 Art by Carol Kiefer Johnson By Bob Bahr, Prairie Village Arts Council member You may be familiar with the display of art in the halls of the Prairie Village municipal building, where exhibitions curated by the Prairie Village Arts Council showcase talent from the KC metropolitan area, with an emphasis on our town. But another venue, with even more attractive gallery space, presents a healthy handful of work by the same featured artists.  Art by David Coss The municipal building that houses the R. G. Endres Gallery--the locale for the bigger shows put on by the PV Arts Council--hosts hundreds of people coming to City Hall to take care of various kinds of personal, legal, and professional business, but the Clubhouse offers a more relaxed vibe. Mong says the art on view at the Clubhouse is appreciated by a wide swath of society. "We welcome thousands of visitors to the Clubhouse every year," she says. "There are four major user groups for the facility. There's the community space that's available for rental for events. There's the Natureplay Preschool. There's the 50 Plus programs that serve the senior population but also serve families. The fourth group consists of park users who come in there to use facilities, rent structures, or ask questions." Currently in the gallery space at the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse are pieces by three area artists. Bryce Holt's straightforward, graphic approach leaves the viewer with the not-so-simple task of connecting the images with some knowledge of the scriptures. The sheer size of his acrylic paintings fills the eye with bold statements. David Coss makes three-dimensional pieces that utilize laser-cut wood to create intricate shapes of light and shadow. He speaks of blending old and new, technology and woodworking, but the balance between organic shapes and streamlined precision offers even more to ponder. Carol Kiefer Johnson brings an obvious knowledge of art history to her acrylic paintings, with passages of thin paint application contrasting with rich and colorful patterns in cloth, wallpaper, or other pictorial elements. Klimt-like women lounge with both common and uncommon pets, with a sense of abundance creating a feeling of calm and comfortable luxury.  Art by Bryce Holt A choice selection of pieces from the three artists is on view and will stay on view at the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse until July 6.  Art by David Coss
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By Bob Bahr, PV Arts Council member The municipal offices for Prairie Village are in the heart of our relatively quiet and leafy neighborhood, but its residents and other artists outside our immediate environs have their eyes--and camera lenses--pointed much further afield. This is on view right now in the Art of Photography show in the R. G. Endres Gallery, at City Hall. The juror for this exhibition, which featured more than $3,000 in prize money, appreciated the wide scope of the qualifying entries. "I was surprised by the great variety of submissions, with motifs from all over the world--perhaps every continent except Antarctica," said Philipp Eirich, co-owner of Cerbera Gallery, located in Kansas City's Crossroads neighborhood. More than 45 artists contributed more than 50 photographs to the exhibition, which will be on view at the municipal offices through July 6. Their submissions were divided into three categories: People & Portraits of People, Landscapes & Architecture, and Abstract/Non-traditional/Photo-collaged/Highly digitally enhanced. Winners in each category receive a $500 prize. The R. G. Endres Best of Show award earns the winner $750. Additionally, six pieces receive Honorable Mention awards worth $200. Eirich said not only were about four entries within a point of each other at the top of his judging tally, but even the initial culling of all the entries to winnow them down small enough to exhibit was difficult and close, with only a few submissions clearly not making the grade. "It was really impressive," Eirich said. "Even the photos that did not make it into the show were of high quality. Not making it into a show does not mean it is a bad image, it's just there is limited gallery space available. It is so subjective, especially with a single judge, not a panel."  "Fourvière," by James Terry. Best of Show When he judged the photographs on display, Eirich certainly got in his steps for the day, briskly walking the halls of the municipal building, taking notes and exhibiting intense concentration. In the end, only three photos could win the top prize in each category, and only one could be named Best of Show. The Best of Show winner for the 2024 Art of Photography proved to be "Fourvière," by James Terry. "That piece was the best of both worlds, with a snapshot, street-photography aesthetic, but with a wonderful composition and the black-and-white look," Eirich said. "There's also the architectural elements but also a human being. The older gentleman is walking away, so we only see his back, which makes the effect stronger. This is not a straight road, with three bends that are emulated in the walk of the person, It has a lot of movement and the overall composition is wonderful. Oftentimes, the light can be too contrasty in a photograph, and that is the opposite of what you see in this image, with the very subtle differences in grayscale."  "Take a Second Look," by Paul McMillian. Best Landscapes & Architecture In the Landscapes & Architecture category, Paul McMillian won with "Take a Second Look." Eirich seemed to be entranced by the play of symmetry in the piece, which seems to be referenced in the title. "There seems to be symmetry in the windows, but the closer you look, the less geometric and the less symmetric it becomes, with the windows at angles," he said. "I also really appreciate that you can see the artist in the image as well." "Coupole," by Steve Johnston, won the category of Abstract/Non-traditional/Photo-collaged/Highly digitally enhanced. "This is an intriguing piece," Eirich said, "with architectural elements combined with subtle blue hues that go from almost whitish to very dark. And you become inquisitive because you don't know what it is."  "Coupole," by Steve Johnston. Best Abstract/Non-traditional/Photo-collaged/Highly digitally enhanced The winner of the People & Portraits of People category is "Tourists," by Don James. "It's just a wonderful image with a street photographer vibe," Eirich said. "The women are similarly dressed. They are clearly tourists, both wearing running shoes and both holding something on their shoulders. They don't look like sisters, but they are perhaps best friends."  "Tourists," by Don James. Best People & Portraits of People The six Honorable Mention awards went to "Ground Gears," by Brittany Buchanan; "Generational Colors in Peru," by Jessica Frieze; "Toucher le Fond," by Robin Blochlinger; "Balcony Shadows," by Paul Middleton; "Pritzker Pavilion," by Steve Anderson; and "At Alison's," by Steve Wilson. At the opening reception for the show, visitors voted on the People's Choice award, with Lauren Kinne's "Big Sur Portal" winning the honor and the $500 prize.  "Big Sur Portal" by Lauren Kinne Eirich has attended several Art of Photography shows since he moved to the Kansas City area almost 10 years ago. He looks forward to it every year and hopes to see more experimental photos next year in the Abstract category. "The question of AI hovers over the future," he adds. AI-generated or modified art is undeniably going to be on everyone's minds going forward. Photography is an artform that reflects society, so the 2025 edition of the Art of Photography should be an interesting one. Remember--it's easy to visit the exhibition. It's a mere stroll through the municipal building on Mission Road. The current show featuring the work of local 45 photographers will be on view at the R. G. Endres Gallery until July 6. |
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