January Exhibition: Wes Casey | Unnatural History

We’re starting off the new year and a new decade with a bang! Join us First Friday for the Opening Reception of Wes Casey’s, Unnatural History.

Wes Casey is a sculptor whose work is a reflection of both nature and myth, blending together the natural history of the subject with its folkloric origins. He currently works and lives in Mission Kansas working with metal, stone, ceramics, and found objects to create representational pieces for both the public and private settings.

Wes attended the Kansas City Art Institute studying figure drawing and painting with live models. This helped to develop a deeper appreciation of the fluid movement and depth of the living form. He left the Art Institute for an apprenticeship at the studio of master painter, Mark Christopher Weber. From Mark he learned the technique of photorealism and developed an appreciation and skill for detail, light, and the interpretation of movement. Early on, he primarily worked with painting, illustration, and printmaking, but soon discovered that his true passion was with three dimensional sculpture.

He began his exploration of sculpture by traveling extensively through Western Europe, North Africa, and Southeast Asia studying the religious and ritual art and sculptures found in the many cathedrals and temples. He spent six months hitchhiking through the outback of Australia studying Oceanic art, and four months traveling through the war torn countries of Central America visiting the ancient temples and ruins of the Maya.
His artwork has twice received Best of Show awards from the Raytown Artists Association and public sculptures can be seen in Gladstone Missouri and as an award piece for the University of Kansas Medical Center.

We are over-joyed to have this opportunity to bring you Wes Casey’s stunning oil paintings and phenomenal sculptural work as well as a few surprises.

Curated by Daniela Failla.

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Troy Daniel & Evan Jackson | This is Ourmerica

Jackson and Daniel collaborate to bring you This is Ourmerica.
Daniel and Jackson wanted to create an installation of pieces that represent those in our country who the flag and what it represents hasn’t worked for. The flag and patriotism has been flooding our nation with controversy. Just who are those that protest in the name of equal treatment and why is it so controversial to so many? According to Daniel, “Our government has a track record of murder, imprisonment, enslavement, inequality in the work place and elections, and more. So it is no wonder that there is a lack of patriotism within our own borders. People of color, women, LGBT people have all been victims of the privileged majority. So we thought the perfect canvases with which to create this show would be the flags themselves.”

Troy Daniel has shown his sculptures and paintings throughout Kansas City since 1995, and his work is in private collections across the country. I have shown in private residences, coffee shops, and Madison Square Garden in NYC. The scale of his work has ranged from 6 inches square to 8 feet tall. The subject matter, includes religion, past and present; war and politics.

“I can’t help but approach these subjects in my work. My compassion for others, especially children, resonates through me into my work. It is not my intention to offend, but it certainly is my quest to inform, educate and protest unfair treatment of people everywhere. I believe that art should inspire, motivate, influence and inform. And whether one is offended or not is left up to them.” – Troy Daniel

Evan Jackson is a Kansas City muralist and oil painter. He was featured by KSHB in 2016, https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/art-alley-artists-hevan, and his murals can be seen throughout Kansas City.