collection.
“Lately, artsy furniture of wood and metal have intrigued me,” Kaufman said. “I find it fascinating to take a substance like metal with its inherent feel of solidity and structure, and force it to take on an organic shape, then pit this against a geometric structure of wood.”
Kaufman recently returned to an art fair circuit and continues to create commissions.
About the Visiting Artist Program
Flora Kirsch Beck was an avid artist, a generous philanthropist, and a beloved member of the Glen Oaks and Sturgis communities. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she moved to Sturgis following her marriage in 1924 to Guy W. Kirsch, son of Kirsch Company co-founder, C. W. Kirsch. She believed in the importance of the arts in education, and served on the boards of many institutions, among them the Glen Oaks Community College Foundation, Alma College, and the Sturges-Young Auditorium. At Glen Oaks, her support made possible the establishment of a fund that supports an annual exhibition by a nationally known artist. In 2019, the college opened the Flora Kirsch Beck Art Gallery as a tribute to her and her passion for the arts and education.
