A vibrant review of the international career and passionate spirit of a longtime Twin Cities artist

The prolific artistic production of Vesna Kittelson always maintains autobiographical connections: her installations of deconstructed books and her luminous drawings of fountains recall her childhood in Split, Croatia; her early color field paintings represent people and places she remembers; her war paintings portray the tragedy and emotion experienced in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as her reactions to the 9/11 attack in the United States; the brilliant botanical watercolors in her artist’s books result from her research on Charles and Emma Darwin; and her dynamic cutout portraits of her students reveal bonds with fellow artists and immigrants of a later generation. A vital participant in the Minneapolis arts community for decades, Kittelson demonstrates her strong passion for creativity through her ever-evolving practice and extensive international career.

Contributors: Heather Carroll, Minnesota History Museum; Wendy Fernstrum; Joanna Inglot, Macalester College; Lyndel King, Weisman Art Museum; Camille LeFevre; John Lyon, Walker Art Center; Kerry A. Morgan, Minnesota College of Art and Design; Marcia Reed, Getty Research Institute; Susannah Schouweiler, Weisman Art Museum.

Vesna Kittelson was a member of the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) and a founder of the Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art in Minneapolis. She taught at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design for many years.