Art Exhibit Featuring Paintings by Kay Kittell

Wisconsin Sleep
~ Art Exhibit ~
Featuring Paintings by Kay Kittell
(1932 – 2011)

Now through January 2019 there will be works of art on display and available for purchase by local artist Kay Kittell (1932-2011) at the Wisconsin Institute for Sleep & Consciousness, located in the Wisconsin Psychiatric Institute & Clinics at 6001 Research Park Blvd in Madison.

More information:

Mandy Kron, UW Health Art Coordinator
akron@uwhealth.org
608-263-5992
Cash or check only

 


“I have always painted – always.”

“ My whole interest in art is the power of shape. I use color to separate the shape and line which floats on the color.

Color is covered by tones … tones over the dark areas which give the painting a shimmering quality and patina of surface.”


Kay Kittell lived and painted in a large rambling farmhouse north of Waupun, Wisconsin near the Horicon Wildlife Refuge. The farm itself is a sanctuary of woods, hills, pastures, alfalfa and corn fields.

Kay studied art at Ripon College under Lester Schwartz. Later, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she worked under Robert Grilley, Bill Armstrong and Dean Meeker. Later still, she studied painting with Joanne Kindt and serigraphy with Tom Brady in Oshkosh.

She was strongly influenced by the New York School, Georgia O’Keefe, and Helen Frankenthaler. Journeys to California and Alaska, or just looking at scarves provided her with inspiration.  For example, the series of paintings on standing grasses began with the scarves. The vertical shapes of the first “scarves” paintings evolved into the vertical shapes of the grasses, and now, ribbons and spectrums.

Kay and her husband Frank, had six children: Mark, Rick, Luke, Russ, Matt and Chris.


Kay’s paintings are in the collection of:

  • The Oshkosh Public Museum, Oshkosh, WI
  • University of Wisconsin Center, Fond du Lac, WI
  • Lennox Candle Co., Oshkosh, WI
  • The Milwaukee Art Museum

Kay participated in more than 30 other juried fairs and exhibitions including:

  • Solo show – Ripon Community Art Center, Ripon, WI
  • Solo show – The Appleton Post-Crescent, Appleton, WI
  • Group show, Oshkosh Public Museum, Oshkosh, WI  1975
  • Group show, Art Ventures, Green Lake, WI.  1981
  • Cudahy Gallery, Milwaukee Art Museum, 1980, 87, 89
  • Kohler Art Center, 6 Counties Exhibit 1984,  Award
  • Wisconsin Women in the Arts 1984, Award
  • Beloit and Vicinity Show, 1985
  • Kohler Art Center, Birthday Invitational, 1987
  • Monroe Art Center 2017
  • University of Wisconsin Hospitals/Clinics, 2018