Kailua-Kona artist Vicki Penney Rohner is exhibiting her work in two national shows — the Pastel Society of Colorado’s eighth annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition and Sale and the Degas Pastel Society of New Orleans’ 14th biennial National Exhibition.
Kailua-Kona artist Vicki Penney Rohner is exhibiting her work in two national shows — the Pastel Society of Colorado’s eighth annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition and Sale and the Degas Pastel Society of New Orleans’ 14th biennial National Exhibition.
The Colorado show opened Aug. 1 runs through Sept. 30 at the Madden Museum of Art in Denver, and includes paintings from artists from around the country, showcasing contemporary art in the pastel medium. Penney-Rohner’s painting, “Hawaiian Lehua Blossoms,” was selected from approximately 275 entries to appear in the show.
The New Orleans exhibition, hosted by the St. Tammany Art Association, opens Saturday and runs through Oct. 6 at the association’s building in Covington, La. Penney-Rohner’s “Italaian Sunflowers” was chosen for inclusion in the exhibition.
Penney-Rohner has garnered accolades both nationally and internationally. Her work has been purchased for public and private collections. In 2001, the Newington-Cropsy Foundation of New York, home of the Hudson River Artists, included three of her original works in an invitational exhibit. One of those pieces now resides in the home of the curator, and The Pastel Journal awarded her third place in the wildlife division of its international competition for her pastel, “Baby Honu, First Dip.” The previous year, the St. Louis Art Guild awarded her best of show for her painting and honorable mention for “Cattleya Orchids.”
In 2004, from a field of 450 entries, the Hawaii State Foundation for Culture and the Arts purchased work by local artists to add to its permanent collection. Penney-Rohner’s piece, “Upcountry Fence Line,” became the centerpiece for its juried show, “Reflecting Hawaii.” Her painting now graces one of the offices in the state Legislature building as part of a state program to make fine local art available to the public.
Over the last five years, the Kilauea Military Camp in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has purchased dozens of her Hawaiian floral and fauna pieces for its renovated cabins and lobby. Her work has been commissioned for homes and offices in Hawaii and the mainland, and can be found in Canada and Japan.
As a member of the state-sponsored program, Artists in the Schools, Penney-Rohner writes grants to share her skills with Hawaii’s children. She also teaches seminars through the Volcano Art Center, Christ for the Nations and private classes at her studio.
Penney-Rohner, past chairman of the East Hawaii Cultural Council and founder of the Pacific International Pastel Society, is a member of the Oil Painters of America, the Degas Pastel Society, St. Louis Art Guild, Hawaii Pastel Society and the Pastel Society of Colorado, as well as the Volcano Art Center.