The exhibit of contemporary artwork by artist C.M. ‘Kit’ Kakassy opens Friday, September 6, at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History, 131 W. Main St., in Dallas, NC.

“We are so honored to present “C.M. Kakassy: A Retrospective” at the Museum through the end of the year,” said Alexandrea Pizza, the Museum’s Executive Director. “Mrs. Kakassy has been at the forefront of arts in Gaston County and the region for decades, and for good reason.

“As an abstract artist, her works are brave and experimental, but exemplify the mastery of true artistic talent. Her paintings are bold and energetic, with atmospheric compositions that explode in seemingly three-dimensional forms on canvas. She aims to challenge the viewer, and succeeds through plays on color, dynamic displays of light and shadow, and multiple mediums that push the boundaries and create connections in her viewers.

“This exhibit,” Mrs. Pizza said, “is a must see.”

“I came to the United States from France with my parents in 1938,” said Mrs. Kakassy. “Although I was raised in an academic and artistic environment, my interest in art did not manifest itself until the 1950s. Those early influences led me to enroll in the North Shore Art League in Winnetka, Illinois, where I studied with Rudolph Penn, Abbot Pattison, and Gordon Simon.

“After moving to Gastonia in 1966, I continued my studies at Gaston College with Frank Creech, Dexter Benedict, John Merritt, and Pam Norcross. Spirit Square in Charlotte offered many opportunities for growth and development and my work has been exhibited extensively in galleries and museums throughout the Carolinas.”

Mrs. Kakassy began her artistic journey with printmaking, specifically intaglio prints, which use the negative space of the carved lines to create imagery. She soon took up photography and paintings —both small scale and large.

“I aspire to create vibrant and provocative images that offer a wide range of interpretation: images that challenge, intrigue, and stimulate a response to the work from the viewer’s own frame of reference,” she said. “How the observer interprets the art becomes the person’s reality. My objective is to excite the eye in a visual experience using abstract shapes, colors, marks, and texture to create an aesthetic composition. The aim is always to push the experimental edge.”

For more information call 704-922-7681, email Gaston.musuem@gastongov.com or visit www.gastoncountymuseum.com