The Kenyon twins who brought the Center for Photography at Woodstock from start-up to national importance over their 24 years of service from 1981 to 2005, are now both gone. Colleen F. Kenyon was Executive Director during this time. She died late last year. Kathleen R. Kenyon who served as Assistant Director died early in May.
Both were born in Dunkirk, NY, on Aug 6, 1951. and high schooled in New Paltz. Both received a BA degree from Skidmore College in 1973 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana University in 1976.
Together with her sister, Kathleen developed CPW’s nationally recognized workshop program featuring leading photographers as instructors, produced its annual and remarkable photography auctions and grew The Center to become a major national and international organization. She designed CPW’s branding and served as editor and writer of its widely respected Photography Quarterly and annual auction catalogs.
Prior to joining CPW Kathleen taught photography at the U of Southern California (USC) from 1976 to 1979. and was on the board of the L.A. Print Making Society and was president of the Southern California sector of the Women’s Caucus for Art. She served as an assistant professor at Bard College in the 1980’s.
Kathleen and Colleen received the first CPW Vision Award in 2004. They served as artists in residence at The Nantucket School of Art and Design, the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, and Yaddo.
Kathleen was widely recognized as a collage artist. Syracuse University’s Light Works, where she was an artist in residence, wrote, “She has shown her work in over 70 exhibitions nationwide. In 1980 she received a CAPS grant and her work has been published in national (Jane)magazines and journals.”
Survivors include their brother Kevin Kenyon of Princeton, NJ, his wife Jane Henderson Kenyon and their children Isabelle, Taylor, and Jack. A memorial service at the Kleinert/James Arts Center will be planned.