Abbe Kalman
People are often asked how old they were when they decided their future endeavor, their passion for one of the arts. It often happens during an interview with stars, those that are known for their talent on stage or screen. Most people who were smitten with acting, music, art, or dance were smitten at an early age. It came with the territory, a built-in desire. I am no exception. By the age of 10 I knew just what I wanted to do and be. I wanted to be an artist. Not just any kind of artist.
I wanted to be a collagist! What was the impetus for that decision? At that young age, one of my collages was chosen for a children’s show in honor of the building of Lincoln Center in New York City. That first award told me that I could be successful at what I loved to create.
After a long hiatus, school, college, marriage, raising a family I finally found time to devote to my passion, painting! In the early 90’s I began entering gallery shows in the New Jersey, New York area. I won my first gallery award at the Chestnut Ridge New York Art Show and was given my first solo exhibit. This led to many juried exhibitions in the North. My work was displayed at the John Harms Art Center, The Sidney Rothman Gallery, The Nathan’s Gallery, Custom Touch, and Gallerie 32 in New Jersey. I also started displaying my work at art festivals. Showing my work at the Greenwich Village Art Show was a dream come true, as I remember walking through the show as a teenager and thinking “someday I will be here”. I also participated in the Scituate, RI , Westport, CT, Manayunk, PA, along with many others, in the North.
After moving to Florida in the late 90’s I showed my work at the various street festivals including, Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Jupiter, and Stuart, just to mention a few. My art has been juried and exhibited at the Armory Art Center, Coral Springs Art Museum, Lighthouse Center for the Arts, JCC Schuman Gallery, Bailey’s Contemporary Arts Center, and the Southside Cultural Arts Center, amongst others. Mountain Mist Gallery in Cashiers, NC is currently showing my work. I continue to enter juried exhibits in the South Florida area and am on the Board of Directors of Women in the Visual Arts.
“Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.” ~ Paul Klee
