About Kent

As an expressionist, Kent works in the natural environment and in urban centers of the Southwest. Although he is a "plein air" artist, he is not interested in recording the realistic vision and natural light of the landscape found in impressionistic works of art. Paul Stewart of the Apropos Fine Art Gallery wrote, "Kent's vision is personal, his drawings, watercolors and pastels reflect his own reaction to the natural environment, as well as his feelings, psychic reactions, and social messages come from his inner self and his own creative visions."

Dave Gagon, Deseret News art critic stated, "Kent's strength is in his spontaneity and color."

The Denver Post photographed Kent in Downtown Denver during a below zero winter day. A large photograph appeared on the front page. The article celebrated Kent's persistence and ability to capture the essence of the urban landscape.

Vern Swanson, the director of the Springville Art Museum states, "Finally a happy expressionist! Buildings, cars, trees, and mountains in Kent's work vibrate with color and life, The animate and inanimate are alive." Amy Conger, University of California at Berkley and former professor of art and historian for the Institute of Art Chicago and for the Center for Creative Photography in Tuscan, Arizona stated, "No wimpy pastels from Kent Rich! His art is alive with spontaneity and color."

His photography has been exhibited in the Utah State Traveling Exhibit. His photograph, "Fast Eddie" won a national award from the Center for Creative Photography in Tuscan and the Arizona State University Museum of Art's Photography Exhibit. "Fast Eddie" is also part of the University of Utah's Museum of Fine Arts' Collection of Western Photographers. In addition, he received a grant from the Nora Eccles Foundation for a portfolio representing sociological, community values reflected through the Brigham City Peach Days festival which included photography, drawings, and watercolors. Kent received a grant from the Joseph Rosenblatt family and the Salt Lake Art Center for a portfolio, "Working Artists", of ten important Utah artists exhibited at the Salt Lake Art Center.

In 1977, Kent's pastel, "The Virgin River" was included in the catalog of the Springville Museum's Spring Salon. Six of Kent's photographs on Utah artists were published in Robert S. Olpin, William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson's book, Artists of Utah, Gibbs Smith Publisher, Salt Lake City, 1999. In the same book a biography of Kent was included.

In 1998 and 1999 the internationally noted Telluride Jazz Celebration appointed Kent their official artists. He created two pastels that were made into the Celebration's posters for those years. Those posters have sold to patrons throughout the world. As part of the 1999 festival, Kent created a portfolio of drawings of Jazz artists. The portfolio was shown in a solo show at the Springville Museum in 2000 along with a video on Kent's Telluride work.