Kay Lamoureux Buckner

1935-2012

Buckner was born and raised in Seattle, Ms. Buckner was a graduate of Lincoln High School, and The University of Washington (B.A., Fine Art, 1958).

By the age of twenty, her recognition included a full tuition scholarship to The Art Institute of Chicago (1954), the Rotary Award for Painting at The Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair (1955), and inclusion in the 42nd Annual Juried Exhibition of Northwest Artists (1956).

She earned her MFA in painting from Claremont Graduate School (1961). In her early career, she was known for her drawings, and oil compositions of interiors with psychological content.

Her painting, Before the Table, received critical acclaim at the Fall River National Exhibition (1976). Major works followed, including Eurasia (1977), One and Twenty (1979), Royal Gold (1988), Equinox (1996), and Palouse Spriits (1999).

Other national exhibitions at which she received awards, included the New Mexico International (First Prize, 1981), Contemporary Art on Canvas, Maryland Foundation of Art (Third Prize, 1991), and The Sara Winston Award for work on Canvas, National Association of Women Artists (2004). In the 1990's, she turned to textiles as a media, and was recognized for her innovations in several national exhibitions, including that at the Textile Center of Minnesota (First Prize, 2004).

In addition to painting, she produced several illustrated texts, including A Beginner's London (1969), based on her childrens' impressions of that city, and Some Early Years in the Rainforest (1988), her father's recollections of family settlement on the Olympic Peninsula. Ms. Buckner moved to Eugene in 1962, where she maintained a studio the rest of her life, and taught for many years at the University of Oregon. She was represented by commercial gallerys in Portland, and later, New York.

The Frye Museum held an exhibition of her paintings in 1979.

In Washington State, her work may be seen in many public collections, including several school districts, and the Seattle Public Utilities Collection. The United States Department of State featured her work in its Art in the Embassies Program (1992-1996).