The Kozora Group is having an art opening on Wednesday, May 2nd, from 5-8 pm at Westerly Public Library, in the Hoxie Gallery. Robert Kozora, the senior member of the Kozora Group, was a member of the Artists’ Guild and Gallery in Charlestown, along with his lifelong friend John Lutes, a well known local artist. Whereas Lutes painted water scenes that were spare, almost austere, Kozora acknowledges that the earth is a lush and verdant sphere, even in his world of boats, harbors, and gardens. While Lutes’ work is like a well edited Merwin poem, Kozora’s paintings remind one of Wallace Steven’s “Landscape with Boat”.
Many of the other painters exhibiting also love to compose scenes of local interest. Janice Russell came to painting from her work in natural history illustration. Artist Jean Connors has a background in landscape design and wanted to see her world on canvas. Robin Petro was pointed in a new direction when she realized that her awards for sculpture and ceramics were mostly for the surface decoration.
