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Welcome to the Artist Directory!

Here you will find highly skilled artists across the Kansas City region – from poets and musicians to sculptors and choreographers. Discover a new favorite or your next collaboration using the search tools! Click on an artist to learn more about their work and view upcoming events.

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sharyl salmonson

Visual; photography

A Creative she currently is living in Olathe with her family of 5. Sharyl studied painting and graphic design at JCCC and KU. In 2009 she opened a family photography business, Laughter Loves Photography. in 2019 she spent some time on surreal photography projects just for her own personal collections. She also started a watercolor side business is 2020. Since then she has combined her love of photography and all things surreal with her watercolor paintings that are starting to show up in a few online communities, and can be seen and purchased through the selling platform, Etsy.com/shop/ArtbySharyl

Robin Samberg

Visual

I’ve always been a creative person. In high school it was wheel thrown pottery. Back then, I always hoped one day to have a pottery wheel and kiln in my basement. Later on I experimented with die-cut paper crafting, and I’ve created several random, mixed media art pieces that now grace the walls of my home and those of my family. Several years back, I picked up a paintbrush. I had some canvas lying around (intended for a project I never managed to get to), and six tubes of brightly colored acrylic paint. One day I started pushing the paint around on the canvas, and well, that’s where my “adventure” started. I am a huge fan of bright, vivid colors. If you were to visit my home, you’d notice that the entire house is neutral. Walls, floors, carpet, etc. Everything IN my house, however, is an explosion of bright colors. I spend a lot of time now creating my vivid abstract images digitally. Never neutral, I create bright, whimsical abstract art designed to add a smile and a big pop of color to any room. Using nothing more than an iPad and a stylus, I create my vibrant digital paintings using various combinations of a dozen or more digital art apps, each of them adding a different dimension to the piece. The nature of digital art allows my work to be reproduced onto a wide variety of substrates. Ask me about custom items such as phone cases, cutting boards, fleece blankets and more! Someone once asked what inspires me. I replied “I paint my daydreams” Every new canvas – traditional or digital – is a color adventure! All traditional acrylic paintings on the site are originals, one-of-a-kind, and are for sale (where noted). Digital artwork orders are printed on demand. If you see something you are interested in, please contact me! (I am located in the Kansas City Metropolitan area)

Larkin Sanders

Multi-Disciplinary; Music

Dr. Larkin Sanders is a native of Branson, Missouri and currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri where she works as the Director of Marketing and Community Engagement for the Friends of Chamber Music, is the Secretary of the American Single Reed Summit, maintains a private clarinet studio, and performs with Xiphias Trio and other various ensembles. Most notably, Larkin is the founder, executive-artistic director, and a clarinetist of the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, a summer music festival in Branson, Missouri. Dr. Sanders is also a Woodwind Method Clinician for D’Addario Woodwinds, for which she frequently gives masterclasses and lectures. She is also a Selmer Paris Artist and performs on Selmer Présence clarinets in addition to D’Addario Reserve mouthpieces and Reserve Classic reeds. In addition to her activities as a clarinetist, teacher, and administrator, Dr. Sanders is also a composer who has a fondness for songs and unique chamber ensembles. Larkin has had her works performed in a variety of settings. Her works are inspired by the talents of her friends and colleagues, and the genres of her works span from chamber operettas, art songs, children’s music, and more. Dr. Sanders recently completed her Doctor of Music degree in clarinet performance and a certificate in arts administration at Florida State University. At FSU, she has studied clarinet with Dr. Frank Kowalsky and Dr. Deborah Bish. Larkin also holds a master of music degree from Michigan State University where she studied clarinet with Dr. Justin O’Dell and composition with Dr. Ricardo Lorenz. Previously, she earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas while studying clarinet with Dr. Stephanie Zelnick and Dr. Larry Maxey. In addition to her exciting musical activities, Dr. Sanders is also an avid craftswoman and enjoys sewing, furniture rehab, and other creative activities. In her free time, she enjoys creating things, reading, and spending time with her Norwegian forest cat, Miles, and her borador pup, Miko.

Angelica Sandoval

Visual

Angelica Sandoval is a sculptor and designer whose installations defy the traditional conventional aspects of porcelain. Sandoval’s work revolves around the act of synthesizing materials and space in conjunction with light. Sandoval was awarded the Arts KC Inspiration Grant in 2012 and again in 2014 toward an installation in the Historic Power & Light Building. Sandoval was a resident of the Charlotte Street Foundation Urban Culture Project Studio Residency Program 2011-2012 and did a summer residency in 2009 at Casa Marles in Llorenc del Peneds, Spain. Angelica Sandoval received a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and a Master’s degree from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She has taught at the Kansas City Art Institute, Avila University and currently teaches at Johnson County Community College.

Pablo Sanhueza

Dance; Multi-Disciplinary; Music

Pablo Sanhueza is a Chilean born and raised Latin percussionist and bandleader. Since his arrival to Kansas City in 1996, he has distinguished himself as one of the foremost exponents of Latin American and Caribbean music across the Midwest. Since 2003, Pablo has led Salsa & Latin Jazz ensembles as well as freelancing for various performing arts projects. The year 2018 marks the Fifteenth Anniversary of Pablo Sanhueza & KC Latin Jazz All-Stars. Additionally, Pablo directs Calle Vida, the “Street Life Band” side of the KC Latin Jazz All-Stars. Calle Vida’s aim is to have presence in the public space to generate improvisation in music and dance on site. This community interaction is experienced often when audience members join the professional musicians as guests during a performance. Although primarily self-taught, Pablo has immersed himself under the guidance of jazz saxophonist and composer Bobby Watson, with whom he toured Europe in 2006, appearing at Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Red Sea Jazz Festival in Holland and Champs Elysees in Paris, France. Pablo also has studied with Afro-Cuban legends Jesus Alfonso, Sandy Perez, (Muñequitos de matanzas) & Felipe Villamil (Master artist at National Endowment for the Arts, Congolese masters Titos Sompa & Mabiba Boegne, Brazilian mestre Carlos Barrao (Axe Capoeira), Senegalese drummer choreographer Fara Tolno and Zimbabwean choreographer, percussionist Rujeko Masango (Tony award winning first dancer and director of Broadway’s Fela Kuti the musical). In recent years Pablo has found himself performing alongside some of the Latin Jazz legends and African drumming masters who had inspired him in his early years. Poncho Sanchez, Titos Sompa, Dave Valentin and Bobby Watson are among the international artists Pablo has had the honor to play with. Pablo sees himself as a village musician whose presence and impact in the community is experienced through live performance and perpetuated through relationship building with the youth and local institutions.

Elisabeth Sauer

Visual

I paint both in the studio and outside en plein air. In addition to depicting local landscapes, I love to travel and record the places I go through painting including New Mexico, Colorado, California, and Italy. I have painted full-time for 15 years after practicing law for 30 years. I have a studio in the Historic Livestock Exchange Building in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, MO.

Alexej Savreux

Literary; Performance Art; Visual

Alexej is a poet, satirist, artist, and journalist living and working in Kansas City. Alexej’s literature incorporates philosophy, and STEM with a satirical bent. He has authored and co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles and written for art publications in the region. Alexej’s poetry and art can be purchased on his website, at local and regional bookstores, through most major online vendors, and can be borrowed through interlibrary loan. Savreux is currently available for readings, media interviews, artist presentations/guest lectures, collaborations, and opportunities throughout the Kansas City metro area and beyond.

Royal Scanlon

Visual; Composite Imaging- Photo/Graphic Art. A blending of Graphic Artwork & Photography

A little about Myself and My Art My involvement in the creative process, nurtured by my mother (a talented artist in her own right) started at a very early age. With her guidance I began drawing and painting as a youth and studying art in earnest throughout my years of schooling. For example, in what would ordinarily be ones junior and senior years of high school here in the USA, I attended two schools simultaneously, spending half of my days at high school and half days at a vocational school, receiving a high school diploma from the former and a two year degree in Commercial Art from the latter. With time and changes my focus (no pun intended) shifted into the photographic arts as well, and soon I began combining the two disciplines, graphic arts and photography. In the end my work might best be described as a “composite imaging” technique. I look at the images I’ve taken, find which elements within those images most fascinate me, isolate them and then combine them with elements from others of my photographs as well as interjecting elements created using my graphic art training and skills and, keep right on doing that until, I discover that which I was meant to discover when I embarked upon the journey in the first place. That is to say, I follow the muse wherever it leads me and in so doing, my art creates itself.

Ross Schartel

Visual

Ceramist and Art Historian Ross Schartel living and working in Kansas City. Graduating from Pittsburg State University in 2014 with a degree in history and a minor in art, Schartel is currently researching the work of mid-century color theorist and painter Robert Clark Nelson. Schartel works in a variety of mediums including sculpture, ceramics, and fiber. Schartel’s ceramics focuses on working through quarter-life crisis fears, monetary short-comings, imminent threats of death, and the ideas of being forgotten, through functional pottery and sculpture.

Holly Ann Schenk

Visual

Holly grew up in Nebraska, where she received both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Art Education. She moved to Kansas City in 1982, and was an art director at Hallmark Cards for twelve years. She has taught in numerous venues, including public, private elementary/high schools, as well as for the University of Nebraska-Kearney and the Kansas City Art Institute. Today, she focuses her time creating her own artwork, especially pointillist painting and pastels. Recent awards include Best of Show at Liberty Arts Squared in 2013 and Featured Artist at the 2016 ArtsKC Annual Awards Luncheon. She was also included in the Norfolk Arts Center 10th Annual Juried Exhibition 2017. Through her teaching and directing experiences, she has learned many things about all different kinds of art and has learned how to create in many different media. She loves to use color in a strong way and enjoys connecting with the viewer through her artwork.

Michael Schliefke

Visual

I paint and draw a lot of large figurative paintings. Most are rooted in social commentary and satire. I am heading off to Europe for a month because I’m sick of being around Americans. I’ll be back in January, 2022.

Michael Schupp

Visual

My artwork is an opportunity to share my vision of the world with the viewer. I am fascinated with nature, both flora and fauna. Many times the impression is expressed in a realistic rendering of an animal, flower or scene; at other times, it is an abstract work. The medium for most of my paintings is acrylic on canvas or board. When I want to work in three dimensions, I am drawn to exotic woods where I work them into originally designed keepsake or jewelry boxes. For me, there is a magic in each piece of wood I hold in my hand. At this point in my life, I am driven more to express each new exciting object as I find them, rather than exploiting a single style or direction. I grew up in southern Missouri on a dairy and chicken farm. As long as I can remember, I have spent much of my free time drawing or painting. Perhaps growing up on a farm and being surrounded by nature made an early and lasting impression on me. My adult career began as an artist for Hallmark Cards. During my 41 year career at Hallmark, I held various positions until I retired in 2010. For many years, my artwork took a backseat to raising a family. In my retirement, I have been able to devote full-time to creating art. Early in my art career I did a lot of commission portrait work and some landscapes. For the last few years, my wife and I have had the opportunity to travel widely which has allowed me to see many of my subjects personally. I like to take photographs as references for many of the paintings. With so many beautiful places and fascinating animals, I suspect I will never have enough time to paint them all.

Janis Schwartz

Visual; Photographer

Visual Artist using photography as my medium. Lived in NYC for 7 years then migrated to New Mexico for the next 14 years shooting black and white film predominantly and printing silver gelatin prints in the darkroom. That very extensive body of work and is still viable as I am still printing silver gelatin prints and always seem to find gems that were once overlooked! This work is on permanent display at Images Art Gallery in Overland Park. Here is a link to that Gallery of Work as seen in my website: https://janisschwartzphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/3945363/ My current fine art work is a collection of abstract digital photography of travel/cityscapes/Sandhill crane migrations/landscapes & flowers. Shooting architecture commercially has been steady work for the past 5 years. I am happy to work with commercial clients. Looking forward to meeting and greeting you all on a personal basis! Please check out my website: https://janisschwartzphotography.shootproof.com/

Patricia Searing

Visual; Studio Artist: Drawing, painting, portraits

Bio: Patricia Searing was born in Kansas City and lived in Los Angeles for 23 years. She now lives and works in Kansas City as a studio artist and psychologist. She holds a BFA from Cal State Long Beach and a PhD. In Human Development Psychology from Fielding Institute. She has served a lifetime of helping others as an artist, consultant, and coach. Now a senior, her art takes her into the fascinating world of people, animals, and plants. In 2022 her pastel painting “George,” was chosen for the UMKC “Number One” magazine publication. Additionally out of 220 submissions her “Smart Sunflower” oil painting was chosen by an external jury for the university-wide exhibit in 2022. The recipient of local awards, Patricia’s art has been juried into publications and gallery exhibits around the country. Statement: Integrity and authenticity in my art is very important. Therefore, I research my subjects thoroughly to develop images that accurately represent them. I work to create sensitive renderings with fine expressive lines, considerable detail, and vibrant colors. I use all drawing mediums and paint in watercolor, pastels, and oil. I work from the environments around me and also from photographs, most of which I take myself. I express my continued celebration of life by drawing and painting people, animals, and plants. I think the human form is exquisite no matter the shape or size. My figure drawings show the rotund, the thin, the athletic or flaccid; old and young humans in all their beauty. I’ve always been concerned about the safety and protection of animals; how we treat them, what we expect of them. I love their expressions, especially around the eyes. In my animal portraits I endeavor to show them as the intelligent caring creatures they are. And plants… well their growth on earth is the exact science of our ability to breathe and eat. I draw and paint to portray their sensitivity, vitality and easy-living way of existing that highlights their creativity and beauty. This is my way of, not only celebrating of all life, but of sharing with you what I see. And my art connects me to living in harmony with what we all share: the earth. I hope you have a peaceful earth-experience when you view my art whether in a gallery, on line, or on your wall.

Paul Seiz

Music

Duet to it!

Charlotte Seley

Literary

Charlotte Seley is a writer and poet from the Hudson Valley region of New York, currently residing in Kansas City. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College and her BA with a concentration in Creative Writing from Eugene Lang College of the New School for Liberal Arts. Her first collection of poetry, The World is My Rival, is forthcoming from Spuyten Duyvil Press. She served as the Editor-in-Chief and Poetry Editor of Redivider, as well as poetry reader and first-round judge for the Emerging Writers Contest with the literary journal Ploughshares. She also used to manage the digital media and communications for the monthly reading series Mr. Hip Presents, located in Jamaica Plain, MA. Mr. Hip Presents infused social media into poetry, spoken word, youth poets, and live music performances to create a dynamic experience open to conversation, appreciation, and live expression. Charlotte has led workshops and courses on writing, professional development, and social media. Recently, she taught a workshop on celebrity inspiration in poetry to Boston high school students for the MassPoetry Student Day of Poetry at UMass Boston. Past courses have included: Leveraging Social Media at Your Artist Event; Resume & Cover Letter Writing; Writing Through Genres (modeled for a 101 class); and more.

Kyle Selley

Multi-Disciplinary; Visual

Kyle Selley (b. 1992) is a Kansas City-based artist best known for his Firework Residue Paintings which explore ideas surrounding nostalgia, spirituality, and the sublime. KC Studio Magazine has referred to his flatwork as “naturally celestial” and “suggestive of infinite space.” Selley builds composition playfully and intuitively, reminiscent of abstract expressionism and artists such as Jackson Pollock and Wassily Kandinsky. He references artist Cai Guo-Qiang, but his materials and processes are entirely different. Selley’s Firework Art utilizes mediums such as videography, digital imagery, performance, ceramics, works on paper, works on canvas, and works on glass/plexiglass. His work set a new precedent in artistic techniques incorporating firework residue. Selley has been nourishing a relationship with fireworks since early childhood. He was using them in creative and experimentative ways long before he felt compelled to create traditional artwork. Selley is currently represented by SNW Gallery and Leawood Fine Art Gallery. He is sponsored by Dominator Fireworks in Beijing, China. He graduated from Johnson County Community College with an Associate of Arts degree, studied sculpture and ceramics at the University of Tasmania, and graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Katie Seymour

Visual

Animals have been used in art as metaphors and referends for human experiences and emotions since the beginning of time. They are sources of comfort, wisdom, bliss, tragedy, insight and survival yet we often take advantage of and abuse these very animals as well as their environments for our own benefit and comfort. My work stems from this ironic animal-human dichotomy and strives to challenge the viewer to take a more profound look at how easily we betray the ecosystem thus negatively impacting the very thing that sustains our own survival. Through this concept I aim to advocate that our apathetic actions paralleled with their organic susceptibility are not just occurring in a distant zone of war, but rather at the heart of our very own domestic and intimate lives. By saving them, we save ourselves. By destroying them, we destroy ourselves.

Phil "Sike Style" Shafer

Community-Based Art; Visual; Mural painting, Public speaking, Studio art, event art

My love for street art and graffiti has led me work as a muralist. I started with a small outdoor painting in my own neighborhood and has that has led to larger opportunities to collaborate with corporate clients and arts organizations. Public art is important to me because it allows me to give back to the community through my talents. My goal is to transform bland or vandalized surfaces into murals that uplift and inspire the neighborhood residents. Whether is through the use of Maya Angelou quote painted on bricks or abstract shapes of color sprayed on a doorway, the idea that public art can change a space and help people feel pride in their surroundings is important to me. I also create abstract paintings in my studio practice along with “Live Art” style paintings at events. Please check out my web site for more info and project references.

Marc Shank

Visual

ABOUT THE ARTIST Marc Shank is a Kansas City-based artist whose work consists of large-scale acrylic and ink paintings as well as small portraits and silk-screen prints. His work has been showcased at various galleries and venues throughout the Midwest including a one-man exhibition at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in 2013. In 2012 his work received national attention on the MSN Travel Series Re:Discover and has been featured in a number of area publications including the Kansas City Star, Johnson County Lifestyle, The Pitch and Ink Magazine. Shank is a 2014 Artist, Inc. fellow. ABOUT THE ART Scurvyville is an on-going narrative painting series immersing visitors in the lives of the oddball residents of an eccentric fictional town. Piece by piece, the series walks viewers through a fly-on-the-wall tour of the town’s streets, alleyways and sordid hangouts, revealing the quirky inner lives of Scurvyville’s residents. SELECTED EXHIBITIONS Kauffman Center for Performing Arts – Lobby Exhibition – November 17, 2016 Little to Show (Solo Exhibition) – Wheat Studios – Kansas City, MO October First Fridays, 2015 Boulevardia – July, 2015 Hello Art Featured Artist (Solo Exhibition) – Wheat Studios – Kansas City, MO October First Fridays 2013 Home Works (Group Exhibition) – The Baker Arts Center – Liberal, KS June – August 2013 Local Color: A Narrative of Scurvyville (Solo Exhibition) – The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art – St. Joseph, MO April – June 2013 The Pitch Presents Artopia Group Exhibition – Screenland Crossroads – Kansas City, MO April 2012 Welcome to Scurvyville: The Artwork of Marc Shank (Solo Exhibition) – Piper Lofts – Kansas City, MO October 2011 Open Studios on Charlotte Street (Group Exhibition) – Kansas City, MO 2009 9th National Juried Art Exhibition – Baker Arts Center – Liberal, KS 2006 PUBLICATIONS/MEDIA Blue Monday Review – Volume 3, No. 2 Cover – July, 2016 The Pitch – Middle of the Map Fest Event Guide – April 27, 2016 Andrews McMeel’s GoComics – 2014-2015 The Pitch – Crossroads Hit List – October 2, 2013 Leader & Times – Visit Scurvyville this Weekend – July 5, 2013 Johnson County Lifestyle – Our Favorite KC Artists – June 27, 2013 St. Joseph News Press – Three New Exhibits Open at Albrecht Kemper – April 18, 2013 Kansas City Star – A Narrative of Scurvyville – April 14, 2013 MSN Re:Discover – A Surprisingly Good Fit for Art – August 24, 2012 Ink – Best of the Week – October 6, 2011 Kansas City Star – First Fridays Featured Shows – October 6, 2011 The Pitch – Night & Day Featured Shows – October 6, 2011 The Pitch – Crossroads Exhibition Guide – Cover Image – May, 2009 ORGANIZATIONS/AFFILIATIONS Artist Inc. (2014 Fellow), Hello Art, Art & Copy Club of Kansas City, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City

Leah Shay-Zapien

Visual

I am a Kansas City artist with a BFA in studio art degree with an emphasis in painting from the University of Central Missouri. My favorite thing to draw is the human figure. The types of media I prefer are ballpoint pens for portraits, acrylic paint on canvas, and embroidery thread on fabric.

Nathan Sheets

Visual

Nate Sheets is a Kansas City-based photographer, specializing in luxury real estate photography services, business professional headshots, and commercial architectural photography. Starting in 2015, Nate’s love of taking pictures dwindled from a hobby to a career with the promising talent he exploited. In the three years to follow, Nate has worked with companies like ArtsKC, 435 Magazine, Freelance, and various Art Festivals. Nate prides himself on the quality of his work and is always open to taking on new projects with clients, whatever they may be. Whether you’re looking for headshots for the new business card, real estate pictures to sell the house, or commercial photography for any other needs, Nate Sheets has you covered.

Michele Sherlock

Visual

Michele Renee Sherlock United States ARTIST STATEMENT Kansas City based contemporary, abstract artist, Michele Renee Sherlock, is an emerging artist with national exposure. She has lived in 3 of the largest cities in the U.S., New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Her artistic influences began when she developed a love of travel. Michele’s travels have taken her to Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and almost every state in the U.S. During these travels, Michele would plan visits to the local art museums and significant architectural sites. “I travel to absorb the culture and study significant local artists.” Michele is a self-educated artist, working with acrylics and mixed media. Michele’s process is intuitive, allowing the flow of the paint to direct color and form selection. Michele’s paintings are non-objective, abstract, energetic, and colorful. The theme of Michele’s work is one of expressing on canvas the visual aspects of our world, along with the emotional characteristics of her personality and nature. Michele’s artistic mentor is award-winning, contemporary, abstract artist, Clara Berta. She has also studied with abstract artist, Daniel Diaz-Tai, collage artist Kathy Leader, and intuitive artist, Jesse Reno. Currently, Michele enjoys working in her studio in Kansas City, MO.

Anita Shikles

Community-Based Art; Visual

I am Anita Shikles, Artist. I have worked as a full time artist for over 25 years, and travel throughout the Midwest to do commission work. I have work on exhibit at Bonner Springs Arts Alliance, and other locations. I do a variety of visual arts, mainly etching on stone and paintings. My background is in illustration, and I offer historical and realistic style art. My stone etchings are done on monuments and headstones, as well as granite and marble tile and polished stone. My etchings will be around for centuries. I have a lot of public art pieces in cities through the midwest, and I specialize in Veteran’s memorials as well as personal monuments. I also offer pet headstones, and portraits done on granite. In addition to etching, I offer paintings done in acrylic and oil. My style is basically realism and I like to include historical value to my work. Sizes vary from very small to full size murals, both inside and outdoor venues. Art basics are important to pass along to future generations. I enjoy offering classes to people who want to understand how art works, and how to see. It is also important for students to try different techniques and styles, and I like to encourage them to develop their skills. I am happy to mentor art students, and encourage them to find their place in the arts. In addition, I enjoy mixing music and visual art. There is a common thread that connects them together, and the style connects.

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