We look forward to welcoming Karen Thurlow to the Red Cloud Opera House gallery for our final exhibition of the year! Born in Red Cloud and raised in rural Webster County, Karen is a graduate of Bladen High School. With this exhibit, she recreates Webster County memories based on family photographs and local buildings, rendered in her distinctive impressionistic style and vibrant color palette.

Karen works across mediums, has taught art classes and workshops throughout Nebraska, and frequently judges art competitions. She is past president of the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs (ANAC). She belongs to the Fremont Area Art Association and is a past president of that organization. Karen's work is currently being shown in the Noyes Art Gallery in Lincoln where she is a co-op member.

Our Opera House arts programming is supported by a basic support grant from Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Artist's Statement:

Art is not in my life; art IS my life. Some people discover art later in life. I can't remember a time that art wasn't in my life. 

I create art for the joy of the journey and the adventure. I will often start with the idea in mind, but it can change at any time, and that is okay. I love the surprise of what can happen and the power to make it happen. I love colors and how they interact. The possibilities are endless and I want to explore all I can.

When I stopped painting what I thought would please others and started painting what pleased me, others started to appreciate what I do. A wise person once told me, " If you paint what you love, someone else will love it more."