Late area artist’s work to be featured at gallery

Reception planned for Saturday

WARREN — An exhibition of oil paintings by Kay Wilson (1937-2007) opens Saturday and will run through Jan. 9 at Trumbull Art Gallery, 198 E. Market St. More than 50 paintings will serve as a retrospective of the widely traveled artist. Wilson was a Canfield native whose artwork has been published in magazines, books, software programs and music CDs. She painted the vibrant colors of her surroundings, including portraits, self-portraits, local landscapes and those she observed in her travels. She worked almost exclusively in oils, layering her colors with a palette knife.

During her 45 year career, she was a popular teacher and art-show judge throughout the Mahoning Valley. In 2002, she received the Butler Institute of American Art’s Clyde Singer Life Achievement in the Visual Arts medal. She helped found and assisted with the Youngstown YWCA’s annual Women in Art show until her death in 2007.

A prolific artist, Wilson would disappear into her studio and not emerge until the light was gone. Trumbull Art Gallery’s curators were amazed by the treasure trove of works stored in her studio. Many of the paintings in the exhibit will be for sale.

The public is invited to attend an opening reception at 6 p.m. Saturday. TAG’s normal hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call (330) 395-4876, or go to trumbullartgallery.com.