Monthaven Art and Cultural Center

Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center
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Mark Kostabi

Monthaven

Mark Kostabi in Venice

City of Enchantment

City of Enchantment featured 41 paintings and drawings by the internationally recognized artist Mark Kostabi, who was one of the key players in New York’s East Village Scene during the 1980s. The exhibition focused on imagery inspired by the artist’s frequent visits to Venice, Italy, a place overflowing, in Kostabi’s words, with “mystery and sheer beauty.”

As a young artist, Kostabi took his cues from Andy Warhol, whose “Factory” was a prototype for making art according to a business model. Early on, Kostabi developed a practice of employing a team of creative thinkers and skilled technicians to assist him in the production of his art. Kostabi soon established his own style or “brand,” which consists of faceless figures who engage in allegorical or metaphorical narratives.

In this exhibition, Kostabi’s anonymous figures are in Venice, Italy, where they are placed in situations that invite viewers to reflect on a wide range of topics, including art history, music, love and romance, dreams, spirituality, and the endangered environment. Executed mostly in bright and sometimes psychedelic colors, Kostabi’s paintings possess an aesthetic sensibility that reflects the high-tech domination of the 21st century.

Learn More About Mark kostabi

Kaylin Warden

External Affairs Coordinator

Kaylin Warden joined the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center staff in 2024 as External Affairs Coordinator. In this post, she organizes special off-site events and manages the organization’s external communications. She also works with the development department by updating the MACC’s customer relations database, and she assists the executive director in setting up exhibitions. Above all else, Kaylin is passionate about the arts. It comes as no surprise, then, that she is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history. When she’s not at the MACC, you can find her reading her favorite books (especially ones dealing with maritime mysteries), cooking, gardening, playing with her cat and two dogs, and cheering for the Nashville Predators.

Ruth Chase

Regional Arts Director
Ruth Chase is the Regional Arts Director of Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, joining the team in 2023. For Ruth, the job is all about community, bringing people together to uplift and educate artists and art lovers alike. Her role at Monthaven is to strengthen the local artist community and build connections that will enrich Hendersonville and our surrounding communities through art exhibitions, art education, and opportunities for regional artists.
 
Prior to joining Monthaven, Ruth worked in the arts for over 30 years and is a multimedia artist and graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artistic practice is inquiry-based and engages in community bridge-building. She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, curated and juried exhibitions, and has taught at the Crocker Art Museum.
 
Ruth was awarded an Artist-in-Residence for Artist Activating Communities through a grant from the California Arts Council for three consecutive years. Her film Belonging screened at both the 18th Annual Nevada City Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Film Festival. She has received the Legendary Female Artist of Venice award, and she has exhibited in The Crocker Kingsley, the Museum of Northern California Art, and the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute. Ruth also continues her work as a Curatorial Consultant and Art director for the Californian Indigenous Research Project, where she has worked with the local tribe since 2018.