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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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Ignea Strata

Music

Ignea Strata is a Kansas City-based vocal quartet specializing both early and contemporary music. Performing rarely-heard repertoire from the middle ages and renaissance, Ignea Strata marries meticulous scholarship to a creative and imaginative approach to modern performance. Ignea Strata was founded in 2016 by vocalists Lucy Conklin, Joanna Ehlers, Kirsten Hyde, and Artistic Director Leslee Wood. Currently in their second season, Ignea Strata has been praised for its “fine performers, ingenious programming, and thoughtful planning” (Lee Hartman, KC Metropolis).

Noelle Stoffel

Community-Based Art; Visual

Noelle Stoffel may have set a new standard for an early career start, since she accompanied her father to art classes at age five. Later in childhood she would be matched with artist Joyce Winter in Wisconsin, and for over thirteen years would spend six hours or more most Saturdays in the Winter studio working with paint, clay, and charcoal, experimenting with nearly every medium and tool imaginable. “I learned there that art was everywhere, in every aspect of life,” Noelle recalls. “In the years ahead when I traveled with my family, observed architecture and nature, and reflected on events, I’d find myself studying surfaces, light play and the texture of everyday objects. And these mixed with the feelings evoked by the relationships in my life. I turned naturally to the canvas to interpret all these shifting views and emotions.” Study at a private high school for the arts only increased her passion, and helped direct her to the Kansas City Art Institute for training. After art school, she fulfilled a childhood dream of designing for Hallmark, and then shifted to focus on her own paintings for galleries, exhibitions and commissions. She paints mostly expressionist and abstract works, some textural with acrylic paint and mixed media. For her, expressionism is the visual interpretation of emotions: the result of movement, gestures, colors playing over and against each other, framed by the communication of an inner vision. “It’s what flows from me to the canvas,” she explains, “when I open myself up and let go.” Her work can be found in galleries and collections throughout the United States, as well as Mexico and the Caribbean. Permanent Collections: American Century’s Global headquarters in New York and American Century Kansas City The Department of Homeland Security Utah Central Piedmont Surgery Center North Carolina Miami Medical Center Miami, Florida Houston Physicians Group Houston, Texas Summit Medical Center Casper, Wyoming Baird Financial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Heartland Surgery Center Nebraska Blue Cross Blue Shield Corporate office Kansas City Black and Veatch Kansas City Coldwell Banker Kansas City Bank Midwest Kansas City Spaces Magazine Kansas City Shawnee Mission hospital Overland Park, Kansas St. Luke’s Hospital (s) Kansas City Uvanta Kansas City Sulgrave Regency Kansas City Publications: Leawood Lifestyle magazine (s) Johnson County Lifestyle Whispering Prairie Press, KC Voices Magazine (s) (additionally, art curator for KC Voices Magazine 2017) Verge Magazine American Art Collector Featured as the “Not So Starving Artist” in Red Dot Blog by Xanadu Gallery Kansas City Star

Nanci Stoeffler

Visual

BEGINNINGS In 2011 Nanci found her creative voice through discovering her own unique, free-flowing, playful and emotionally expressionistic painting techniques. When describing this time in her creative journey she says; “It felt as if I had just “woken up” to the realization that I had been digging for creative oil all of my life. And as I was immersing myself this way of creating, I realized I had finally found a gusher.” After about six months of spending 10-30 hours a week experimenting and “playing” with paints and a pallet knife, she was accepted into Got Art Gallery’s Spring Fling show in 2012. In 2014 she began selling her art at fairs and art walks in Missouri and Kansas as well as giving private lessons to children and adults. In the winter of 2014 her work was featured on the cover of Baseline a Literary Arts Magazine. CREATIVITY WORKSHOPS Teaching private lessons also helped Nanci discover a broader scope of her gifts: “When I first began sharing my art process with friends and family on a one-on-one basis, I quickly discovered the techniques I had developed on my own actually help other people discover, uncover and recover their own creativity. It is my heart’s desire to expose people to my creative process for the purpose of enriching their lives and helping them find their own creative gusher.” This lead Nanci to develop her own Creativity Workshops called Awaken the Artist Within which she teaches to children and adults. WEARABLE ART, ARTS PUBLICATIONS, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT In 2015 Nanci began making and selling “wearable art” in the form of art pendants, which are mini-prints of full-size paintings. In 2015 she launched her website blog where she share the stories behind some of her artwork. In 2015 Nanci started an arts program at her church where she facilitates multidiscipline creative programs for the arts and the church at large including; an Arts in Prison Project, a Writer’s Club and an Arts & Crafts Club. In 2016 she was asked to create and facilitate a curriculum for participants in post-session artistic activities for a local Community Forum. In February of 2017 Nanci’s first arts-related article which was published on artpeoplegallery.com In the article, Nanci shares how she overcame roadblocks to find her creative voice. INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR In February of 2017 Galería Gaudí (a gallery in Madrid, Spain) invited Nanci to participate in an international Art Fair in Cologne, Germany called Kölner Liste, Fair for Contemporary Art, which was held in April of the same year. Through sponsor support, she was able to ship 5 of her paintings to the fair for the gallery to show on her behalf. This opportunity enabled Nanci to showcase her art to international patrons, collectors, dealers and investors. PRESENT WORK AND FUTURE VISION Nanci continues to share, sell and teach art in public and private venues locally and is starting to branch out internationally too. She has many long-term dreams/ goals which include: fully functioning studio space (so far she’s only worked out of her apartment), gallery space (including a Gallery-on-the-Go), more wearable art, book publication(s), an Arts and Stillness Retreat Center …and much more. To learn more about Nanci’s Vision Plan, please contact her directly or click here. Currently Nanci resides in Kansas City, Missouri where she also works parttime as a Communications Director.

Bridget Stewart

Visual

MARY BRIDGET STEWART 1988 M.F.A. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 1986 M.A. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 1982 B.A.E. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 1981 B.F.A. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas EMPLOYMENT 2005-Present: Adjunct Professor of Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS 2004: Art Faculty, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri Art Faculty, Community School of the Arts, Kansas City, Missouri 1991-2013: Master Teacher in Printmaking, Young Audiences, Kansas City, Missouri 1991-2002: Assistant Director, Kansas City Artists Coalition, Kansas City, Missouri 1991-1993: Instructor, Printmaking, Lawrence Arts Center, Lawrence, Kansas 1990-1999: Adjunct Faculty, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Kansas City, Kansas 1991-1992: Instructor, Drawing, Johnson County Parks and Recreation, Overland Park, KS 1988-1991: Substitute Teacher, Kansas City Missouri School District, Kansas City, Missouri 1986-1987: Instructor, Drawing, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 1985-1987: Instructor, Drawing/Printmaking, Arts and Crafts Center, Iowa City, Iowa AWARDS/GRANTS 2012: KC Inspiration Grant 1999: Charlotte Street Fund Award 1989: Kansas Arts Commission Technical Assistantship in Collaborative Lithography Project, Lawrence Lithography Workshop, Lawrence, Kansas PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 2009-Present: Adjunct Liaison: JCCC Art Department 2005-2010: President, Hand Print Press, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri 2007: Steering Committee: Southern Graphics Council Conference; “Points, Plots and Ploys”, Kansas City, Missouri 2006: Juror, Blue Valley School District Art Exhibit and Awards, Blue Valley, Missouri 2004: Truman Medical Center/KC Young Audiences Art Program Board, Kansas City, Missouri Panel: Art & Communication, Central High School, Kansas City, Missouri 2003-2004: KC Young Audiences Teacher’s Advisory Board, Kansas City, Missouri 1999: Juror, Columbia Art League’s Art Fest ‘99, Columbia, Missouri Selection Committee: UMKC/Hand Print Press Scholarship Awards, Kansas City, Missouri Lecture/Demonstration: Children’s Day at the Nelson, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri 1998: Lecture: Inked in Time, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri 1995-2002: Printmaking Workshops, MLK Day Festivities, Harmony Center, Kansas City, Missouri 1994-1998: Chair: Gallery Crawl for AIDS Awareness, Kansas City. Missouri 1994: Juror, Boone County National Bank’s 12th Annual Exhibition, Columbia, Missouri 1993: Juror, Scholastic Art Awards, Kansas City, Missouri 1992: Chair: 9th Annual Benefit Art Auction, Kansas City Artists Coalition, Kansas City, Missouri 1986-1988: Juror, Fine Arts Council’s Thieves Market, Iowa City, Iowa SELECTED EXHIBITION PARTICIPATION 2015 Bookends: Lewis Art Gallery, Jackson, MS; Juried Exhibit, Benjamin D. Rhinehart, Professor of Printmaking, Lawrence University, Juror HPP New Portfolio Exhibition: UMKC Gallery of Art, Kansas City, MO; Group Exhibit Exquisite Corpse: Wallace Engineering, Kansas City, MO; Group Exhibit Urban/Suburban: Epstein Gallery, Overland Park, KS; Invitational Exhibit, April Watson, Curator of Photography, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Curator 2014 FlatFile Project 2014: Block Art Space, Kansas City, MO; Invitational Group Exhibit 2012 FlatFile Project 2012: Block ArtSpace, Kansas City, MO; Invitational Group Exhibit 2011 Hand Print Press at 15:KU Medical Library Gallery, Kansas City, MO; Group Exhibit Images Au Natural: VALA Gallery, Mission, Kansas: Invitational Exhibit 2010 What We’ve Sown, What We’ve Grown, What We’ve Gathered: VALA Gallery, Mission, Kansas: Solo Exhibit FlatFile Project 2010: Block ArtSpace, Kansas City, MO; Invitational Group Exhibit 2009 (S) edition: Prints as Activism: Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, Grand Rapids Michigan; Juried Group Exhibit Hand Print Press at 15: Nerman Museum of Art, Overland Park, Kansas; Curated Group Exhibit, Bruce Hartman, Director Nerman Museum of Art, Curator Garden of Earthly Delights: Billington Library, Overland Park, Kansas; Solo Exhibit 2008 Hand Print Press Selected Works: Kaw Valley Arts, Kansas City, Kansas; Group Exhibit FlatFile Project 2008: Block ArtSpace, Kansas City, MO; Invitational Group Exhibit 2007 UMKC National Print Exhibit: UMKC Gallery of Art, Kansas City, Missouri; Juried Exhibit: Melissa Rountree, Curator, Hallmark Collection, Juror Hand Print Press Portfolio Selections 1991-2006: KU Med Center Dykes Library, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit Duets: a Collaboration of Artists and Writers: American Century Headquarters, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit Hand Print Press Portfolio Selections 1991-2006: Central Exchange, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit Here and Now: Kansas City Regional Prints: Michael Cross Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit 2006 Liberty and Security In a Post 9-11 World: Pool Art Center Gallery of Drury University, Springfield, Missouri; Juried Exhibit, Peter Clothier, Juror Duets: a Collaboration of Artists and Writers: UMKC Gallery of Art, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit Perilous Peridea : Billington Library at Johnson County Community College. Overland Park, Kansas; Solo Exhibit 2005 FlatFile Project 2005: Block ArtSpace, Kansas City, MO; Invitational Group Exhibit American Prints in Troubled Times: Cairo, Egypt and Lincoln, Nebraska; Juried Exhibit, Karen Kunc, Prof of Printmaking, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Juror Goodbye to Hollwood: Bellevue University Gallery, Bellevue, Nebraska; Invitational 2004 Abstract 8: Merriam Gallery, Merriam, Kansas; Invitational Group Exhibit FlatFile Project 2004: Block ArtSpace, Kansas City, MO; Invitational Group Exhibit 2003 10 Years of Handprint Press, UMKC Gallery of Art, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit Stewart/Thompson: Digital Arts Gallery, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas; Two-Person Exhibit Civil Rights/Human Rights: Kim Kirk Arts, Richmond, Virginia; Group Exhibit 2002 Open Studios 2002: New Works Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit 2001 Flat File Project 2001: Block Artspace, Kansas City, Missouri; Invitational Group Exhibit Road Show: St. Louis Art Guild, St. Louis, Missouri; Juried Exhibit: Jessica Rowe, Curator, Des Moines Art Center, Juror 2000 Open Studios 2000: New Works Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit Collateral Damage: Massman Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri; Solo Exhibit Working in Kansas City/Charlotte Street Award Winners: Block Artspace, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit; Rachell Smith, Director, Block Artspace, Curator 1999 Both are Naked: None are Safe: Joseph Nease Gallery, Kansas City, MO; Solo Exhibit Designer ShowHouse: Kansas City, Missouri, Group Exhibit Fourth Portfolio/Hand Print Press: Michael Cross Gallery, Kansas City, Missouri; Group Exhibit SELECTED COLLECTIONS Raymond and Patsy Nasher Private Collection American Century Collection, Kansas City, MO Kansas City Power and Light Collection, Kansas City, MO Kirkwood Community College, Kirkwood, IA KU Medical Center Collection of Art, Kansas City, MO Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, KS Sprint Corporation Collection, Overland Park, KS Stowers Institute Collection, Kansas City, MO Consulate of Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand University of Iowa Collection, Iowa City, IA SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Hand Magazine Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 Handprint Press at 15 Nerman Museum Exhibit: UMKC Press, 2009 10 Years: Charlotte Street Foundation: Charlotte Street Foundation, 2007 Making Prints, Review Spring 2007 Handprint Press 10th Anniversary Portfolio: UMKC Press, 2003 Art Exposed: A Guide to Kansas City Open Studios: K C Artists Coalition, 2002 Show + Tell: Potpourri Publications, 2000 Charlotte Street Fund winners, get funds, encouragement: Kansas City Star, May 1999 Show shares angst, alienation, loss: Kansas City Star, July 1997 Remembers: Forum, November/December 1995 Bridget Stewart in the Jacqueline B. Charno Gallery: Forum, Nov/December, 1995 Muse’s War: Pitch Weekly, June 1994 Bridget Stewart at the Unity: Forum, June 1992 Bridget Stewart, Monoprints: Forum, January 1992 Sometimes Risk Pays Off: Forum, July/August, 1991 Seeking Inner Connections: Kansas City Star, 1990

Ritambhara Srinivasan

Visual; Painting

Ritambhara is an Indian fashion designer and artist with a Bachelor in Design from National Institute of Fashion Technology, India and a Postgraduate in International Fashion Management from George Brown College, Toronto, Canada. She worked as a garment designer in India and Canada before she moved to Kansas City. Working closely with artisans in India, she fell in love with Indian folk & abstract art. She started with handmade shoes and clutches for her label “Tvanta” and forayed into canvas paintings for art exhibits. Most of her paintings are a fusion of different techniques, textures, colors, mediums and her experiments with different styles of paintings combined in her own unique way. She is an ambassador for Rightfully Sewn, a Kansas City based fashion-focused, charitable organization that provides seamstress training for at-risk women and assists them with job placement. Any form of art is an inspiration and anything and everything is a canvas for her.

Vania Soto

Visual

Kansas City Local artist V. Soto was born in Juarez, Mexico and began selling paintings at age 13. Inspired by proud cultural icons such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, she connects with her by heritage by maintaining influential traditions from this rich past. Building on this theme, Day of the Dead symbolism is prevalent in her work, again as a way of connecting to the longstanding customs of her family and community and expressing its beauty through art. Her main media is acrylics and she also works in mixed media. She describes her work as realism with a pop of surrealism.

Sheron Smith

Visual; sculpting

Sheron Yvonne Smith paints daily in her studio. She creates highly textured works in acrylic, oils, and mixed media. She is an active participant in ArtsKC’s Now Showing Program. Sheron was a featured artist at the ArtsKC Breakfast in 2015. Sheron’s work is on permanent display in the Tap Room at Waldo’s (7433 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo). Her work has been on display in many Kansas City shows and venues throughout the years.

Samantha Slupski

Community-Based Art; Literary; Performance Art

Samantha Slupski is a poet and mental health advocate based right in the heart of the Midwest. She first stepped on stage in December 2015 at Uptown Arts Bar in Kansas City, Missouri, and stage has been her home ever since. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Poetic Underground, Slam Master of Kansas City Poetry Slam, co-director of Chameleon Arts, a board member for Fountainverse, the Kansas City Small Press Poetry Fest, an ARTS KC grant recipient, and was voted the 2nd best spoken word artist in The Pitch’s Best of 2017. Samantha’s first book of poetry was published in January 2017 by EMP Press in Kansas City, MO, has been published in various online journals such as Pressure Gauge Press, Blue Mountain Review, and Jazz Cigarette, and has been published on the Write About Now Youtube Channel. She has performed at Midwest Word Fest 2016, and has competed in Texas Grand Slam 2016 and 2017. She is known in her beloved city as the “Queen of Sad,” due to her Sad Poetry™ but can most often be found smiling while drinking coffee or playing with other people’s dogs.

James "SugEasy" Singleton

Dance; Music; Performance Art; Visual

James “SugEasy” Singleton I am Hip Hop. I love this diverse culture, I live this movement, and I am an authentic advocate for the original missions of Hip Hop: peace, love, unity and having fun. Teaching the main creative elements of Hip Hop culture (Breaking, DJing, Emceeing/Beat Box, Graffiti Writing, and Street Knowledge) is a deep passion of mine as I believe these art forms enrich lives and help people discover their own expressive selves. Education Associate’s Degree in Information Tech For Businesses, Brown Mackie College Recent Accolades Artist Inc Live Fellowship, presented by mid-america arts alliance–Fall 2018 Arts KC Inspiration Grant Recipient–February 2018 Artist Experience Choreographer/Performer Kansas City Heart Ball hosted by American Heart Association, February 2018 Choreographed Dance for ZTE Phone Annual Company Party in Shanghai, January 2018 Yanik Wedding First Dance Choreographed Routine, October 2017 “Fresh Pair” by Reach, Ft. Show Music Video Appearance, August 2017 Kansas City Heart Ball hosted by American Heart Association 2017 Dance USA, 2017 Kansas City Royals World Series Gala 2015 Cerner Masquerade Ball 2014 The Prodigal Daughter with Storling Dance Company 2013 Dance in the Park 2013 Project Dance 2012 America’s Best Dance Crew 2012 , Houston, Tx, CallBacks Legacy Christian Church -2011 & 2012 Christmas Show United Way – 2011 Commercial ESPN3 Bodybuilding Competition Competition 2011 MTV2 – Blonde Club in KC, video for “Lady Blake and Captain Nasty” Pomeroy (Alt Rock, Funk, Hip Hop Band)– Stage Performances for 11 years Kanrocksas Multi-Day Concert- Choreography and Performed Between Bands Mid West Model/Essence Tour – March 2010 Quake, Lebanon, MO, August 2008 Von Smith from American Idol, November 2009 Hip Hop Music Conference, Bartle Hall, KC, May 2009 Opened for DJ Magic Mike & Bad Boy Bill, Critical Mass Tour, Dec. 2008 Releve’ Competition Team, Lake of the Ozarks, MO – Placed Platinum and High Point Leigh’s School of Dance Competition Team, Olathe, KS – Elite Top First and Regional Category Cup The Culture House Dance Company, Olathe, KS Creative Dance and Movement Competition Team, Kansas City, MO – Platinum and Diamond Steps Competition Team, Osage Beach,MO – Platinum DeeJay and Emcee “My First Love” Daddy Daughter Dance at Crossroads Church, February 2018 New Year’s Eve Family Celebration at Lenexa Public Market, December 2017 No Trick Our Treat: Not Your Mummy’s Halloween House Party at Lenexa Public Market, October 2017 Lenexa Public Market Grand Opening, September 2017 Winter Party, Prom at Lutheran High School of Kansas City Winter Party, Father/Daughter Dance at Parkville High School Father/Daughter Dance at Rising Star Elementary Father/Daughter Dance at Legacy Christian Church Corporate Affiliates: Red Bull, Puma, The Nerdery Past Residencies: Lucky BrewGrille, The Foundry, Empire Room, Kabals, Danny’s North, Pour House, Mosaic Event Judge/Competitor Reign Royal Ball – Stepping Competition, 2016 The Hospital 4 2013, Oklahoma City–First Place City vs City 6 June 2010 Chicago, IL – Semi-Finalist There Kan Only Be One 2009 – 2nd Place Fresh Fest Competition, Omaha, NE – Title Winner in Breakdance, Beatbox, Popping Ore Negro Dance Battle KC – 2nd Place, 2009 Studio Teaching Experience (CURRENT) 360 Gym, Olathe KS Breakdance and Hip Hop Instructor Crescendo Dance Conservatory, Overland Park KS Hip Hop Dance Instructor, Choreographer Creative Dance & Movement, Shawnee KS Hip Hop Dance Instructor, Choreographer Deena Shroyer School of Dance, Leavenworth KS Hip Hop Dance Instructor, Choreographer (PREVIOUS) Mill Creek Activity Center, Shawnee KS The Culture House, Olathe KS Diamonds Dance and Gymnastics, Overland Park KS Christian Youth Theater, Overland Park KS Shooting for the Stars Smithville MO Miss Leigh’s School of Dance Diamonds Dance Academy Kansas City Young Audience DanceWorks Shooting for the Stars Academy of Dance StarStruck Releve’ (Osage Beach) Synergy LizDance School/Library Teaching Appearances Briarwood Elementary Rising Star Elementary Westwood View Elementary Spring Branch Elementary Pioneer Ridge Middle School Parks (Gordon) Elementary Midway Elementary Martin City K-8 School Grandview Middle School Crestview Elementary Center for Alternative Instructional Resources – C.A.I.R_x000B_ Clardy Elementary Chapel Hill Elementary Bridger Middle School Benton (Thomas Hart) Elementary Baptiste Educational Center Mid-Continent Public Library – Blue Springs North branch Mid-Continent Public Library – Raytown branch Mid-Continent Public Library – Riverside branch Community/Group Home Teaching Appearances Down Syndrome Guild of Kansas City Garrison Community Center Wayne Miner Community Center Synergy Services – Youth Resiliency Center Synergy Services – Transitional Living Program Synergy House Spofford Home Passages Operation Breakthrough/St. Vincent Child Care Center Gillis Center-Boys Home Front Porch Alliance Hip Hop Camp/Workshop Organizing and Teaching Style Explosion Hip Hop Camp Olathe, KS 2011-Present: Breaking, DJing, Emceeing, Beat Boxing, Graffiti Writing Instructor, Choreographer Hip Hop Instruction/Choreography Workshops Kansas City Metro Area (MO and KS) 2001-Present, St. Louis MO 2017, New York City NY 2016, Minneapolis MN 2016, Los Angeles CA 2013 Dance Training I am proud and honored to have trained one-on-one over many decades with the following pioneers of Hip Hop Culture: Hip Hop: Emilio “Budda Stretch” Austin Jr. (one of the Electric Boogaloo’s founding members), Henry “Link” McMillan Breaking: Anthony “YNot” Denaro, Richard “Crazy Legs” Colon, Marc “Mr. Freeze” Lemberger, Kenneth “Ken Swift” Gabbert, Steffan “Mr. Wiggles” Clemente Popping: Timothy “Poppin’ Pete” Solomon, Sam “Boogaloo Sam” Solomon, Steven “SugaPop” Daniels-Silva, Steffan “Mr. Wiggles” Clemente Locking: Greg “Campbell Lock Jr.” Pope, Don “Campbell Lock” Campbell, Steven “SugaPop” Daniels-Silva, Jerry “Flo” Randolph House: Caleaf Sellers, Tony McGregory, Sekou Heru Recent Training Elite Force Crew Workshop with Buddha Stretch and Henry Link, Kansas City 2018 (Organizer, Student) Hip Hop, Plus history and knowledge Q&A session Mr. Wiggles Workshop, Kansas City 2017 (Organizer, Student) Popping, Breaking, Hip Hop, Plus history and knowledge Q&A session Street Style Lab, New York 2015. 2016, 2017 (Student) Hip-Hop, Popping, Breaking, Locking, House Poppin’ Pete Workshop, Kansas City 2017 (Organizer, Student) Popping YNot BBoy and TopRock Workshop, Kansas City 2017 (Organizer, Student) Breakin’, TopRock Budda Stretch Hip Hop Workshop, Kansas City 2016 (Organizer, Student) Hip Hop Electric Boogaloo Camp, Los Angeles 2016 (Student) Popping, Boogaloo

Anita Shikles

Visual

I am a full time visual artist, and I do diamond etching on granite monuments and headstones. My work can also be done on granite tiles and glass. My art is done by commission, and subject matter can be anything by request. My work is realistic in nature, and tells a story. I have been working with granite and marble for over 20 years. I travel and do most of my work for clients in the monument industry. The designs are ordered by their customers. I also show my art at Bonner Springs Arts Alliance gallery in Bonner Springs. My work is original and done by request. It will last forever, and records the history of families, military, and organizations. It can be seen in many cemeteries, museums, and private collections.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Michael Schliefke

Visual

For over sixteen years Michael Schliefke has made a living as a painter. Michael paints, shows frequently, and curates a number of small and large scale exhibitions. Among the many side projects Michael has taken on, Michael published three satirical comic books, shown in numerous spaces regularly, and worked on a variety of art projects from commercial sculpture and murals to assisting the development and production of the East Austin Studio Tour. Michael grew up in the northeast, and studied painting at the Kansas City Art Institute. In the years following graduation, he sold hot dogs at the K, touched up over 10,000 decorative oil paintings from Hong Kong, and worked his way up from a data entry temp to an essential team member of a Fortune 500 company in Ireland, before volunteering for a layoff moving to Austin, Texas in 2002. Painting and working in Austin, Texas for 12 years, Michael began teaching painting and drawing classes. Michael also started to curate small painting shows to help develop the Austin art scene, and these shows blossomed into award winning curated events with up to sixty participating artists. In 2007, Michael took a break from painting to create, write, and draw the satirical Really White Vigilante comic book series about the gentrification of East Austin and the rapid growth of Austin. Michael also assisted the founding members of the Big Medium artist group with the East Austin Studio Tour during its formative years and worked many facets from web to book production for its annual event. In addition to that work, Michael was a contract artist at Blue Genie Art, working on various large scale commercial sculptures and painting projects. He also co-created and produced the Blue Genie Danger Derby, a pinewood derby race filled with a 100 foot track lined with fire pits and cartoonish obstacles that cars built by artists and the general public would compete against. For all his efforts in Austin, Michael was inducted as a member of both Big Medium and Blue Genie Art into the Austin Critics’ Table Hall of Fame in May, 2014. In July, 2014 Michael finally returned to Kansas City. Michael continues to paint and draw and is continuing to create large art events that bring artists and the public together.

Holly Schenk

Visual

Holly Ann Schenk 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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