Career and Expression
Kevin has had a career over 38 years including merchandising, visual display, business management, information technologies, exhibit design, fabrication, and managing creative direction. The majority of his work experience was concerned with aesthetics, design, and mid-level management. Through this time, his consistent passion was fine art and interior design. How a person felt in their surroundings and the impact of art and personal expression within a space fascinated him.
Holding Court
While raising their son and holding down careers, he and his wife Molly opened a small art gallery in Skaneateles, New York, in 2005, which they ran in their off-hours and on weekends. They had weekly art openings that grew to include well known artists. His patrons and artists would gather on Saturday evenings to offer the chance for the collectors to meet the artists, discuss their collections, have cocktails, and purchase art. As the evening's events wound down, there were always a few remaining clients, collectors, and artists who hung out and migrated to the patio with Kevin and Molly to pop open a remaining bottle of wine, settle in, tell jokes, and talk about art late into the night. It came to be known among the regulars as "holding court." The gallery and openings grew into a larger project in a short time and began drawing focus away from raising their son who was beginning to prepare for college as well as their careers so, in 2008 Kevin and Molly decided to close the gallery. However, those memories and friendships remain to this day.
His Personal Passion Grew
The rewards he got from connection, art, and interior design grew. In his personal life, he continued to collect, and practice art. A small corner with an easel and a paper plate with blobs of acrylics, turned into the dining room table stacked with art supplies (Molly loved that), which turned into the basement being taken over, and so on. One evening in 2020, he decided to post a large number of his works on a social media platform for feedback, with no intention of selling them, and sold nearly every single piece over the next three weeks! It was clear that there was a need for meaningful, expressive, and hand painted artwork. The feeling of connecting people through art inspired him immensely. Being able to create something that gave someone joy meant that this was to be more than a personal hobby.
Starting KevinLucasArt.com
In November of 2021, he left a 21 year career as the Director of Information Technologies and Innovation at a mid-sized science and technology museum, and started a business marketing his artwork online as a full-time career. This new project would become KevinLucasArt.com
He now runs a full-time studio from the home he and Molly recently purchased in Syracuse, New York and devotes his time to his friendships, his family, running KevinLucasArt.com, and of course, painting.
Who knows? Maybe they will be holding court again some day soon! Got any plans Saturday night?