In her works which are on exhibit throughout the month of April at the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center, Janet Kozachek chronicles her observations of the tango and other dance performances over a period of several months. The works are executed in a variety of media including mosaic, works on paper and oils on canvas.

Kozachek received her Master of Fine Arts degree in figurative painting and drawing from Parsons School of Design in New York. She holds a certificate of graduate study in Chinese Art from the Beijing Central Art Academy in the People's Republic of China and a bachelor of arts and science degree from Douglass College, a division of Rutgers University.

For the past year, Kozachek has been studying dance at the Vista Ballroom in Columbia, an experience that has brought a new direction to her visual art.

"As a visual artist, I found myself hunched over a work table for hours, days, months and years. All that immobility added up to one stiff body. Initially, I started studying dance to regain flexibility, introduce better social interactions, and to get moving. What I found was a new passion in my life and greater joy in my work," Kozachek said.

The opening celebration for “Milongueros: Paintings of the Argentine Tango and Beyond” will be held 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 24. At 7 p.m., there will be alive performance by professional Argentine tango dancers.

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