We are excited to host artist and instructor Russell Kahn in our Fine Art Gallery for his upcoming show, Sense of Place.
Opening January 14 and running through February 22, enjoy pastels, drawings, prints, and ceramics of the natural world through Russell’s eyes. “It’s an exploration of where one is and lives in this moment and time.”
A reception featuring light refreshments and community engagement will be held on Thursday, January 22 from 6-7:30pm with a special presentation by Russell at 6:30pm.
Keep reading to learn more about Russell and what you can expect in January!
Can you share your creative process, both in the studio and in shaping the overall vision for the show?
I’ll share the creative process for my plein aire work. I find a spot to capture what I am seeing and complete a quick Sharpie drawing to get the essence of the composition, line, and possibly some of the shading. Finally, I’ll use a black or other dark paper color to create in oil pastels. My printmaking and clay work are directly related to my Sharpie sketches from observation or imagination.
What themes are you exploring in this show, and why are they important to you?
“Sense of Place” is the theme I’m exploring. It’s important to me because where I am, I need to remember to be 100 percent present, and if it’s with people, nature, or in a barrio, I need to feel it and hope my art reflects it. Plein aire painting has a way of capturing that sense of place; my prints and clay work are an extension of that feeling.
Who is your favorite artist or one you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from many different artists.
Old school: Tiepolo, Carravagio, Rembranndt, Monet, Van Gogh, Bonnard, Morandi, Giacometti, O’keefe, Janet Fish, Wolf Kahn, Mary Azarian, John Muafangejo, and many more.
Is there a particular piece in the show that holds a meaningful story or memory for you?
The piece that holds a lot of memory for me is a recent piece that I did while visiting Maine and working there this past summer. “Breakwater Lighthouse” is located in Rockland, Maine, and it was a place I would go to for solace and begin my plein aire Sharpie drawings (and then oil pastels) when the pandemic first hit in Spring of 2020.
These initial sketches take me back to the place where I was at the precipice of changing my life forever. In just a few months, I took a job in Kayenta, Arizona, teaching art on the Navajo Rez (20 miles from Monument Valley), and did a sketch and oil pastel a day for almost 2 years. Then, I ended up in Tucson, Arizona, and fell in love with the arts community here and was able to reconnect with family and see my dad and step-mom more often before my dad’s passing in October 2024.
It’s been a whirlwind, but with art as with life, it’s always best to make the next move from the heart or the gut feeling— it’s usually the right move.
How do you hope viewers feel after experiencing the show?
I hope that any of my viewers will be excited about the sense of place I’ve captured and be inspired to go outside and see the beauty for themselves, and ultimately pick up a brush, pastel, or piece of clay and try it for themselves.
Why are you excited to share your work at the Tucson J?
I am excited to share my work so the viewers can feel and see the “SENSE OF PLACE” theme I have created and walk away wanting to explore places for themselves.
About Russell Kahn
I have traveled full circle creating and teaching art for the past 35 years in the Southwest and New England. I enjoy being part of my local community as well as globally. My roots growing up were in New York City and Cincinnati, Ohio. My parents all emigrated to America from other countries. My mom was from Tel-Aviv, Israel, my Dad from Capetown, South Africa ,and my Step Mom from Innsbruck, Austria. All of these places and cultures helped shape who I am today and how I see the world.
I received my 120 credit studio diploma from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and my K-12 teaching certificate through Tufts University in Medford, Mass. While teaching art in Chinle, AZ, on the Navajo reservation I received my Master in Arts degree from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado. I then moved to Tucson, Arizona and taught art in Sells, AZ at Baboquivari High School on the Tohono O’odham reservation. After that, I switched gears and taught elementary art in Vail School district at Desert Willow Elementary School. In 2003, it was time to go from the frying pan to the ice box and my family and I moved to mid-coast Maine. I taught art at 4-6 different schools in and around Belfast, Maine followed by the next 13 years at Camden High School. I returned to the Southwest in 2020 in part due to the pandemic to teach at Monument Valley High School in Kayenta,AZ for 2 years.
I now live in Tucson, Arizona and teach part time at Desert Sage High School, the Clay Co-op, and The Drawing Studio. I enjoy exploring the arts in many different media but absolutely love printmaking, drawing with my sharpie, creating soft and oil pastel paintings and working with ceramics, both wheel throwing and hand building. My philosophy of art education is that everybody can express themselves through the arts, no matter what age or background. I enjoy facilitating my students through the processes of the creative arts and help them realize that their voice and risk taking is the most important thing about the arts.
