Senior shapes woods into art pieces

Works on display at A.R.T. Evolution Gallery

DANIELLE NADLER/VIEWArtist Kenny Karchmer walks among some of his wooden sculptures at the A.R.T. Evolution gallery on May 26. Karchmer is one of four artists this year who is scheduled to show his work in the A.R.T. Evolution gallery, 8379 W. Sunset Road, Suite 215, operated by Las Vegas Odyssey. Advertisement

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The A.R.T. Evolution gallery, located in the Centra Point Business Complex at 8379 W. Sunset Road, Suite 215, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by private appointment by calling 257-1520. For more information, visit www. odysseylifestyle.com.

It's never too late to pursue your calling.

Just ask Kenny Karchmer. He was well into his 60s before he discovered the work he loves.

All of Karchmer's life, he saw linear designs in everything -- the stars, flight patterns, the cast of a fishing rod, the swing of a golf club -- everything. Two years ago, the 70-year-old Summerlin resident turned his visions into artwork. He twists rosewood, padauk and shedua woods into abstract designs and couples them with stones, mirrors or stained glass to illustrate his message.

"My whole life I've looked for some way to express myself," Karchmer said. "I found that using these rustic materials to create art does just that."

Sixteen of Karchmer's works are featured as an exhibit at A.R.T. Evolution gallery through June. The gallery is overseen by Las Vegas Odyssey, which mounts four quarterly exhibitions by contemporary artists each year. The gallery is inside the corporate office of Brand Ltd., located in the Centra Point Business Complex at 8379 W. Sunset Road, Suite 215.

Karchmer has doodled and painted as long as he can remember, but art school was not an accepted choice for a young man in the 1950s in Tennessee.

"I always wanted to go into fine art, but because of my parents' mindset, I was discouraged," he said in his Southern drawl.

At first, he followed in his father's footsteps to work in the family's pecan shelling business. When the business sold, Karchmer saw that as his ticket to pursue his own dream. He enrolled at the Memphis Academy of Art to earn a degree in commercial art. In 1975, he opened Karchmer Printing and Design to design logos, advertisements and print materials. After nearly 20 years in business, Karchmer was forced to sell after he fell into a concrete ravine, which left him with limited mobility in his right arm and left wrist.

Karchmer then moved with his wife, Nadolyn, to Las Vegas in 1991 to retire. The need to create art stirred again inside Karchmer.

He enrolled in two fine art classes at UNLV at the age of 63. He sat alongside 18-, 19- and 20-year olds who were eager to jump into art related careers.

"I had spent so much time in hospitals because of my accident, the upbeat energy of these students inspired me," Karchmer said. "We learned from one another how to express our creativity. It was beautiful."

He put his designs down on paper and soon saw the need for three-dimensional works to fully express his visions. He's since turned a spare bedroom in his home into a work studio.

He first sketches a rough draft of the design. Then, he uses his fly-fishing tie technique to attach dozens of pieces of wood together.

The result is a work that tells a story, Karchmer said.

The work "Out of the Box" is a representation of Karchmer's longtime dream to work out of the box as an artist. His "Flight Pattern" series gives viewers a glimpse inside Karchmer's brain as he sees the designs of planes gliding past each other.

"There's always a little bit of myself in each piece," he said. "It seems like everything in my life came together in these pieces."

Karchmer's works range from $225 to $1,100. Proceeds from the sales at the A.R.T. Evolution gallery will benefit Las Vegas Odyssey Lifestyle Foundation.

Virginia Thompson Martino and Mark Martino, founders of Las Vegas Odyssey, spotted Karchmer's work in an interior design business. The couple is always in search of lesser known contemporary artists for Odyssey's exhibits.

"We fell in love with his work," Virginia Thompson Martino said. "In all the art I see, I've never seen anything like it."

Contact Southeast and Southwest View reporter Danielle Nadler at dnadler@viewnews.com or 224-5524.