The Weight of Light
Leon Jones and Mark Cowardin
Sept. 17th – Nov. 13th
Opening Reception: Thursday September 17th, 5-7 PM
The UMKC Gallery of Art is pleased to present The Weight of Light, a collaborative exhibition by Kansas City based artists Leon Jones and Mark Cowardin. This two-person show merges their distinct concepts, techniques, and materials to critique current American socioeconomic and environmental realities. The exhibition explores the systemic economic failures and the human cost of unchecked wealth, illustrating the slow-motion collapse of opulence and its impacts on the rest of us. This inaugural exhibition also debuts the newly renovated gallery, now a premier space transformed to enhance the visitor experience.
Leon Jones is a multimedia artist whose work delves into the intricate nature of humanity, while also challenging conventional notions of practicality and functionality. With a keen focus on celebrating the significant cultural contributions of Black Americans to the history of the United States, Jones’ work is a testament to the richness and diversity of American culture. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Jones earned his MFA in Visual Arts from the Studio Arts College International (SACI) in Florence, Italy in 2017, and his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2013.
Mark Cowardin is a father, husband, artist, and educator. Mark’s sculptural work examines the complicated, sometimes troubling, and always compelling intersection between humans and the natural world. Much of his work begins with the observation of the absurd, illuminating the extreme beauty that ironically exists in some of humankind’s most damaging examples of consumption. At the core of his research is a keen awareness of a personal connection to the delicate environment in which we all inhabit. Mark Cowardin received an MFA in sculpture from the University of Arizona in 2001, and a BFA from the University of Kansas in 1998.