Huge Crowd Applauds Sowa’s Island Elder Portraits

Sowa’s portrait of island educator Guy Benjamin.

Above left, St. John School of the Arts assistant director Kim Wild and the school’s executive director Jan Kinder admire Sowa’s portrait of SJSA founder Ruth “Sis” Frank.

More than 70 people turned out to view portraits of island elders Guy Benjamin and the late-Ruth “Sis” Frank during an artist reception on Friday evening, February 4, at the Michael Banzhaf Gallery.

St. John artist Kat Sowa unveiled the portraits, along with new landscape paintings during the reception. While the two island elder portraits are not for sale, they firmly announce that Sowa is returning to portraiture, after enjoying a plein air period of late. The new landscapes are for sale and all of Sowa’s work will be featured at the Banzhaf Gallery through February.

Stop by the gallery, located across from the V.I. National Park ball field, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 12 to 8 p.m.