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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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Michelle Wade

Visual

Beauty by Nature. Photos by Michelle. Nurture your connection with nature and show your style. Feel centered and calm in your home and office by surrounding yourself with beautiful Nature Photos. Adding calm to your life can be as simple as bringing nature into your environment. Enjoy photos which show nature’s details, like the fluff on a milkweed pod or the green center of a sunflower as it grows. Your home and office are your creative expression. Curate your life with beautiful fine art nature photos to help you be who you want to be. These photos are proudly part of many living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms and guest powder rooms.

Gary Walden

Visual

I am Gary Walden and I do oil painting. I am located in the Kansas City area and have a studio in the Livestock Exchange Building in the Stockyards District of Kansas City just north of the old Kemper Arena. Contact me if you would like to visit my studio or have any interest a painting you see on this web site.

Jennifer Walker

Multi-Disciplinary; Visual; Sculptor, Sculpture, Resin Sculpture and Ornamental Relief Sculpture

After graduating with a Sculpture degree from the Kansas City Art Institute, Jennifer began making her mark on the Kansas City landscape. Her sculpting skills were put to work preserving local architecture and creating sculptures for the Kansas City Zoo. Now her primary focus is her fine art; a unique process involving polyester resin and wood. Jennifer’s sculptures are colorful, dimensional, abstractions reminiscent of sunsets and glorious thunderstorms. Working with light, color, and reflective elements she creates an ethereal meditative oasis in every piece. Past Sculpture Work: KC Zoo. Cast Concrete Tiger Sculpture 2015 KC Zoo. Penguin Sculptures 2014 KC Zoo. Orangutan Sculptures 2014 Argosy Casino Exterior Sculpture and Tile Mural 2003 Boulevard Brewery, Signage 2003 Southwestern Bell Telephone, Relief Mural 1996 KC Zoo. Concrete Rhino Sculpture 1993 Midland Theater. Oculus Carvings and Marquee 1987 Nelson Atkins Museum. Rozelle Court Tress 1985 Awards: KCH&G Remodel. Gold Award for custom plaster trim & Venetian Plaster fireplace 2010 AIA, Kansas City Chapter, Allied Arts & Craftsmanship Award. KCPL Lobby 2001 Jackson County Historial Society, Merit Award for the Muehlebach Hotel 1998 AIA, Kansas City Chapter, Allied Arts & Craftsmanship Award. Midland Theater 1987

Cait Walker

Visual

I am a mixed media artist with primary concentrations in acrylics and ink. I enjoy creating bright, unique works of abstraction as well as landscapes and city scenes.

Jim Walker

Visual

My photography passion is working to capture that perfect landscape scene and sharing my enjoyment and wonderment of Mother Nature’s handy work. I’ve been fortunate to have my images selected for purchase and display by corporate clients and the general public. More information and images may be seen at: http://www.jbwalkerphotography.com

Susan Walter

Visual

At the age of 4 during my first life saving surgery, I had what would now be called ‘near death experiences’. During those experiences I was introduced to some of my own angels, in the most beautiful garden I have ever seen or experienced where I was accepted for exactly who I am without expectations and pure love. After these experiences I was able to see my angels all the time, they have been my friends and my guides ever since. It didn’t take long to learn it was best not to talk about my experiences or what I saw and it just became a normal part of my life and I just assumed that others had the same capabilities. My life was what I thought of as normal, I married and had 4 great kids. Living the life and doing all the things we are expected to do as Wife and Mother. Life continued to be normal until January 1997. To be honest I am not sure how or why it happened but I noticed I was seeing more angles than I ever had before, it didn’t take long to understand that I was now seeing the angels of everyone around me. I was asked, maybe told is a better word, to use this gift to draw what I was seeing to help others connect with their angels. Over time to make day to day life easier I learned to turn the volume down a little, allowing me to see others angles as clouds of color that is constantly moving similar to glitter in a snow globe. I have also learned to use photos to see the angels with others as long, as I can see the eyes, allowing me to help as many people as possible to make the connection with their angels. I have continued to expand my artistic abilities and in 2010 started playing with mandalas. In 2011 I was introduced to the Solfeggio frequencies and ask to create mandalas for 6 of the earthly frequencies. Being who I am this peaked my curiosity and I started doing research and learning there is actually 81 frequencies, 9 sets of 9, to assist us through our evolutionary development, each set of the frequencies assisting us along on each step of our journey of growth and expansion. Each set taking us and assisting us in the next level, dimension or frequency. As I continue to work and create the Solfeggio Mandalas, I understand my connection with the frequencies on a deeper and deeper level with each mandala. And during a spiritual experience a couple years, I was shown life times spent not only working with the Solfeggio Frequencies and the crystal singing bowls during times of great change on our planet, but also as one of the Guardians of the Solfeggio.

Mark Walter

Visual

In search of truth and beauty During my early childhood, my Dad set a pad of paper and a sharp pencil by my bedside and suggested I draw myself back to sleep whenever I had a bad dream. My parents would often see a warm glow of light coming from under my bedroom door at night as I filled my sketchbook with images of giants and wild creatures. When bored as a child, I would sketch portraits of people sitting around me. When I was 9 years old, my mother decided to take oil painting lessons. She shared her materials with me when I showed interest. I was fascinated how I could create totally new colors by blending others together. Whether it was fear, boredom, or loneliness, it seemed art was always rescuing me. Through my parents tender wisdom, I fell in love with art. I was hired as a graphic artist out of high school. Through the years, I worked in various fields, but I kept coming back to art. Later, I worked for a national company as an illustrator and then was hired as a designer for an international corporation. Soon after, I accepted a position as an art director for a design studio in Kansas City. After returning from a trip to Europe, I made the transition to fine art. Life as a painter has been both exhilarating and humbling. I feel privileged to create on a daily basis, while growing as a lifetime learner. I hope by sharing my work with you, that in some small way, art will rescue you as well. Thanks for joining me on this artist’s journey.

Phillip Ward

Visual

My artwork is done in “digital” format. That is, I create art from an original 35mm slide or negative, a scanned photographic print, or an image from a digital camera that has been provided to me by a professional event photographer and/or fellow enthusiast such as pit crew/safety/flag persons. The artwork is created using PS Creative Suite , Painter 12 and Black Magic. These digital artist tools allow me to bring to life these wonderful compositions using brushes, textures, filters and photopainting techniques. You are purchasing an artist signed Giclee print of an original digital image. Each Giclee is printed to order. For Giclee prints I currently use several Kansas City area professional photographic laboratories. These printers allow for a variety of media – Fuji pearl photographic paper, fine art papers, canvas, acrylic, brushed aluminum and bamboo. Compositions range in size suitable for home and office, board room or garage. I especially like to create compositions of the Golden Era of sports car racing which capture the essence of the cars, people and racing “back in the day”! I truly hope you enjoy the artwork and will join my journey …

Jackie Warren

Visual; Artist

Jackie Warren is an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from the University of Kansas, and has a background in business. She has had solo shows, participated in juried shows along with numerous invitationals in addition to owning and operating her art consulting business, Artistic Solutions, for over 25 years. Her knowledge and experience lead to participation in the conception and development of ARTichokes; a multi-use gallery in Leawood, Kansas. Ms. Warren has volunteered with various art organizations over the years as a juror and spokesperson, as well as Marketing Director and Board President of the Kansas City Artists Coalition. She currently has a studio and gallery in the Kansas City Crossroads Arts District. Jackie Warren has been a working artist for over 35 years, working in oil, acrylic, charcoal and mixed media. Her studio in the Kansas City, Crossroads Arts District is open most First Fridays and by appointment. Check the web site for First Friday openings and other news.

Desiree Warren

Visual

Short version: Country girl goes to college, gets a degree in sculpture, moves to The Big City, makes art out of stuff she finds. Longer version: I grew up in Ottawa, Kansas, and then moved to Lawrence in 2001 to pursue a BFA in Sculpture and got a minor in Art History along the way. In 2006 I moved to Midtown, KCMO. At school I discovered street sign vinyl and aluminum and have incorporated aspects of those materials into my work ever since. I have many bodies of work, including figurative and abstract pieces made of 100% salvaged materials, often found in Dumpsters around town or on my family farms (both large wooden wall pieces and smaller, found-paper-ephemera collages). In 2016 I joined the KC Clay Guild and dabble in ceramics, enjoying getting back in touch with my 3D roots. Most recently I’ve found some recognition with my “Orzo” series made of aluminum, vinyl, and paint, and through January 2018 will have work at the Kemper Museum of Art in the Women to Watch | Metals show with four other local women. I’ve traveled the art fair circuit regionally and have participated in group gallery shows nationwide. I’m a cat lover and am always in pursuit of a good cone of ice cream.

m.o.i. warrior ant press

Community-Based Art; Visual; art+science+civic engagement

A hydrologist and artist, Don Wilkson’s research uses a combination of hydrology, chemistry, biology, and trend analysis to evaluate the effect of human endeavors on surface and groundwater quality. He has published and spoken extensively to a wide variety of audiences about this work; he has worked with a number of community-based environmental education groups whose goals are to model positive behavior for the larger community, engaged underserved youth on restoration and sustainability projects, and taught applied watershed science to urban youth. Working as m.o.i. aka The Minister of Information, his civic engagements lie at the intersection of middle-class economics, progressive politics, and environmental science. As much public servant as artist, m.o.i. pushes against entrenched institutional and cultural indifference with a practice that crosses many platforms and engages with any number of techniques: performance, printmaking, photography, experimental film, and sculpture.

Raina Watson

Literary; Multi-Disciplinary; Music; Visual; installation

Being a creative has always been my calling, it’s etched in my blood. Since I was a little kid- I’ve had paintbrushes, pens, pencils, cameras, and instruments in my hands. These tools gave me the power to create worlds, even if just on a piece of paper. My art is inspired by intense energy. In any form, I take what lays before me and amplify it to it’s greatest peaks and valleys through my reflection. Our light cannot shine if there is no dark. Our heart cannot sing if it doesn’t know what a totality of silence feels like. As I move through life I find that my style of intensity doesn’t end in my physical art, I put my whole self into everything I do. Passion comes from my need to create. As a human, if I do not create, I am not living out one of our many important purposes. Gently I walk my way, thank you for joining me in my journey.

Leah Watts

Music

Leah Watts has been singing since before she could talk, at least that’s what her parents tell her! Her favorite stage was the comfort of her own bedroom until she spent a summer interning in Nashville where she found the courage to perform three original songs on the famous Music Row on her very last night in town! Since then Leah has gone full steam ahead pursuing her passion. Since the journey began, she has released multiple cover videos [available on YouTube], two original songs Million Tiny Little Things & Strong [available on iTunes, Spotify, & Google Play] both of which have received radio play, and has had the honor of performing the National Anthem at several Kansas City Royals baseball games, Sporting KC soccer games, and the Kansas State Fair. Leah can also be found performing in local coffee shops, at county fairs, and various other venues across the state. Leah is inspired by people, their passions, and their dreams, and she hopes to use her music to inspire others! This has led to her involvement with multiple benefit events including Cure SMA Walk-n-Roll, R.Y.A.N. suicide benefit soccer game, and inspired her to start her own non-profit organization, Creating for a Cause. Stay up to date on Leah’s next adventure by following her on social media, subscribing to her YouTube channel, and joining her mailing list!

Abri Eyre Wayne

Visual

Abri Eyre grew up in small town Kansas and moved to Kansas City, MO a few years ago with her family. She is a part time studio artist and is focusing on portrait paintings, photography, and book making. Abri received her BFA from Emporia State University in 2016, with many accomplishments, including the ESURP grant for “Dog and Best Friend.” She hopes to soon showcase her work in Kansas City.

Ellen Weitkamp

Visual; painting, mixed media

Ellen Weitkamp is a multimedia artist who blends traditionally perceived ideas of painting with contemporary processes in her mixed media paintings. Born, raised, and now working in Kansas City, Weitkamp uses her familiarity with the city to reinvestigate spaces she often glazed over previously. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Art History at the Kansas City Art Institute in 2019. When viewers approach Ellen Weitkamp’s work closely, a comprehensive illusion splinters into a fragmented material reality. As a result, the painting’s fabricated world becomes at once past and present: a memory embodied. Weitkamp’s work focuses on the details of the everyday by portraying ordinary moments and objects in familiar spaces that are exciting not in spite of their mundanity but because of it. These moments consist of her contemplation of the space she inhabits and the desire to capture visually the fleeting emanation she feels from them. Weitkamp is not striving to recreate a scene from nostalgia for the past, but to reproduce the timelessness of the instant. Time is something she strongly values. In Weitkamp’s paintings she hopes to redress her own desire to slow down time and create the space to breathe and be present. When she looks at her paintings Weitkamp feels a great sigh of relief in that the moments she felt were going unnoticed by her everyday can now gain a shared appreciation by many.

Monica Wheeler

Visual

Bachelors of Studio Art-Printmaking, UMKC

Cody Wheelock

Visual

Cody Wheelock paints in the vein of classical realism, focusing on traditional drawing and oil painting methods. His subject matter often includes landscape and figurative elements placing a priority on narrative. In addition to original work Cody stays busy with commissions, primarily focusing on portraiture for both private and corporate clients. Cody exhibits his work regionally and is the founder/principal instructor of Fount Atelier of Fine Art, a classical art instruction studio in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Cody earned a M.A. in Art Education from Boston University and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska.

Casey Whittier

Community-Based Art; Visual

Casey Whittier received her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and MFA from the University of Colorado Boulder. Her work investigates the fine line between the need to preserve and a desire to re-imagine, re-configure and re-contextualize the world around her. Utilizing a variety of forming methods and clay bodies, Whittier recreates elements from nature, unites the landscapes of her reality with the landscapes of daydreams, exploits the visceral qualities of clay, and ponders the power of shared experience. The physical impressions that come through rolling, tearing, squishing, dipping, pushing, pinching, molding, casting, and scratching become representations of touch, of thought, of time spent. She is an advocate for community engagement through the arts and has been awarded an ArtsKC Inspiration Grant and Artist INC grant for her ongoing Palm Petals project. Whittier currently teaches Ceramics and is the program head of Social Practice at the Kansas City Art Institute and works from her home studio. Her work can be found at www.caseywhittier.com and http://www.palmpetals.com.

Shermie Wiehe

Music

Shermie Wiehe, pianist, singer and songwriter, provides Kansas City and the surrounding areas professional entertainment for dances, advertisement, events, charities, private parties, anniversaries, weddings, corporate events, restaurants, hotels, retirement and senior communities. Shermie performs solo or with his 2-piece band with a 3-piece sound (Piano / Bass / Electronic Drums). Shermie has more than 40 years of entertaining experience singing, performing throughout the US and overseas.

Jason Wilcox

Visual

art STORY biography, Jason Wilcox J Art Pro is born out of Jason Wilcox’s creative mind, and influenced by a collaboration of painting, graphic design, video production, and music. Jason’s artistic vision developed from an early age and advanced through education at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts in Kansas City, Missouri. Current media include acrylic, gold, silver, copper and green leaf. Natural sponges are the preferred application method. New media and application techniques are uniquely utilized within each piece of work. Jason’s work shows a contemporary outlook on realism, abstract, and pop art styles. Artistic Mission: to entice the viewer to escape reality and live an alternate life within the painting. “My art tells a story about how I see life. Its beauty, its pain, its struggle and triumph. I create pieces that welcome you to see through your personal lens, while challenging you to consider another perspective.” -Jason Wilcox

Wayne Wilkes

Visual

Art is a form of communication – a universal, visual language that transcends communication barriers. For me, it has always been a vehicle for creative problem-solving. By making the intangible tangible, art has purpose. Color is an important element in my work — it is subjective and influences its surroundings while adapting and changing itself to be a part of the whole. I constantly try and work the whole canvas, using color within colors to form a cohesive bond between the shadows and the highlights. I start with rough blocks of dark and light color, slowly refining but never losing a raw type of energy and movement. Broad thick brushstrokes, similar to an impressionistic approach, give way to implied detail while capturing the energy and emotion of the moment. Originally from St. Louis, I came to Kansas City as a student at the Kansas City Art Institute, where I completed my BFA in Illustration/Design in the spring of ’95. Currently I work as a designer both online and in print, and as adjunct faculty at the Kansas City Art Institute in both the Illustration Department and the Continuing Education Certification Program Studies.

Chris Willey

Visual

Chris (Christina) Willey has an MFA in Illustration from Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, and a BFA in Drawing/Painting from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE. She is a full-time painter and Professor Emeritus of Art from the University of Central Missouri, where she taught for 22 years. For 13 years, before teaching full-time, she was an illustrator, painter, and graphic designer. Chris has had numerous solo shows and conducted workshops in United States, France, and the Netherlands. She has acquired signature status in the MidAmerica Pastel Society, the Missouri Valley Impressionists Society, and the International Society of Acrylic Painters. She has won awards in many juried shows, including 7 international, 9 national, and 29 regional shows. Her art is held in a number of private and corporate collections in the U.S., Netherlands, and France. Willey is an artist who paints from life. Her work always begins with direct observation, but the endpoint is about making a beautiful painting. She tries to distill the essence of what attracted her to the subject into her paintings, while allowing the paint, the design, and surface to have their own voice.

Joseph Willis

Visual

Currently based in Kansas City, Joseph received a BFA from Columbia College Chicago in 2011. Since then he has participated in solo and group shows in Kansas City and Chicago. Exhibitions: Joseph Willis X KCBallet – 1706 Baltimore st. – May 2017 (in collaboration with the KCBallet) PIECES – RAYGUN KC – Solo show – 2015 Hearts-a-Bluhm – Group show – 2011 FAIR USE: Information Piracy and Creative Commons in Art & Design – Group show – 2011 Manifest – Group show – 2010 Through ArtsKC: Now Showing program: EPR Properties – 2016 AMAI Architecture – 2016 Kauffman Foundation Conference Center – 2015

Alexander Wilson

Visual

I use fighting forces between ideas and formal elements to birth an image. Creating with both two and three-dimensional material at once, I discover formal information and understand conceptual meaning. Because material becomes essential in my work, I propose different languages and voices through various ways of drawing and painting color and void. To provide a richer and emotional essence, I paint knotted subjects; yet drawing them with pen leaves a barer existence. Explorations within opposites punch out ideas and add competing complexities with the individual fighting social normalcy Within my most recent work, connections of two opposing forces clash together to converse and intermingle. Personal and public relationships inform the individual and social normalcy for a visual lexicon. To propose the ideas of an individual, I paint complex knots. Still, these entities are bound with the residue of life (forgotten sentimental material) to form a freakish monster. For the knot’s context, white architectural environments propose hard perspective lines to elude emptiness within a man-made world of social normalcy. Because the raw knots are sensual, obsessive-compulsive objects, I draw parts of the knot to integrate a bare quality with architecture; it becomes a duel invasion of passion and blankness. Symbolically, the pulley is introduced to connect passion and void with its simplistic, organic tendencies upon mechanical functions. Each force binds together a rule of life’s propositions. At the end, I look back in my childhood as my core artistic influences. Literature and artists help me break my own rules to unlock more possibilities. At the same time, my personal interests still keep me on track and gratified. I must allow all artistic functions to be adaptable and progressive, but my restrictions still force me to question reasoning, but develop valid concepts for the viewer and myself.

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