Local painter to display work at Trulli Flatbread

An artist inspired by the San Francisco Bay Area and the University of California at Berkeley campus will bring his newest collection to a Bloomington restaurant this month. \nLocal artist Kurt Larsen’s paintings will be displayed at Trulli Flatbread through March. The exhibit, his largest in the Midwest, opens at 6 p.m. Wednesday with a reception at the Trulli Flatbread wine bar. The event is free and open to the public.\nLarsen began working as a mixed-media artist in California during the 1970s. The ‘Bay’ area and the UC Berkeley campus inspired his early works. As a successful contemporary artist, he has also worked in sculpture and photography. \nLarsen has traveled internationally and relocated to Bloomington 15 years ago with his wife and family. He promotes art in the community by contributing artwork to local fund raisers and events.\nTrulli Flatbread owners Candace and Jeff Finch were drawn to Larsen’s abstract paintings and said they planned to exhibit his work after seeing only one piece.\n“The use of color in his work is really stunning, and the texture is too,” said Lisa Morrison of Morrison Marketing and Media, which handles Trulli Flatbread’s marketing.\nLarsen said his nature-\ninspired collection allows observers to identify with the paintings in their own way.\n“The paintings speak for themselves,” he said. “I left each one untitled so people can interpret them for themselves.”\nThe paintings on display will be available for purchase. Larsen will also attend the event Wednesday to discuss his collection and meet with \nthe public.\n“I hope the community will be inspired to come to the event, especially artists,” Morrison said. “It’s a great way to network and talk to other artists.”\nTrulli will serve a specialized list of wines and gourmet hors d’oeuvres during the reception. The Finches use the wine bar as a gallery space to host work from local, established artists and to encourage community arts, they said.\n“We want to support the community the way it’s supported us,” Jeff Finch said.