This group came together quite by chance. After returning from the opening of the Outside the Box exhibition at the Clarksville- Montgomery Museum in Clarksville, TN; I was inspired by the amazing show that was originated by Dr. Larry Lowrance of Austen Peay State University and Rebecca Exley director of the museums accessibility and Awareness Initiative, and coordinated by Janelle Strandberg Aieta (Curator of Collections) and Ned Crouch(Executive Director) . The purpose of the Outside the Box exhibition was to attract an audience for art that has been ignored in the past; the blind and visually impaired. To see blind children feeling my paintings was revelatory for me, and made me reevaluate what art should and could accomplish. The large and beautiful space at the museum was also inspiring, and when the space was offered to me for a group show, it became necessary to bring in artists from my past that I have long admired.

In 1987, after returning from California and becoming acquainted with the philosophy of the Cobra art group that exhibited in Europe from 1949-1951, I formed Group W with originally five artists. We had several exhibitions in the two years we were together. The five original members of Group W, along with several others who exhibited with the group are now part of Kaleidoscope.

My relationship with A1LabArts was responsible for the addition of several members whose work I admire. And Sisters Keepers is an arts alliance of four women artists who joined with Kaleidoscope to show in Clarksville.

Through a coincidental blending of these group members and artists whom members of these groups suggested, Kaleidoscope came into being.

ALAN FINCH Exhibition Coordinator, Kaleidoscope

Alan Finch at the Playing 'Possum show in Clarksville, TN August 23, 2003 Picture by Denise Stewart-Sanabria