Overlooked Kansas

by Bob Bahr, Prairie Village Arts Council member

"Revise vs Redo," by Kevin Kelly, charcoal, ink, acrylic on canvas tarp, 72 x 120 in.

Kevin Kelly often paints Kansas scenes, but not the ones typically shown on postcards. Rather, he finds art and significance in the rhythm, repetition, and ragged beauty of the decaying edge of suburbia and small towns of Kansas. Collage, Cubism, charcoal, homemade paper, paint, and, most important, the fascinating artistic lens through which Kelly sees--these elements all combine to make works of depth and careful design. Grittiness, nostalgia, clear-eyed realism, flexible reality…standing in front of his pieces offers significant reward.

Here, we present a few of Kelly's pieces, along with a baker's dozen of the photos he shoots and uses to inspire his art. Get a taste of what this Wichita artist is about, then come see more of his work at the R. G. Endres Gallery in Prairie Village City Hall. He shares the space with Olathe artist Elnora Nokes, now through May 9.

"Actually, Just an Authenticity Crisis," by Kevin Kelly, charcoal, ink, acrylic on paper mounted on canvas, 51 x 31 in.

"Hometown Prophet," by Kevin Kelly, acrylic and oil, 66 x 52 in.

"Something, Something About Flight and Resistance," by Kevin Kelly, acrylic on paper mounted on canvas, 54 x 36 in.

"Visual Inspiration"––
a look at Kevin Kelly's reference photos for future work