Cutters' Kathryn Hempel Launches 'Make Art. Make Peace' Exhibition

Kathryn Hempel, partner and editor at Cutters Studios, is happy to announce the opening of her KH365 art exhibition, featuring the original paintings she created every day throughout the course of 2013.  All 365 pieces are now displayed in the lobby of Cutters Studios' global headquarters at 515 N. State Street, where the exhibition will remain open to the public through November 13.  Many pieces are available for sale, as are two books (one with all 365 of Hempel's works and another with selected pieces), with a portion of the art show proceeds  going toward art supplies for local charities and benefiting the Oak Park School of Rock Scholarship Fund and Paws Chicago.

An accomplished documentary filmmaker and fine artist, Kathryn is the editor behind numerous award-winning commercial campaigns.  Earlier this year she edited the sensational global #LikeaGirl spot for Procter & Gamble's Always brand that is now approaching 50 million hits on YouTube.  Produced by Leo Burnett Worldwide and directed by Chelsea Pictures' filmmaker Lauren Greenfield, the ad recently earned the Grand CLIO Award and more top honors at the 55th Annual CLIO Awards Ceremony.  Kathryn is also widely known as the creator and founder of AICE's Camp Kuleshov competition, an annual festival that has been honoring assistant editors across America since 2001.

"I happened to make a piece of art on January 1, 2013, and posted it on Facebook... and I received some nice replies from friends," the artist explained.  "The next day was a holiday, so I thought maybe I'd make another one.  It didn't occur to me at the beginning to make a piece every day but it soon came to the point where I said to my husband that even if I'm on my deathbed this year, put a pencil in my hand because I'm doing one."

Entitled "KH365:  Make Art.  Make Peace.  Three Hundred Sixty Five Days of Art," the exhibit is filled with bright and colorful pieces ranging from the experimental to familiar Chicago scenes of the city, its neighborhoods, the suburbs and vacation spots in Wisconsin, for a few examples.

"I wish we all could make art more often," she continued. "For me it brings inner peace. I feel that if we could all make more art, the world would be a more peaceful place.  Creating, making things, working with your hands, it also helps you pay attention.  When you're doing a project like this you're always looking for inspiration."