Local Art Exhibit Showcases Work by Concord Academy Artists

Acton Coffee House will display an art exhibit featuring the work of Jonathan Smith and Cynthia Katz until March 23. Their work is displayed at the coffee house during the normal coffee shop hours.

“We are very excited to showcase the work of both of these artists,” owner Hanka Ray said. "We hope that people who visit our coffee shop will find their art as thought provoking and engaging as we do."

Smith currently teaches painting, printmaking and gigure drawing at Concord Academy. Katz was the Visual Arts Department head for 10 years and teaches photography at Concord Academy. Both have had their work featured at a number of exhibits.

“My work explores the fragility of life, and fleetingness of time beneath the surface of commonplace objects and experiences,” said Katz. “I pay particular attention to layers, textures, patterns and light, and the imprint they leave. My interest is in transition as I attempt to uncover constancy in a moment of simplicity.  The new color work exhibited here is from an ongoing series entitled 'Occupied.' These images look at the way humans intersect with the landscape, and the environment is shaped both by human interaction, and the resurgence of the natural world.”

Viewing of the artwork is free of charge.

“I have been enamored with maps, atlases, and Landsat photography since my childhood; the bulging basket of road, walking, cycling, and National Geographic maps in my studio is Exhibit A of this fascination,” Smith said. “The most recent series, The Look of Our Land, began several years ago when a friend gave me an out-of-print book of that name.  It consists of numerous photomontage images of farmland in the Midwest United States. I scour these images, often with a magnifying glass, to find interesting compositions.”

For more information, visit http://actoncoffeehouse.com/index.html.