August 26 – December 6, 2026
About:
Known for his bright orbs of color, Washington Color School artist Kenneth V. Young (1933-2017) experimented with several painting techniques throughout his career. Cosmic Harmonies: Kenneth V. Young focuses on three major styles dominating Young’s canvases between the 1960s and 1970s, and introduces the ways Young’s interest in philosophical concepts of cosmic harmony shaped these disparate approaches to abstraction. By centering the artist’s curiosity in the interconnectedness of nature, cosmos, and music, this solo exhibition offers new insights on the artist’s creative process. Working in conversation with the artist’s daughter, Cosmic Harmonies: Kenneth V. Young pulls together rarely exhibited works, archival images, and new research inspired by the curator’s oral history project “Painting a Legacy: Louisville’s African American artistic community, 1950s-1970s” preserved at the University of Louisville Oral History Center.
Kenneth V. Young’s artistic legacy is represented in public collections across the United States including the Birmingham Museum of Art; The Columbus Museum; Delaware Art Museum; Fisk University; Horseman Foundation; National Gallery of Art; Pérez Art Museum; Smithsonian American Art Museum; Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Thoma Foundation, and University of Louisville.
Image credit: Image of Kenneth V. Young in his studio c.1970. Courtesy of the artist’s daughter.
Related Events:
One Way to Paint a Legacy: Curating an Exhibition on Kenneth V. Young with Sarah Battle
Thursday, September 10, 6 p.m.
301 Gallery Theatre, Elaine Langone Center, Top Floor
Before 2019, very little scholarship had been published on the DC- based color field painter, Kenneth V. Young. Guest curator Sarah Battle walks through her seven year journey researching this historically overlooked artist, emphasizing the importance of archival research and oral histories on her curatorial practice.
Cosmic Harmonies: Kenneth V. Young Exhibition Opening Reception
Thursday, September 10, 7 p.m.
Samek Art Museum, Elaine Langone Center, Top Floor
Join us for the opening reception of Cosmic Harmonies: Kenneth V. Young, a solo exhibition exploring the artistic evolution of Washington Color School painter Kenneth V. Young (1933–2017). Featuring works from three major phases of the artist’s career, the exhibition examines how Young’s interest in the interconnectedness of nature, the cosmos, and music shaped his distinctive approach to abstraction. Light refreshments will be provided.
Curatorial Text:
More information coming soon!
Installation Images:
Not yet available.