By J, JTNews Correspondent
Olympia artist Diane Kurzyna reacts to the world around her by creating art out of ordinary household junk.
Her current exhibit, “White Trash Wedding Redux,” is on display at Seattle Pacific University through March 7. It is Kurzyna’s first one-person show in Seattle.
The art in her exhibit focuses on a Jewish wedding, inspired by Kurzyna’s own wedding. She hopes to eventually expand on the theme of Jewish lifecycles with her art. “I’m interested in exploring more Jewish themes,” she says.
An active member of the Jewish community, Kurzyna started volunteering in 1995 at Temple Beth Hatfiloh’s religious school in Olympia, teaching various art projects, including Noah’s Ark animals made from recycled materials, bees for the sukkah made from film canisters, and of course, wedding art.
Recently, she made an artistic tree for Tu B’shevat with 6-8th graders at Temple Beth El in Tacoma. She has also volunteered at Temple Beth Am, Sephardic Bikur Cholim and the Northend Jewish Community Center.
As a child in New Jersey, Kurzyna grew up with recycling. “Reduce, re-use and recycle is a real important thing and my art has that message,” she says. “It’s what’s all around me.”
“I have always been attracted to junk and art,” says Kurzyna. “It’s been an ongoing interest.” Her earliest memory of combining the two is from when she was seven years old and took Saturday art classes at the Newark Museum, where she used bottle caps and scrap wood among other things to create a cityscape. As a high school student, she used frozen juice concentrate cans, plastic cafeteria cutlery, burnt out light bulbs, wire and other odd materials to create human forms.
Kurzyna’s first solo exhibit of recycled artwork, “White Trash Wedding,” was at The Evergreen State College Gallery in April 2002. Her current exhibit incorporates some of the same elements of the first “White Trash Wedding” show, while introducing new ideas and pieces.
The “white” in “White Trash Wedding Redux,” refers to the color of the actual trash Kurzyna used to create the bride, made from a white lampshade, white foam wrap, a white plastic bag, white plastic netting, white cord and Red Rose tea bags, which are —surprise, surprise — mostly white. “I think about color a lot with the junk,” she says.
The wedding guests on display at the exhibit are made from colorful candy wrappers.
She pays close attention to detail in her art. “The longer you look, the more you’re rewarded,” says Kurzyna.
Kurzyna has a BFA from the University of Washington (‘89) and a BS from Rutgers (‘81). She is a current Washington State Arts Commission artist-in-residence, as well as an active member of Arts Olympia, Thurston County Master Recycler volunteers and a founding member of ODD (Olympia Dumpster Divers).
Kurzyna lives in Olympia with her husband, two sons and a cat. Her sons, ages 9 and 13, are also very artistic. “They’re both real talented and creative,” says Kurzyna.
In addition to “White Trash Wedding Redux,” Kurzyna will lead a workshop on March 15 called “Curious Creatures” at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, inspired by Seattle’s “Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe.” Kurzyna will also have some of her artwork on display at Olympia’s Art Walk in April.
“Right now, I really want people to see my stuff,” she says.
“White Trash Wedding Redux,” a mixed recycled media exhibit by Diane Kurzyna, will be at Seattle Pacific University’s Art Center Gallery through March 7. The artist’s reception is Feb. 23, from 2-4 p.m. The gallery is located at 3 W. Cremona St., corner of Queen Anne Ave. N. and W. Nickerson St., Seattle. Regular gallery hours are Mon.-Fri. from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 206-281-20