Nazareth College Art Professor Earns Invite to International Florence Biennale

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ROCHESTER, NY (11/30/2011)(readMedia)-- Nazareth College's Kathy Calderwood, assistant professor of art, has been invited to attend the international Florence Biennale of Contemporary Art at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy, from December 3-11, 2011.

This renowned juried exhibition takes place every two years and is supported by the United Nations with more than 600 artists representing close to 70 countries. Calderwood will exhibit three paintings in the Biennale. For more information, visit www.florencebiennale.org.

This is Italy's first exposure to Calderwood's archetypal images, which have been previously exhibited in 27 states, seven European countries, and Japan. "I'm thrilled to be invited," said Calderwood, who believes she earned an invitation after Saatchi & Saatchi noticed her work from her recent book, Archetypes, The Art of Kathy Calderwood. "The Biennale is featuring some big names such as Gilbert & George and Christo, so I am very happy to be able to participate," Calderwood said. Nazareth College is sponsoring her trip.

The Florence Biennale was founded in 1997 as a global convocation of artists with all their diversity. By the late 1990s, contemporary art was at a cross road. Suddenly it was obvious that art was alive, thriving, and as varied as humanity. A committee of Italian artists and curators proposed a biennial where talented and recognized artists could exhibit their latest work. The risks were enormous: there had never been a show on this scale with a direct connection between artists' studios and the exhibition walls. The evaluation of unfiltered results would be assigned to an International Jury. In 1997, with hardly any publicity, the invitations were sent. The response was impressive: 317 artists from 17 different countries. This year's Biennale builds on those numbers and broadens its horizons.

Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is located on a close-knit, suburban campus in the dynamic, metropolitan region of Rochester, N.Y. The College offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. Nazareth's strong cultures of service and community prepare students to be successful professionals and engaged citizens. The College enrolls approximately 2,000 undergraduate students and 1,000 graduate students.