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BIO

Kenneth Craig Pruitt (b. 1949, United States) is a contemporary painter working in acrylics and oils. His work often extends beyond the canvas as he explores the history of his subject. Observation includes a thorough examination by delving into inner workings and analyzing how form and concept relate. Pruitt earned an M.F.A. in Painting from The Savannah College of Art and Design,  an M.A. in Studio Art from Texas A & M University – Commerce, and a B.A. in art from The University of Arkansas at Little Rock. His first juried exhibition was in 1969 in the 12th Annual Arkansas Festival of Art. Currently residing in Allen, Texas, Pruitt has participated in multiple group exhibitions at the VALA Gallery in McKinney, Texas, the Wathena Temple Gallery and University Gallery in Commerce, Texas as well as Patty Granville Arts Center, in Garland, Texas. Pruitt teaches critical thinking skills through visual art. He has taught  at Grayson College and secondary school students. Pruitt's most recent solo exhibition was at the 517 Gallery in Denison, Texas in the spring of 2023. He is scheduled to exhibit at the Collin College Technology Center in the fall of 2023.

 

ARTIST STATEMENT 

The most recent  work is focused It focuses on personal memories and includes visual interpretations related to stories as remembered. The investigation into memory began with the passing of a parent followed by an unimaginable pandemic, and the acquisition of a rare piece of automotive history. As memory is guided by triggers and is not linear as found on a timeline, the work is structured in a random, non-sequential order. The elements that make up his work provides an almost infinite list from which the work is derived. The goal is to preserve memories for future generations. Telling stories of history has become the artist's platform to prepare others for the future.

CV

Kenneth Craig Pruitt is an artist, educator, student, and lifelong learner. He is a contemporary painter working in acrylics and oils. His work often extends beyond the canvas as he explores the history of his subject. Observation  includes a thorough examination by delving into inner workings and analyzing how form and concept relate.

 

Education

 

        2023   M.F.A. Painting, Savanah College of Art and Design

        2019   M.A. Studio Art, Texas A&M University, Commerce

        1973   B.A. Art (major/minor), University of Arkansas at Little Rock

 

Exhibitions

 

     2023    Summertime Nostalgia, VALA Gallery, McKinney Texas

                     Remembrance Solo Exhibition, 517 Gallery, Denison, Texas

                     Glorious Greens

VALA Gallery, McKinney Texas

     2022-23     The Year in Art, VALA Gallery, McKinney Texas

     2018    Side Effects, University Gallery, Texas A&M University Commerce, Texas

                     Process to Progress, Wathena Temple Gallery, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas

                     Work in Process, Wathena Temple Gallery, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas

                     Party of Nine, Online / Wathena Temple Gallery, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas

      2017     Faculty Art Show, The Granville Art Center, Garland, Texas

                      Arbiters of Taste, University Gallery, Texas A&M University Commerce, Texas

      2016      Faculty Art Show, The Granville Art Center, Garland, Texas

      2015      Annual Faculty Art Show, The Granville Art Center, Garland, Texas

      2014      Annual Faculty Art Show, The Granville Art Center, Garland, Texas

 

Curatorial

 

     2013   International Festival of Arts, Curtis Culwell Center, Garland, Texas

 

Artist Talk

     2023 Remembrance

 

     2018   Final Presentation of the Dossier, A Work in Progress

                Topic: Out of the Darkness; Proof

 

Workshop Presenter

 

     2015   Annual Texas Art Education Fall Conference

                Topic: Mosaics Made Easy

 

Research

​

       2022-23  Thesis, "Remembrance"  investigates the relationship of memory, forgetting, and remembering

 

     2019   Misguided Perception

                    Investigates the relationship between discouragement in cognitive development and lack of artistic creativity.

 

                    A Journey Through Time

                    Focus on art and artists derived from descendants of the African Diaspora.

 

Association Memberships

 

          Texas Art Education Association

 

Additional Experience

         

            Adjunct Professor

            Co-teacher College intern with two different professors.

            Secondary School Art Educator 12 years

            Major Automobile Manufacturer  31 years

            Military Air National Guard 10 years

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