For seventy years, Karen K. Lewis has painted her way across America’s artistic landscape—from the vibrant energy of Washington, D.C., to the avant-garde streets of SoHo, and finally to the sunlit serenity of Ojai, California. Now, the Ojai Valley Museum is honoring her extraordinary journey with Seven Decades: The Art of Karen K. Lewis, a retrospective opening June 19.
The exhibition celebrates a lifetime of creativity and evolution. Visitors will experience the breadth of Lewis’s work—intimate still lifes, sweeping landscapes, striking portraits, and abstract compositions—each one a window into a distinct era of her life. From smaller sketches to bold, large-scale canvases, the show offers a curated glimpse of her ever-curious eye and versatile hand.
“My life has been filled with love and art,” says Lewis, reflecting on a path shaped by personal discovery and artistic community. “My work often expresses the moments that shaped me—my connection to family, my exploration of place, and the joy of creating alongside others.”
In the 1970s, Lewis co-founded the influential Pindar Gallery in New York’s SoHo, a landmark space that gave voice to emerging women artists during a pivotal time in the art world. Later, she settled in Ojai, where she became a founding member of the Ojai Studio Artists, helping to build a vibrant creative network rooted in support and collaboration.
Her art—often playful, always heartfelt—captures more than just scenes; it captures feeling. Whether evoking the quiet rhythm of daily life or the luminous sweep of a California hillscape, Lewis’s paintings reflect a deep affection for the world around her.
The exhibit runs June 19 through August 3, with an opening reception on June 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. Visitors are invited not only to view the work but to step into the story of a woman who followed her passion across decades, coasts, and canvases.
“Art has always been how I see and how I share,” Lewis says. “And I’m still painting, still exploring.”
In a world that often rushes forward, Karen K. Lewis reminds us of the beauty in pausing to truly see—and paint—what’s in front of us.
