Jen-Ann Kirchmeier, a life-long artist, has spent the last 18 years living and painting in bush Alaska. Her new exhibition “A Sense of Place” offers a retrospective look at the paintings of this noted Cordova artist as seen through the artist’s reflections upon her travels and the remarkable people and places of Prince William Sound and beyond.

The exhibit began as a series of portraiture featuring elders and interesting personalities from around the Sound, including Cordova, Valdez, and the many bays and inlets found in remote locations of the Southcentral Alaska coastal area. An exhibit over three years in the making, Kirchmeier suffered a setback when her Cordova apartment caught fire about two years ago, resulting in the artist salvaging existing works and rebuilding the remainder of her portfolio. Ms. Kirchmeier has since expanded her oeuvre as an exploration of all that she finds fascinating about life in this region, combining her sensitive portraits with bold landscapes.

Kirchmeier states: “There are portraits coming into this show, but some of the places, the buildings and the history also have great meaning for me, as I consider it to be a retrospective of my time here in Alaska. My intention is to capture the spirit or essence of a theme through the medium of painting. As a form of communication, painting is a sophisticated language, capable of evoking powerful emotion and memories. I am compelled to paint when a feeling washes over me in such a way that the feelings speak in the form of colors, shapes and textures. My truest, most honest paintings come through me in the forms of energy which evolves into a complex image in my imagination. Painting is a life-long, endless adventure of looking, learning and evolving perceptions. It is my desire to uplift and inspire others through the work that flows through my brushes and to paint and explore for the rest of my life.”

All of Ms. Kirchmeier’s paintings are available for purchase through the museum. Shop the current exhibit!