University Galleries will showcase American Masters from the Kattner Family Collection from 5-7 p.m. Friday, August 25. The event, which will take place in room 103 of University Galleries, is free and open to the public.

The exhibition will stage eight works of art chosen from the Kattner Family Collection. The work illustrates some important movements and styles in American art between 1891 and 1945, comprising Impressionism, Symbolism, Regionalism, and the group known as The Eight.” Among the genres included are landscape, still life, portraiture, the nude, and even figures at the shore.

Keith and Nita Kattner began acquiring art in the 1990s and have since amassed an impressive collection of paintings and drawings by prominent 19th and 20th century American artists. Keith, who currently works as an artist, is an Illinois State University alumnus and former neurosurgeon. He developed his love for art at the tender age of 10 while viewing paintings by Grant Wood, Robert Henri, and other American artists at the Joselyn Museum of Art in Omaha, Nebraska. This experience, coupled with his passion for U.S. history, fueled his ongoing, intensive study of American paintings. The couple wishes to view their work in a warm domestic setting.

American Masters from the Kattner Family Collection offers the local community an opportunity to view exceptional paintings by artists whose work can otherwise be seen only in museums in larger cities. The exhibition has been made possible by the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee. Programs at University Galleries are supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. The exhibition reception is co-sponsored by Hyatt Place, Bloomington-Normal.

If you need special accommodation or additional information, contact University Galleries at (309) 438-5487 or email.