Provocative. Exquisite. Curious. Captivating. Magnifique! Talented local artists supply us with some amazing art. Come into your neighborhood Library and see what's hanging around. Bring an espresso, speak a little French, munch on a baguette and you'll swear you're at the Louvre!
While we are taking a break from in-person Exhibitions due to COVID-19 precautions, we will continue to feature interviews with some of the best visual artists in the Kansas City metro area.
After a diagnosis of severe post-traumatic stress disorder in 2011, Michael Schmaltz underwent several therapy sessions involving art. In 2012 he decided to buy oil paint and canvasses and started a series of self-portraits. He paints portraits of women because they can show...
When working on his art, Francisco Gabuardy draws from a lexicon of personal symbols. Many symbols allude to family ties, but also to larger concepts such as freedom and survival. He considers himself a mixed media artist who can create something out of anything he can get my hands on. However, he likes to re-explore the plethora of information and techniques that he’s confident with. This is why his work carries a playful knowledge of color, material, composition and attention to detail, which is infused with symbolism and narrative. Come view some of his work currently on display at Gardner Library.
Artist Statement: Lindsey Yankey grew up in rural Kansas playing outside, painting, drawing, and playing sports. She studied Illustration at the University of Kansas and is currently living in Lawrence, KS, with her family and their jungle of house plants. She finds...
Steph Kates began her art career as a painter, creating otherworldly landscapes exploring mythology, fairytales and fables. When she transitioned from painting to ceramics, she combined her years of experience with image-making, illustration and pattern work to the practice of pottery.
Talk about the work on view. What would you like people to know about it?
The purpose of my paintings is to create a space where viewers can get lost exploring. My work is centered around mental health, specifically depression and anxiety. Painting is not only a process...
Kansas-City-born illustrator, painter, ceramicist and part-time junk collector, Dick Daniels is a child of the 50’s who blossomed in the full glare of the psychedelic ‘60’s, influenced by the underground commix movement, abandoned amusement parks, American folk art and cheap...
Why do I paint? To delineate an interpretation of the visual world is a process of comprehending the balance, tension and wonders of life. As Degas said: “Painting is not what you see but what you make others see.” When I paint the landscape, tension is created as I strive...
Introduce yourself and describe your work and the media/genre you work in.
I’m primarily a photographer. It’s my first love. The last couple of years I’ve been exploring digital means for making art. These drawings are done on a tablet.
What would you like people to...
Introduce yourself and describe your work and the media/genre you work in.
Hi, my name is Melanie Nolker and I am a full time oil painter here in the Kansas City area. I paint with the colors of Monet, and with a palette knife (a small trowel) instead of a brush. Using...
Introduce yourself and describe your work.
My name is Matt Hawkins. I’m a paper toy making, toy designing, illustrating, banjo picking, incessant doodler working away in an attic in Overland Park.I weave humor and energy into bold, whimsical art for humorous and often...
