FORT WORTH, Texas — The abandoned house close to her Cedar Hill studio beckoned artist Kenna Boles Prior. Three or four generations had lived there. Eventually, it was sold to fund the youngest family member going to college.
Surely the house had stories to tell. If only it could tell them.
In her art exhibit Passages, Prior pays tribute to the cottage and the stories it held. The showing runs through March 7 in the Art Corridor II gallery at TCC Southeast. An opening reception and opportunity to meet the artist will be Feb. 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.
“The original family long gone, the house was visited or lived in or vandalized by the homeless, drug dealers, bored kids and others, like me, curious about what is left,” Prior said. “Passages recognizes those who have walked or peered into these spaces and the stories I do not know.”
When she entered the house, Prior said all that was left of the furnishings was bed springs, which were barely in a picture.
Prior used a 35mm camera to take photographs of the interior and the outside. Then she used several steps to create final images, including double exposure, photogravure with inked plates and Chine collé. The resulting prints are eerie, perhaps nostalgic, and could suggest a variety of narratives.
Prior’s studio, The Purple Farmhouse, is 125-150 years old. No doubt it has many stories of its own.
Prior began her career as a freelance designer for craft periodicals and then became interested in fine art media and especially printmaking. She has exhibited her work locally and statewide.
Since 2020 she has participated in PrintAustin’s PrintEXPO + Steamroller, and last summer she completed a residency at the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center that included a solo exhibition.
For more information on TCC’s art galleries and upcoming exhibits, visit Art Galleries and Exhibits – Tarrant County College.
Celebrating 60 years of excellence and impact in 2025, Tarrant County College is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions and boasts the second lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. A comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Tarrant County and online classes, TCC offers a range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees; workforce and economic development programs; technical and skilled trades programs; and customized training for area businesses and corporations.