Area artist presents one-woman show at hospital
Kelly Aboulkacem’s one-woman art show is currently being exhibited at Wooster Community Hospital.
Going to see an art show may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Wooster Community Hospital, yet that is exactly the place to see the Kelly Aboulkacem’s one-woman show.
Through a connection with the Wayne Arts Group Effort, Aboulkacem’s name was shared with the hospital’s director of development, Angela Rincon. The artist was asked to share samples of what she might present, and her work was approved. In return for the opportunity to display her work, Aboulkacem will donate one piece from the show to the hospital’s permanent collection.
An experienced multi-media artist, graphic designer and photographer, this is Aboulkacem’s first solo show.
“This show was inspired by my love of nature,” she said. “Nature is a big part of my life. I was always hiking and taking pictures while out. I have used my photographs a lot in my painting.”
Ever since she was a child, Aboulkacem has been creating art with all sorts of materials. She would make furniture for her dolls, and by high school she started doing paintings on commission. Her creative passion has followed her into adulthood.
One of her favorite projects was a mud frog oven she created at the Crown Point Ecology Center in Akron. “I’d never worked in mud before,” she said. “Now it’s a landmark for the area.”
Thirty volunteers helped with the construction, and the oven was featured in a natural building magazine.
Among her eclectic projects, Aboulkacem designed her living room curtains and built a 30-foot couch out of reclaimed wood.
“Some of the other things I’ve done include airbrushing, glass bead making, stained glass windows and ceramics,” she said. “My personal style is influenced by past experiences, travels, and love for science and our environment.”
Art has often been a source of therapy of sorts for Aboulkacem. “I suffer from fibromyalgia and don’t get to spend as much time outside as I would like,” she said. “So my paintings are like therapy keeping me close to nature.”
She explained that fibromyalgia is linked to emotions and that painting provided a lot of relief from depression after her father died.
Creating a gallery space at the hospital is the brainchild of Rincon. She said the hospital wanted to add art to the walls, and it was challenging to raise money to purchase art.
“It dawned on me,” she said, “(that) one of my priorities was to bring the community in. The idea started to grow that if we could feature talented local artists and ask them to donate one piece of art to the hospital’s permanent collection, it would be a win-win. We get the art, and they get a show.”
The hospital’s artist exhibitions program launched in 2019 and has featured the work of many area artists. Exhibits typically are on display for eight weeks with one week in between to prepare the new show.
Artists who live in the area or have a strong connection to the area and are interested in showcasing their nonpolitically themed art are invited to email Rincon to learn more about Wooster Community Hospital’s Artist Exhibition program at arincon@wchosp.org.
When visiting Aboulkacem’s show, community members also are invited to take a stroll down the hallway connecting the new pavilion to the older hospital building. The hospital has partnered with Wayne Center for the Arts to use this space to showcase area student artwork.
Aboulkacem’s one-woman show will be on display at Wooster Community Hospital’s outpatient pavilion, on the first floor, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 2. COVID restrictions prevented an opening reception.
“Kelly is a gifted artist,” Rincon said. “And her work is honest and fun. Her use of vibrant colors can really get your imagination going.”
“Through both realism and the abstract, I aim to take the viewer into a bright, colorful utopia where their imagination — and a little whimsy — can take over,” Aboulkacem said. “This collection has been curated to demonstrate the wonders of this earth for which we can be thankful.”
The hospital show consists of 21 pieces, primarily acrylic on canvas with a few mixed media pieces. They include animals and beach themes. Most of the paintings are for sale by emailing the artist at BlackCherryMind@yahoo.com or texting or leaving a voice mail at 330-466-8382. Prints of everything in the show are available online at www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/kelly-aboulkacem/shop.
Find the artist online at www.BlackCherryMind.com, www.facebook.com/Black.cherry.mind.studios and on TikTok @blackcherrymind.
Aboulkacem’s business, Black Cherry Mind Studios, provides a variety of graphic design and photography services.