​CURRENT AND ALUMNI ARTS COUNCIL MEMBER SHOW

by J. Sherrod Taylor

Art embodies the wisdom of the world. Communities that foster, protect, and encourage the arts and humanities succeed and prosper. Those that don’t tend to wither and die. For this reason, Prairie Village and its Arts Council are dedicated to presenting excellent arts programming for our citizenry — even in these COVID-19 pandemic-ridden times. While the R.G. Endres Gallery remains closed for our normal 2nd Friday art receptions and monthly art shows, we have hung work from our own members and alumni to be enjoyed by visitors to City Hall.   A review of this show reveals a talented array of local residents striving to enhance the arts scene in Prairie Village. ​ 

Jessie Cartwright, for example, has taught art for 23 years and continues to be inspired by the colors, lines, and textures that she incorporates into her fabric designs.  Jessie has deep roots in our community, and is the daughter of Anna Belle Campbell Cartwright, the artist who created Prairie Village's signature statue as further described in our October article.

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Kathy Clark, is also an art teacher with 20-plus years experience who specializes in photography, graphic design, and digital imagery.  Kathy joined PVAC in 2019 and has immediately jumped in to help our community and says her commitment to promote the arts in Prairie Village has been a privilege and so much fun.

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Julie Flanagan is a fourth generation Kansas City resident who has taught art to all walks of life, from Catholic children to inner-city high schoolers, from an art museum environment to artful TV appearances.  She has since unleashed her own inner artist through the medium of highly manipulated digital photography with layered polymers.

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Betsy Holliday has lived in Prairie Village with her husband Ralph since 1987 and has been on the Arts Council since 2015. She earned a degree in Art History from Swarthmore College and has served as a docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. She made the papier mâché “donkey” and “elephant” masks shown in this exhibit for a political election party in 2008.

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Ada Koch is well-known within the Kansas City arts community as an artist, organizer, and teacher.  Ada's work has appeared prominently in the Kansas City area as further described in the August issue of the PVAC Blog.  Her art is available at Eva Reynolds Fine Art Gallery,  Buttonwood Gallery, and The Bunker Center for the Arts.

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B​ill Rose began his art career drawing portraits of his daughter’s softball team, but now he’s joined the big leagues. Creator of the “Forever Royal” mural in Kauffman Stadium commemorating our baseball team’s recent World Series victory, Rose produces original artwork and prints that celebrate the Royals, the Chiefs, and other popular sports figures. Moreover, his drawings have appeared in many national publications and was featured in the major motion picture “The Forger” directed by Clint Eastwood. His drawings and paintings are available through the Leopold Gallery in Brookside, 324 W. 63rd Street.

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Sherrod Taylor, joined the Arts Council this year and immediately became a prolific writer for our website and an integral part of the council.  He is a retired Georgia lawyer and long-time art collector, and began producing his own Sumi-e ink paintings only after he retired and moved to Kansas.

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​Paul Tosh, an award-winning, professional designer and illustrator for over 36 years with professional experience in his native Nashville, TN and Tucson, AZ. Paul has been a full-time professor of graphic design at UMKC since 2001.

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Shelly Trewolla holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in the arts. After working for several years in Australia and New Mexico, she taught art and ceramics at Shawnee Mission East from 2000 until she retired in 2015. She has been a PVAC member for 11 years.

This art show can be seen at the R.G. Endres Gallery, Prairie Village City Hall during normal business hours, M-F, 8:00 to 5:00.  Additionally, photographs showing the artwork on display will be posted on our website under monthly shows. Although a few of the items are not for sale, most pieces may be purchased for the prices under the terms indicated on the website.   

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