Carey Gates Paintings at Kent Place Gallery

The Kent Place Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of artworks by Upper School Visual Arts Chair Carey Gates from September 17–October 24, 2025. A reception for the artist will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, September 19.

Gates' paintings in this exhibition take inspiration from ordinary forms, both natural and human made. Small moments of close observation put us in touch with flower petals, mushrooms, cassette tapes, and open fields.

The artist says of his work in this show, “I am fascinated by material culture and the natural world and am drawn to these subjects. Particularly, I am interested in those subjects that are ubiquitous or insignificant to the point of becoming invisible.”

Kent Place Gallery Director Ken Weathersby says, “Gates’ work is a mirror point between two axes of contemplation. On the one hand, there is his extended focus on a specific view, whether that be peering down into a cluster of leaves on a potted plant, or across an empty patch of grass. Paired with that is his focused engagement with the small panel or canvas and the touch of his brush. Soft marks of color and the particular constellations of shapes he discovers form a distinctive composition, an arrangement that speaks of sensory awareness. So often we walk through our day without noticing small moments of light, color and mood. Carey’s paintings speak to those, bringing them into focus, and to our attention.”

Carey Gates is a practicing fine artist with more than thirty years of experience in painting, drawing, and printmaking. His work focuses on observation of the visible world as a jumping-off point to the exploration of composition, color, texture, and abstraction. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor of fine arts, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he earned a master of fine arts. His works have been exhibited in museums and galleries nationally. He has taught high school in independent schools for fifteen years and is currently the visual arts department chair at Kent Place School.

Kent Place Gallery is on the campus of Kent Place School. Gallery hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. For more information call (908) 273-0900.