An Artistic Lens into the Mechanical World of Kibbey Couse opens November 13 to showcase the work of Jennifer Neil. Her works constitute our first exhibition based on the objects at Couse-Sharp Historic Site entrusted to posterity by the inventor, who was the son of the painter Eanger Irving Couse and Virginia Walker Couse.

"Jennifer Neil is one of our first artists in residence, and we could not be more thrilled about her engagement with Kibbey’s story and her deep reflections on the beauty inherent in the form and function of its mechanical manifestations," said Davison Koenig, Executive Director and Curator.

Couse-Sharp Historic Site is grateful to Dan Woodard for underwriting this exhibition in memory of his late sister, Suzanne.

All works will be for sale, and proceeds benefit the site’s programs. The exhibition will be on view until March 6, 2027.

Please join us at 138 Kit Carson Road for an opening celebration on Friday, November 13 at 5 p.m. and at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 14 for an artist's demonstration at the Harwood Museum of Art auditorium.

Exhibition statement by Jennifer Neil

The inspiration for this work began in late winter 2025 with my first visit to “Kibbey’s World” at Couse-Sharp. I was awestruck by the scale and variety of machines, vehicles, implements, equipment, books, files, blueprints, and ephemera, all preserved and waiting. I immediately knew I was there for a reason. Without knowing Kibbey, I knew from seeing his workshops that we were kindred spirits, and I wanted to explore more of his creative world. 

With a background in architectural design and visual art, I’ve long held fascination with elements of the built world and implements of the industrial world. How do things work and fit together to become greater than the sum of their parts? How are inventions created? What types of spaces do creators, makers, and inventors inhabit? What tools or equipment do they utilize? Perhaps this interest originated in rural Nebraska, spending time as a child on family farms, with barns, silos, tractors, machinery, implements, and the patina of peeling paint and rust.

As I began this exploration, I was less occupied with Kibbey’s specific inventions; instead I was intrigued with the physical environment he inhabited and the tools he created with. It is from this viewpoint that this exhibition was envisioned. How do we see Kibbey through the spaces he inhabited and the machines, materials, and documents he left behind? How to we see ourselves and each other through the various spaces we inhabit and the work we do?

Through an “artistic lens” is how I visualized and reimagined elements of Kibbey’s work life. The 89 artworks included with this exhibition endeavor to share my lens with you. I see color, texture, form, light, positive and negative space. I see inter-related parts and abstraction, within the known. Perhaps the workshops and equipment itself can be considered as an art form. They were, after all, created and designed by Kibbey and others. My hope is that by viewing these artworks, you’ll see it through your own unique lens and be inspired by the wonder and curiosity of the spaces and objects Kibbey left behind.

My work on this exhibition commenced with extensively photographing Kibbey’s workshops and “Rosie” the mobile machine shop over a year’s time. I also reviewed dozens of letters, pamphlets, patent applications and Kibbey’s drawings. Among the most fascinating were a series of small notecards found at the back of a drawer in Kibbey’s desk. These were ideas, sketches, first thoughts, often leading to more advanced drawings and concepts. I relate to these sketches because it is how I think. I sketch, I doodle. How do you formulate ideas? Kibbey’s notecards are represented in the 16 black-and-white etchings included in this exhibition. 

With over 1,000 photographs captured, the artworks were created in my Santa Fe studio, another creative space. The mixed-media colorful works explore Rosie inside and out. They also explore the workshops, chemistry lab, and office spaces. These images endeavor to strike curiosity. What’s familiar, what’s abstract? Can you connect the components between the images to create a broader understanding of Kibbey’s workshops and the world in which he created? What elements were personal to Kibbey and what were tools of his trade? How do the implements in the workshops function? Are they obsolete in this modern world? 

These are questions that I’ve asked myself for the past 18 months. I still do not know all the answers. It is my hope that this exhibition inspires you, the viewer, to look closely, to ask questions and to consider with a creative lens, Kibbey’s world and the world around you. There is wonder and inspiration in the midst of the mundane, waiting for discovery. 
With sincere appreciation, I thank you for your interest in this exhibition.

Methods & materials

Mixed Media Monotypes (3-part):
Monotype print: Charbonnel oil based multi-color ink and WD-40. Hahnemuhle Copperplate, 300gsm, warm-white paper. Takach press.
Golden gloss gel medium photo transfer. 
R & F Encaustic linseed oil, cold wax and oil stick pigment.
Paper Sizes and Quantity:
8 count: 30” x 22”
38 count: 22” x 15”
27 count: 15” x 11”

Photopolymer Etchings:
Intaglio print: Charbonnel oil based black ink. Hahnemuhle Copperplate, 300gsm, warmwhite paper. Takach press.
Paper Sizes and Quantity:
16 count: 15” x 11”
Edition of 5 each

Dedication

D. Robb Farmer, Jr.: Dearest friend, devoted husband, exceptional design-build partner and amazing father to our son. You are my true north.

Acknowledgments

Couse-Sharp Historic Site Team: Thank you for preserving the site, Kibbey’s workshops, and “Rosie.” Without your preservation efforts and belief in me, this exhibition would not be possible. I am forever grateful for this tremendous opportunity.

Kibbey Couse: Mechanical Engineer-Inventor (1894–1978). Thank you for your inventive mind, industrious contributions, and for the spaces you created and inhabited. The world you left behind is the inspiration for this exhibition.

WisdomDESIGN: Thank you for your design excellence in creating the exquisite catalog for this exhibition and for sharing your enthusiasm for art and design with me.

O’Neil Printing: Thank you for your attention to detail in printing the exhibition catalog with excellence.

Fine Art Framers of Santa Fe: Thank you for framing the artwork for this exhibition. Your excellence in craftsmanship and pricing consideration is greatly appreciated.

David and Carol Farmer: Thank you for your loving support and for your assistance in framing this exhibition.

Family, Friends, and Patrons: Thank you for your encouragement and belief in my artistic endeavors and for including my artwork in your personal and corporate collections.