Visual Arts Archives - The Arts Council of Johnson County

December 22, 2023 In Advocacy, Art, Arts & economic development, Arts & Humanities, Arts Events, Creative Placemaking, Engaging Community, Music, Performing arts, Photography, Public Art, Visual Arts

Inaugural Arts Advocacy Awards, 2023

Left to Right: Awardees Mayor Mike Boehm and Nicole Emmanuel (Awardee Mayor Peggy Dunn not featured) At the 2023 Creative Connections Breakfast, the Arts Council of Johnson County introduced a new award, the Arts Advocacy Award. This award was given to individuals who have dedicated significant time, effort, and leadership that has, in turn, positively impacted the creative economy and the arts in Johnson County. This could include, but is not limited to: a nominee's impact on arts education, volunteer work in the arts, nominee's work to increase access to the arts for underserved individuals and/or communities, nominee's leadership

October 25, 2022 In Advocacy, Art, Arts & economic development, Arts & Humanities, Arts Events, Creative Placemaking, Engaging Community, Music, Performing arts, Photography, Public Art, Visual Arts

Community Arts Mapping in Johnson County

Community Arts Mapping can be used to tell the story of arts and culture in Johnson County. It helps us: understand our arts ecosystem, transportation patterns, and paths or barriers to access. grow our awareness of the diverse artists and arts programs that exist in their community, leading to better lines of communication as well as more equitable funding, professional development, and small business assistance. And gives us a better and more complete picture of our creative economy and its economic impact on our region. The mission of the Community Arts Map project is to help our community understand who and where artists, arts,

May 6, 2021 In Artists, Veteran Art, Visual Arts

Lost in the Lines: Bryan Moore on Art and Healing

Bryan Moore said the first time he showed his psychotherapist his art, he was told to go to art therapy. Moore had served in the military’s special operations for 23 years, with seven combat tours. He said that since then, he’s experienced PTSD, depression, and suicidality. Art, he said, helps him cope. He uses graphite on vellum—a better, stronger alternative to paper that won’t tear under his sharp, precise pencil—to create highly detailed pieces, generally from photographs. Many of those pieces depict scenes from his combat experience. Moore’s work won the 2015 Veteran Creative Arts Festival, a competition he entered at the

April 27, 2021 In Shooting Stars, Visual Arts

2021 Shooting Stars Visual Arts Digital Exhibition Catalog

Below is the Digital Exhibition Catalog for the 2021 Shooting Stars Program. This Exhibition is virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was curated by the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. The Digital Exhibition Catalog features artwork of Finalists in the 3D Visual Art, 2D Visual Art, and Photography categories. Elementia Magazine Publication The Johnson County Public Library publishes an issue of their elementia magazine every year, created and curated by their Young Adult Selection Committee. Many of our 2021 Shooting Stars Finalists' work was included in this year's publication!

April 1, 2021 In Artists, Veteran Art, Visual Arts

Organized Chaos: An Interview with Kevin Sytsma

Kevin Sytsma describes his artistic process as “organized chaos.” Sytsma grew up in Iowa and spent seven years in the military, serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq. After coming home and transitioning out of the military, he said a friend invited him to a paint night event. He said he’d never done much with art until attending that class, about a year and a half ago—and that was the start of a whole new world for him. “I just kind of got hooked,” he said. “I fell in headfirst and went crazy.” Since then, Sytsma has continued making art, and has gotten involved

March 4, 2021 In Artists, Veteran Art, Visual Arts

Always a Story: An Interview with Kyle VanLanduyt

Kyle VanLanduyt said he’s excited to be showing his work alongside other veterans in next year’s Veterans Art Show. “It was an honor to serve my country…and it’s an honor to be with any veteran or anyone who serves their country,” he said. VanLanduyt served four years as an Air Force firefighter sergeant, which took him to another of different bases—from Texas to Indiana to Guam to working on the Space Shuttle Recovery Team. While in the military, he started DJing part time, which was his first step into the arts he works in now. After the military, he spent over twenty

February 2, 2021 In Artists, Veteran Art, Visual Arts

Lifelong Artist: An Interview with Paul Kavanaugh

Paul Kavanaugh said art has always been an important part of his life. “I’ve been doing artwork my whole life. It kind of runs in the family,” he said. Kavanaugh served in the Army after high school, and he said he took his art with him, working on several murals during training. Art became a way for him to get to know people as well, and just cope with the stress of training and military life. “Art was definitely something that helped me get through that,” he said. After leaving the military, he attended art classes at Johnson County Community College, an experience which

a photograph of beach grass against a background of sand, water, and sky

January 7, 2021 In Artists, Veteran Art, Visual Arts

Ekphrasis and Photography: An Interview With Michelle Pond

Michelle Pond is a photographer and poet whose work will be part of the Veterans Art Show next year. Pond served in the Marines from 1971 to 1973 as a Keypunch Operator, a job which she said technological advances since then have made obsolete. She said she had joined the military to finance her education and ended up liking the job, which was one of many that was opening up for women in the military at the time (although women were still not allowed in combat roles). Pond used her military work to finance a degree in journalism, but she said

A charcoal drawing of a man with an open mouth as if he is yelling

December 3, 2020 In Artists, Veteran Art, Visual Arts

An Interview With Seth Strand

Seth Strand grew up with a pencil in his hand. He’s from small town Iowa, and he said all he ever cared about growing up was art. “I’ve been drawing since I can remember,” he said, noting that his high school counselor even created an art class for him at the end of high school, because he’d taken all other available options. It wasn’t art school after graduation for Strand, however. Instead, he joined the military as an infantryman, went to basic training in January 2012, and deployed to Afghanistan in December. A few months later, on May 4, 2013, Strand said

November 5, 2020 In Artists, Mental Health, Visual Arts

Arts & Mental Health: An Interview With Jessie Burnes

Jessie Burnes is a Chicago based painter. Raised in Kansas City, Jessie received her BFA in Painting at Kansas State University in 2018. She then went to complete her Post-Baccalaureate certificate in Painting at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2019. Jessie is currently an MFA candidate in Painting at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Before Jessie’s time in graduate school at SAIC, she participated in the undergraduate painting program at Kansas State University. Her work in her undergraduate studies focused on abstracted floral imagery with a subtext on trauma and abuse. Now, in her