After high school, Indiana native Deborah Kolp majored “timidly” in art at Ball State University. “I say ‘timidly’ because my dad strongly discouraged the choice,” Kolp tells Asheville Made. “I eventually dropped out and got married, having three children before the age of 30.” But decades have since passed, and Kolp is timid no more. Now pursuing an advanced degree in classical painting from The Florence Academy of Art, Kolp paints bold, gestural pieces. Her latest series, “Prayers of the People,” renders the human form in rich brushstrokes to underscore our sameness and blur our differences. “Considering the destruction in our world today, my attempt is to rehumanize those individuals behind the conflict,” Kolp says. “I believe in the most ancient past, we are connected as one blood and desperately need to re-envision that state of being.” Kolp will present new artwork this June during An Emergence. The exhibition is part of “Who Am I, Who Are We?,” a year-long project in which members of the River Arts District Artists explore a monthly theme.
An Emergence: June 8-July 1; Opening Reception: Saturday, June 8, 2-6pm
Trackside Studios / 375 Depot St., River Arts District, Asheville