AKERS "BORDERS OF CHANGE"

It all began on a cold November day in 1980 when one of his collectors suggested that Akers accompany him on a visit to the Borders Brothers' farm. It was then that he was first introduced to William, Elmer, and Woodrow, the three bachelor Borders brothers.

Akers stood in awe as he first saw the farmhouse; it was old and weathered and had no running water or electricity, heated with wood stoves and illuminated by kerosene lanterns. This home was a marvelous example of Early American rural architecture and became a second home to him and his art for over a decade. Akers says, "there are a lot of old houses around, but there are not many with this type of life in them." The Borders farmhouse was an exception, as Akers liked the objects as they were placed in the kitchen, bedrooms, stairways, on the porch, in the cellar, or in the yard. It was these simple objects in everyday use here that caught his eye, and they each began to take on new meanings, showing the life behind them. The Borders brothers themselves and their daily activities were also inspiring, and Akers seemed to glimpse into another world as he watched and visited with them.

The Borders brothers are now gone and their way of life is quickly disappearing. It is because of this that Akers feels a sense of responsibility to record in his paintings scenes of American life, to preserve the past and to enlighten others on this way of life. In this exhibition you will be viewing a world-class collection of paintings from the Borders brothers' farm that most have never seen. Translated through the artwork are strong emotions; feelings of placidity, tranquility and peacefulness, and a oneness with nature, feelings that the artist himself felt while painting these precious works. You will now have the opportunity to view these powerfully subtle images and experience a glimpse into another world, a world of days gone by. For more information, call The Behringer-Crawford Museum (859) 491-4003 or Gary-Lynn Galleries, Inc. (859) 250-0ART

GARY AKERS

Gary Akers, internationally recognized artist, is one of America's foremost contemporary realists, recognized for his expertise in watercolor, drybrush and egg tempera. Born in 1951 in Pikeville, Kentucky, he completed a Master's degree at Morehead State University in 1974 and spent the next year on the exclusive Greenshield Foundation Grant furthering his egg tempera studies. His work has been exhibited widely in numerous institutions including the Speed Art Museum, the Frye Museum of Art, the Ogunquit Art Museum, the Asheville Art Museum, the National Academy of Desigh, the Artists of America exhibition at the Colorado History Museum, and the Great American Artist exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum Center. Akers is a highly accomplished watercolorist, and has received major awards from the American Watercolor Society (where he is an elected Signature Member), the Southern Watercolor Society and the Kentucky Watercolor Society. Recently, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City Missouri, purchased his drybrush watercolor, "Mrs. Lean Arthur" for their permanent collection. Akers work is in the collection of The White House, Ross Collection, Brown Forman Corporation, and the Ogunquit Art Museum. Over the past two decades, Akers has been featured in various books and periodicals including American Artist, Watercolor, Artist's Magazine, U.S. Art, American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur and Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art: The First Ten Years. Two books about Akers have been published, each with images of over one hundred of his paintings: Kentucky Land of Beauty (1999) and Memories of Maine (2003). Akers alternates his residence and studio between Kentucky and Maine.