MARION — The Marion Art Center will present its newest exhibit featuring the works of Evelyn Kendall, with an opening reception scheduled on Saturday, April 1 from 3 to 5 p.m.

The show will include Kendall’s traditional sailor’s valentines, shell compositions, and sculptures.

Kendall (1893-1979) was born in Ontario, Canada and married Henry Plimpton Kendall in 1926. Henry Kendall purchased a house on Water Street in Marion in 1913, where they spent every summer. A nurse by profession,  Kendall was an artist and collector by avocation.

Her interests were eclectic, and among these was her impressive shell collection. She was both an artist and collector of folk artwork in seashells, and she also pursed interests in textiles and interior design. Kendall assembled a significant doll collection (sold in 1999), much of which she displayed in the Kendall Doll Museum, as well as a collection of antique clothing. Many of these items were donated to the Royal Ontario Museum.

She was instrumental in assembling the extensive art holdings of the Kendall Whaling Museum, now held by the New Bedford Whaling
Museum.

See Kendall’s artwork on display at the Marion Art Center through May 6.