A collection of visually stunning portraits, on display at Central Resource Library until Dec. 21, highlights amazingly accomplished women. It is drawing rave reviews from patrons.
For artist Patti Streeper, these compelling works are her way of honoring heroic and pioneering women who are often unsung or under-appreciated for their achievements, dedication and courage.
“With this work, my goal is to spark curiosity and encourage the viewer to learn more about what comprises women’s work,” she says, “and to inspire conversation about the contributions of all women.”
Johnson County Local Arts Librarian Bryan Voell says the Library is thrilled to host this show.
“Patti Streeper’s portraits are timeless and eye-catching, provoking the kind of storytelling and curiosity that are the hallmarks of any public Library,” he said. “Both patrons and staff have remarked how much they enjoy this exhibition.”
The public can hear more about this show when Streeper speaks at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Johnson County Community College’s Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Streeper grew up in Illinois and got a fine arts degree, concentrating on printmaking, at Southern Illinois University.
After college she landed a job at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, where she stayed for nearly 35 years. It was a very fulfilling career, but always in management and business innovation, not as an artist. She married and raised two daughters, who are pursuing their own careers.
Her position in corporate leadership was stressful, and Streeper’s husband, Tully Larkin, encouraged her to find a creative outlet. He persuaded her to reach out to Robert Quackenbush, an artist and mentor who owns Studio Q, an artists’ workspace.
That launched a whole new chapter for Streeper, as she started painting, first with acrylic and then with oils. She painted for a few years while still working for Hallmark, then even more intentionally after she retired in 2016.
She was fascinated by faces and the storytelling potential of portraiture. Faces introduced her to the stories of little-known women leaders throughout history. “It was this whole thread of the accomplishments of these women from all walks of life,” she said.
At first she painted with no thought of showing her work. “There’s something wonderful and beautiful about doing something like that for yourself,” she said. “I was there to explore, to listen to my own heart.”
But she was discovering incredible women of diverse ethnic backgrounds in science, the arts, education and social activism, who deserve public recognition.
Through a personal connection, Streeper mounted her first show of 10 portraits at Westwood City Hall in 2021. That garnered other invitations, including at Lenexa City Hall and at the Woodneath Library in spring 2022. Johnson County Reference Librarian Helen Hokanson attended one of the shows and connected Streeper with Voell.
The Library show includes pioneering Mexican-American botanist Ynez Mexia, who began her career at age 51; Zitkala-Sa, a Yankton Dakota musician who co-composed the first American Indian opera; prison scholar Ruth Wilson Gilmore; and Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage, among many others.
Most wonderfully for Johnson County Library, this show features a portrait of Kay Robeson, one of the Library’s original founders, and a grand painting of a Johnson County Library bookmobile from 1956, with Robeson and four other Library founders, including first County Librarian Shirley Brother.
The Library’s annual Writers Conference, Nov. 17-19 at Central Resource Library, was also inspired by Streeper’s work and incorporated the show into their activities. Writing prompts ask participants to respond to her portraits by researching the subject of one of her paintings, or offering up first impressions.
Streeper said Johnson County Library has been a great venue to share her work and her passion.
“In general, I think understanding human ability and human potential as a leader, that was always incredibly important to me,” she says. “Seeing and sharing the potential in these women is particularly important to me.”