“There’s a big divide between contemporary conceptual abstract artists and traditional representational artists,” Kacena explains. “There’s friendship, and mutual respect, but not much understanding.” With both schools content to approach the world in familiar perspective, the gulf between them has gone mostly unremarked. Kacena, however, occupies a singular middle ground, giving him a clear view of both the rift and its remedy. As a prominent abstract artist, Kacena’s affinity for conceptual art is bone-deep. As gallery director of Evergreen Fine Art, he’s intimately acquainted with many of Colorado’s finest representational painters and sculptors. As co-owner of Artuvus Studios, he’s immersed in media and genres spanning the creative map. And from his place at the crossroads of so many artistic avenues, Kacena has become aware of a professional division amongst his colleagues. “I started to see that abstract and conceptual artists really don’t go to representational shows, and representational/traditional artists don’t really visit contemporary galleries. It got me thinking about the concept of conflicting aesthetics, and I wanted to find a way to bridge the divide.”