American artist visits Kazakhstan

Ms. Cosgrove, a painter and teacher, will visit Kostanay, Astana and Almaty Kazakhstan, between March 26 and 31, to offer  lectures and master classes at a variety of schools and cultural institutions with students and local artists, the press service of the US Diplomatic Mission to Kazakhstan said.

Born in Washington DC, the artist Sharon Cosgrove is Associate Professor of Art at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania where she teaches painting and printmaking.  She holds a BFA, MA, and MFA from the University of New Mexico and a BA from Shepherd College.  Her paintings and prints are characterized as contemporary realism informed by traditional and modern canons of art.  Sharon's work has been exhibited in over fifty invitational, solo and juried shows, nationally and internationally and can be found in both public and private collections.  Her work has been the catalyst for personal, professional, and community transformations.

Ms. Cosgrove currently has four paintings on display in the U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Fairfax's official residence in Astana as part of a group exhibition of collected works by contemporary American artists as part of the ART in Embassies Program.  The ART in Embassies Program was conceived in 1963 and currently exhibits more than 3,500 original works of loaned art by U.S. citizens.  The Program is a unique blend of art, diplomacy, and culture that promotes dialog and presents the artistic accomplishments of the people of the United States.  In 2013, ART in Embassies Program celebrates its 50th anniversary.

For further information, visit http://www.sharoncosgrove.com/ and http://aiep.state.gov .