TALLAHASSEE, FL – Secretary of State Glenda E. Hood announced today an exhibition of paintings by Hollywood artist Kate Kretz entitled “A Kind of Hope” on display at the Old Capitol Gallery through July 1, 2004.

“The Department of State is pleased to provide Florida artists with the opportunity to exhibit their works at the Old Capitol Gallery,” said Secretary Hood. “This particular exhibition space exposes viewers to a dynamic range of innovative, cutting-edge artworks like the intriguing paintings of Kate Kretz.”

Kate Kretz’s figurative paintings address issues of feminism, loss, and disillusionment. “The questions posed in my paintings mark stages of awakening and loss when faced with the dissolution of an all-encompassing, quixotic belief system,” states Kretz. “Night often provides the backdrop for these moments of heightened awareness. Taken out of the context of our daily life, truths come forward unbidden through the subconscious voice of dreams or lucid realizations while staring at the ceiling.”

Since 1995, Kate Kretz has served as an Assistant Professor at the Visual Arts Department of the Florida International University in Miami. She has participated in numerous solo and group shows and her works are included in several museum and private collections. She holds a BFA from the Binghamton University in New York and an MFA from the University of Georgia.

The Old Capitol Gallery is located in the Capitol Complex in the Lower Level Rotunda of the Old Capitol. Hours are Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:00 noon to 4:30 p.m. For further information, contact Sandy Shaughnessy at the Division of Cultural Affairs at (850) 245-6480 or visit: www.Florida-Arts.org.

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