Local artist Kenn Kotara has had his artwork selected to appear in Season 2 of the HBO series “Treme.” The second season begins Sunday, April 24.

From a press release:

Local artist and Louisiana Tech Alumni Kenn Kotara contracts with HBO to provide images for the second season series ‘Treme.’ Kotara’s artwork is on display in an upscale restaurant for the HBO series, set in post Katrina New Orleans. The series chronicles the rebuilding of one of New Orleans oldest neighborhoods and of a unique American culture and important source of African-American music and culture. Season two airs in April with the upscale restaurant set featured in Episode four.

Set designer Tim Cohn, also a Louisiana Tech Alumni, saw Kotara’s work on a website Artistaday.com and contacted the website, who then put him in touch with the artist. After a year of discussions, HBO contracted with Kotara for the series.

A native of Louisiana, Kotara continues to mine his Southern roots with an ongoing series entitled Barbe espagnole or Spanish moss. The body of work explores the metaphorical potential of Spanish moss through works on canvas, paper, and three-dimensional screen structures.

Kotara’s artwork has been included in over 100 exhibitions such as Gallery Meepyung, Korea; Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Germany; Urban Institute for Contmeporary Art, Michigan; Knoxville Museum of Art;  Weatherspoon Museum; and The Artist Project, Chicago among others. His work is in public and corporate collections such as the Asheville Art Museum, Paul and Lulu Hilliard Museum, Louisiana State Museum, Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nieman Marcus, Sumisho Hotel in Tokyo, the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica, Wachovia Bank in Charlotte, and Western Asset Management in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Kotara resides in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and son.

Kotara is represented in Asheville by Gallery Minerva. For additional Gallery and Dealer representation please visit http://www.kotarastudio.com