ATLANTA, GA.- The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia announces the opening of Kevin Cole: Straight From The Soul, 25 Years In The Making. The exhibition, curated by Dr. Julie McGee, takes place in two venues: MOCA GA from May 18 – July 28 and Southwest Arts Center (Southwest) from May 19 – July 28. There will be an Artist Talk by Cole at MOCA GA on Tuesday, June 26 at 7:00 p.m. with a reception beforehand beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Artist Talk is free to the public. MOCA GA will hold a closing reception for Cole’s exhibition during the National Black Arts Festival on Friday, July, 13 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The MOCA GA portion of the exhibition focuses on Cole’s work from 2006 to the present; Southwest is exhibiting earlier works.

“STRAIGHT FROM THE SOUL” EXHIBITION
“Much of my work has dealt with the necktie as a symbol. My grandfather told me that African-Americans were lynched by their neckties on their way to vote. That left a profound impression on me,” the artist, Kevin Cole, states. “Since 1992, my work has evolved to include the relationship between color and music, especially music as it relates to the African-American community.”

“Cole’s scripture—Southern, black, American, and Christian—informs his aesthetics; its meaning is rendered in visual form,” states curator Julie L. McGee. “While there are many more things to convey about Cole’s work, one thing that clearly resonates in Straight from the Soul is the artist’s resolve to render his community and scripture as beauty—as art.”

“MOCA GA’s exhibition looks at the later years of an important local artist,” states MOCA GA Director, Annette Cone-Skelton. “Kevin Cole continues to explore themes important to the African-American community and pays homage to black universities and institutions in this exhibition, represented here by approximately 20 works of art.”

KEVIN COLE
Kevin Cole is a nationally known artist who has lived in the Atlanta area for almost 30 years. His artwork is in museum, corporate and private collections, in addition to numerous public art commissions. He has been honored for his work as a high school teacher by the Georgia Art Education Association, the National Art Education Association and named one of the outstanding teachers in Georgia by WXIA 11 Alive. Cole received his BS in Art Education from University of Arkansas, his MA in Art Education and Painting from the University of Illinois, and his MFA in Drawing from Northern Illinois University. He is currently chairperson of the Fine Arts Department at Westlake High School in Atlanta as well as an Art Consultant at the Savannah College of Art & Design, Atlanta.