Historical November 1997 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Bill Kohn has resided in the Skinker DeBaliviere neighborhood for 28 years.
He was a professor of art at Washington University and always a practicing painter. Twenty-four years ago he purchased a building at Four Corners (Kingsbury and DesPeres) that he continues to use as a studio.
In this span of time, his reputation has grown.
A connoisseur of the arts suggested I visit his new exhibit at the Elliot Smith Gallery in the Central West End to see what she called a breathtaking progression of his work.
On October 22, I met Kohn at the gallery and was amazed at the beauty of his new work.
He had visited Peru and journeyed to the ancient capital of the Incas, Machu Picchu.
These ruins of a great civilization provided ample opportunity for Kohn to combine sun, shadow, and stone in a series of remarkable paintings. Kohn noted that he had painted acrylics while in Peru and then the large acrylic works here. Kohn’s work is shown in concert with photographs of Machu Picchu taken from the air by Randall Hyman. Opening night of the exhibit included a multidimensional performance featuring the paintings, photographs, and music of Rich O’Donnell.
All three artists visited the ruins together and assembled a multimedia experience that will be repeated on December 8 in the Art Loft building on Washington Blvd., from 7-9pm.
This performance will be sponsored by Art St. Louis. Kohn has traveled to many locales to pursue his muse.
He married his wife Pat 36 years ago.
They saved money for a year and a half and then took off around the world for 18 months.
It cost them about $9 a day. Many people they met were very nice to them and gave them lodging.
During his academic career, he was fortunate to be able to take periodic sabbaticals and he has visited and painted in Spain. Mexico, and India.
His most recent exhibit prior to his one was entitled “Sous les Ponts de Paris”—a depiction of Paris’s many bridges with sun reflected brightly on stone contrasted by the blues and greens of the Seine. Kohn is planning a trip to Egypt soon where he may well paint that nation’s many famous ruins from the era of the pharaohs He also plans to go on to visit India again.
He mentioned the fortress city of Rajistan, which rises up out of the dessert and where the most colorful cloth is made. Kohn grew up in University City. Since living in Skinker DeBaliviere he has been involved in the neighborhood arts activities.
He also participated in St. Louis Editions, a marketing program developed in support of the visual arts community in St. Louis that featured the works of sixteen artists.
In 1981, Kohn’s work graced a limited edition print that received the Mayor’s Award for the Arts.
In 1982, Kohn won a poster competition held by City Sights. Kohn’s design featured slices of city views within bold letterforms spelling out St. Louis.
The poster was distributed nationwide. Kohn has had a strong presence in the St. Louis art world and he has been a continuing supporter of the arts scene here.
He has chosen to remain in St. Louis even as his fame has grown.
He loves the city and our neighborhood. “It’s where I’ve been by choice. It’s a marvelous location.
I use the park every day. It’s close to the museum and the university.” Interestingly, Kohn’s wife Pat was a founder of The Paper, which later turned into the Times that you are reading. Kohn’s new exhibit is well worth seeing.
The vivid color and the perspective capture one’s attention immediately.
The exhibit will be at the Elliot Smith Gallery until November 30.
The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am until 5:30pm and on Sundays from noon to 5pm.
There is no charge to see the exhibit.
Original photograph caption
Principal Temple and Intiwatana Hill,Acrylic on Canvas,1997,62inches by68inches. Artwork by Bill Kohn;reproduction photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November 1997.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1997_11.pdf, printed page(s) 1; PDF page(s) 1.
