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‘Time and Chance’ Opens June 3 at KFAC

Morehead State University

Morehead State University’s Kentucky Folk Art Center has announced its upcoming exhibition, “Mark Francis: Time and Chance.”

The opening reception will be held Friday, June 3, from 5 until 7:30 p.m. The reception is a central part of the activities surrounding KFAC’s A Day in the Country folk art fair, which will be held Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Francis taught himself to make some of the most incredible papier-mâché sculptures that the world has ever seen during more than two and a half decades of incarceration. Using only those few materials available to him inside, he used his keen eye and dark humor to examine the social, emotional, and psychological impacts of life in prison. He was released in 2014 and currently lives and works in central Tennessee.

“Time and Chance” examines the entirety of Francis’ career, beginning with more rudimentary sculptures from the 1990s through recent masterworks. The show is drawn primarily from KFAC’s Permanent Collection and the artist’s private collection, but also will include a few key sculptures borrowed from other institutions and individuals. The display will present 70 of the artist’s sculptures made while in prison, and up to 50 of the works will be offered for sale.

“As a self-taught, incarcerated artist, Mark Francis’ accomplishments were unparalleled,” said Matt Collinsworth, KFAC’s director. “But, perhaps more importantly, it was art that saved him in those darkest hours. It was art that helped him deal with the pain and troubles of his early years. It was art that gave him a purpose and a voice. We are tremendously excited to see how he puts his keen eye and wonderful skills to use as he moves forward in a new life, in a new world, in a new century.”

Kentucky Folk Art Center is a cultural, educational and economic development service of Morehead State University. The Center is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Additional information is available by calling 606-783-2204 or visit: http://www.moreheadstate.edu/kfac