Artist Reception: Saw Kennedy and Burmese Artists

The Albert Lea Art Center's latest exhibit features artwork by Saw Kennedy along with pieces by a group of artists from Burma, with an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 19. Originally from Burma, Kennedy learned art from his older brothers, had his first show in 1996, and left Burma in 2000, citing limits on freedom of expression. He lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for seven years before moving to the United States in 2008, and settled in Albert Lea last year. His work is mainly charcoal drawing, sometimes combined with watercolor, acrylics, chalk pastels or oil pastels, and he often uses portraiture and landscape to share Burmese culture across generations. The exhibit is on display through July 10.