Join us for the opening reception of Nature/Nurture, an exhibition of works by three women artists -- Joan Bevelaqua, Myungsook Ryu Kim, and Sara Wagner – exploring perceptions and expressions of nature across three media: oil, acrylic, and sculpture. “My paintings are based on careful observation. I work to challenge my ability to create the illusion of the real while exploring the psychological and subconscious nature of reality with the use of irony and mystery.” - Joan Bevelaqua “My work is an experiment in transferring traditional East Asian art forms onto the Western canvas. The abstract images and forms embody complex layers of the spiritual and emotional. I want to express the living energy that Korean artists try to capture onto a one dimensional surface.” - Myungsook Ryu Kim “My life-size sculpture gives physical form to psychological states, which are revealed through the poses and through the choices and treatment of materials. In each case, the materials are stressed through various means and allowed to age, much as human tissue is stressed and ages as we go through life.” - Sara Wagner  About the ArtistsJoan Bevelaqua is currently the collegiate professor of Art University of Maryland University College Adelphi in Maryland and master adjunct instructor at Howard Community College in Maryland. Myungsook Ryu Kim is a Korean American artist working in the Washington DC area. She is an Instructor at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City, Maryland and at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. Sara Wagner is the tenured professor at Prince George's Community College in Maryland.  A free RSVP is required to attend the opening reception event  Nature/NurtureOpening Reception Event: Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 | 6:30 - 8:30 pmExhibition Dates: Sept. 3 -17, 2013 Location: Korean Cultural Center Washington DC (2370 Massachusetts Ave. NW 20008)Contact: Jiyoung Yun | jiyoungy@koreaembassy.org [4] | (202) 587-6163