Painter Kathy Karlson is known to many Greenbelters for her bright, energetic artwork and her kind demeanor. She has been an artist in residence at the Community Center for 13 years. Karlson says that the experience has been enriching for her as well. “Greenbelt has made my artist’s life satisfying and often joyful,” she comments. “I have made many friends in Greenbelt and appreciate the support of the community, the staff of the Center and artist colleagues.”
Karlson is currently seeking to express her gratitude to the city through the creation of a painting for display at the Municipal Building. She is contemplating a large piece in a vertical format that would add light and color to this lofty but bare public space. In a letter to the Greenbelt Arts Advisory Board, Karlson notes “the painting would be a gift, something permanent for the city.”
The Arts Advisory Board reviewed Karlson’s proposal at their March 3 meeting and agreed to move it forward for further consideration. In accordance with established procedures, staff is now inviting input from Greenbelt citizens and from the staff in several departments who work at the Municipal Building. The board will consider all input in making a recommendation to the Greenbelt City Council as to whether the gift should be accepted as proposed. Karlson’s terms include a request for limited reimbursement of supply costs.
While the generosity of all potential gifts is appreciated, the board recognizes that not all artwork is suitable for public collection and display. Many factors need to be considered such as quality, suitability for a broad audience, physical durability, installation requirements and potential conservation needs and costs over time.
Karlson paints in a direct, intuitive manner that is reflected in the dynamics of the finished work. For this reason, preliminary sketches will not be available for the piece she would like to donate. However, many of her existing paintings can be seen online at kathykarlson.com. Her work is colorful and non-representational. The piece proposed for the city would be created with acrylic paint on canvas. The overall scale is expected to be about 4’ wide by 8’ tall, and the piece may be comprised of one or multiple panels.
Karlson’s proposal is available at greenbeltmd.gov/arts. Public comments are welcome through April 30. Residents are invited to email their input to Nicole DeWald, city arts supervisor, at ndewald@greenbeltmd.gov or comment on Facebook at Greenbelt Recreation ARTS.