The works of Kuen Liao of West Windsor will be the focus at West Windsor Arts Council’s outdoor gallery at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market on Saturday, July 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Born and raised in Taiwan, Liao graduated with a degree in civil engineering from Taiwan University. He worked for the New York City Construction Authorities as a licensed structural engineer.
Though he showed an aptitude for art as a young man, he did not rediscover his passion for the arts until after taking a watercolor class at the West Windsor Senior Center — and decided to follow his childhood dreams of being an artist. In 2005 Liao received first place in the WW Senior Citizen Watercolor Exhibition. In 2007 he won the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission Purchase Award. Liao has donated artwork to the Arts Council of Princeton and, most recently, his watercolors have been accepted into the Mercer County Exhibitions of 2009 and 2010. His recent submission “Eskimo Dog” received the first prize from the West Windsor Arts Council.
Liao, who usually uses what he sees as inspiration, also creates images from his imagination. One watercolor he has painted is a serene river scene that opens into a lake; a small boat sits on the lake with people fishing. When asked how he created it, Liao simply states, “At first there were no people fishing, but the image seemed lonely. So I added them in.”
Later on Saturday, the music begins at Nassau Park Pavilion with the arts council’s “And the Beat Goes On” music series. The Billy Walton Band features funky blues, rock and roll, and jam band music. Since the age of 15 Walton has been the guitarist and vocalist for Boccigalupe & the Bad Boys, has played countless gigs in the U.S. and Europe, and has sat in with Bruce Springsteen, Gary US Bonds, and Stevie Ray Vaughn’s backing band, Double Trouble.
Ruth Potts, the former WWAC president and a member of the Music Series Planning Committee, became very interested in showcasing his band after meeting William Paris, the group’s bassist and a West Windsor resident, at the West Windsor Arts Council’s outdoor gallery at the West Windsor Farmers Market during the summer of 2009. “Their music fit our series theme of rhythm and beat,” she says. “Plus, having a chance to highlight a West Windsor musician and his band mates is just tremendous!”
Outdoor Art Gallery, West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market, Vaughn Drive Parking Lot, Princeton Junction Train Station. Saturday, July 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 609-577-5113. www.westwindsorfarmersmarket.org.
West Windsor Arts Council, Nassau Park Pavilion. Saturday, July 24, 6 p.m. Bring chairs or blankets. Inside Panera if raining. Reception at BoConcept, the Danish furniture store in Nassau Park, follows the concert. Free. 609-919-1982. www.westwindsorarts.org.
