DAC is pleased to promote visual artists by partnering with locally owned clothing store, Crow’s Closet to provide additional gallery space in an alternative and highly trafficked location.  To learn more, contact DAC Exhibits Director, Peter Hay by email.

ELIZABETH KINAHAN: ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Had it not been for my sister, sitting across the kitchen table from me,
mooing repeatedly as my mother placed a plate of sliced up steak in the
center, I might not have had the reaction that I did to finally understanding
what meat was. And then again, of course I would have. I have been an
animal lover my whole life, viewing them as the most majestic, innocent and
beautiful beings on this planet. Animals were my first friends, to this day my
very favorite things. And as I sat at that table, finally comprehending just
the beginning of where “meat” actually came from, I lost it. I was
devastated, inconsolable, and unable to believe that an entire industry could
be created by the slaughtering of living things.
That night launched a lifetime of defending animals. I joined organizations
dedicated to ethical treatment, went door to door petitioning people to help
stop animal testing, and naturally, I quit eating meat. Yet I was still living in
suburban New Jersey, the place I was born and raised, and the disconnect
between the farm and the table was massive.
In 2005 I packed the car, headed West, and landed in Durango. I
immediately began seeing the cattle occupying roadside pastures. I would
have to stop, walk to the fence, and just hope they wouldn’t run away from
me. These beings were so much bigger than I ever imagined! Their eyes
were so expressive, they were wary of me, and they moved in a way to
protect the calves from the potential threat that I imposed. These county
road encounters were all I had for years, but from them I managed enough
good photographs to do some paintings.
Twelve years later, they call me the cow lady. I can’t stop with the farm
animals. I have been an artist for many years, but until Durango, I hadn’t
found the subject that would provide me with endless inspiration. I am still a
fan of traversing the county roads in search of the animals close to the
fence, but I am now lucky enough to be invited to farms and ranches near
and far. I get to stand with the animals in their pastures, hear all about
them, learn their names and habits. This is the most delightful part of the
whole process.
I am grateful to now call Durango home. I am a co-owner of Studio &
Gallery in downtown Durango, where me and my work can be found. I am
not against people who eat meat, and I will not preach about it. My goal is
simply to impart to the viewer a sense of the majesty that is nature, and the
notion that we should approach all living things with not just respect, but
with reverence, perhaps even awe.

A portion of the sales of my work is always donated to animal rescue and
protection organizations.