Print edition: 
Three abstract artists with styles all their own will show their work in one exhibit beginning tonight at CityArts.
"Three Views of Abstraction," on display through July 24, features the paintings and collages of Wichita artists Mathew Hilyard, Carole Branda and Judy Dove.
This is the first time the three have collaborated on a show, but they have been familiar with one another's works for years. All are former members of Gallery XII. Hilyard now teaches at Wichita Center for the Arts and Dove is one of the owners of Artists at Old Town.
"We have always had a great respect for one another's work," Hilyard says. "We were very excited at the thought of doing a show together."
Abstract expressionism was gaining prominence when Dove was in college, she said. Her teachers urged students to paint both realistically and in the abstract expressionist style, marked by expressive brushwork and color as well as a strong attention to surface textures.
All of that describes Dove's colorful and textured paintings.
"I have always been drawn toward the abstract and I had a good grounding in the principles of design," she said. "I love to experiment with textures and colors and really get my hands dirty when I work. For me it's about the process, the use of different materials and seeing what is going to evolve on my canvas."
Hilyard, who grew up in Andover and graduated from Wichita State University, returned to school as an adult to study art.
"The study of art history was very important to me," he said. "The more I learned about abstract art, the more well suited that seemed for me."
As a teenager, he was influenced by music and the art on album covers, and that has spilled over into his work, he said.
"Jazz music and the abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko were always huge inspirations for me," he said. "With abstract painting, you have to clear your head of how you normally would paint and be very intuitive and respond to fundamentals like colors, form and texture."
He is also inspired by the collages of Robert Rauschenberg.
"I use many different materials in my works," he said. "I love to use tape to create colors, planes and spatial areas. I am always looking at new materials and thinking how I can elevate that material into the realm of fine art."
Of the three artists, Carole Branda's works are the most emotional.
"Painting is an emotional release for me," she said. "Like Mathew, I am very influenced by music. My works usually indicate some sort of movement associated with dance or movement."
Branda's paintings are filled with rich, expressive colors and gestural paint strokes.
"Abstract painting has really helped me paint more loosely," she said. "When I was painting in realism I painted very tightly; this has helped me move away from that."
If you go
'Three Views of Abstraction'
What: Exhibit of paintings and collages by Wichita artists Mathew Hilyard, Carole Branda and Judy Dove
Where: CityArts, 334 N. Mead
When: Opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday; exhibit on view through July 24. Gallery hours 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri. and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.
How much: Admission is free.
