by: Nancy Kalikow Maxwell Looking for an unconventional way to help support Ukraine? How about buying a sunflower? Or, to be more specific, an artistic rendering of the bloom that happens to be the official flower of the state of Kansas and country of Ukraine. You’ll have nearly 100 flower-themed works to choose from, thanks to the efforts of local artist of Holly Ann Schenk.
As Schenk explains it, “When the war came out, I felt so helpless.” She asked herself what she could do and decided to ask as many artists as she could find to donate a piece of sunflower art to auction off. The result: “Sunflowers for Ukraine”, an art benefit sponsored by Global Ties KC, (a citizen diplomatic organization), the Prairie Village Arts Council, and the Johnson County Parks and Recreation District. The entire collection of artwork available for auction can be seen online. All proceeds from “Sunflowers for Ukraine” will go toward providing humanitarian aid to Kyiv’s population and displaced people in Ukraine’s capital. Bids will be accepted from July 9 to August 4. The exhibit will culminate in a special in-person event at the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse on Friday, August 5 from 5:30-7:00 pm. For $15.00 attendees will be able to enjoy drinks and light appetizers while viewing the artwork and placing final bids. Register HERE. The 94 pieces included in “Sunflowers for Ukraine” span a variety of techniques, styles, and contexts through a range of colors. The flowers appear as close-ups, landscapes and open fields and are presented through photographs, watercolors, pencil, and acrylics. Thirty of the works are physically on display at the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse (9100 Nall Ave., Prairie Village, KIS 66207) from July 9 to August 4. This collection includes such works as: Charlie Podrebarac’s watercolor featuring a tree-size sunflower towering above cartoon figures; Jeff Garrison’s digital painting “Collieflower Friends” with a dog wearing a sunflower collar; and Cindy DeGraw’s “Standing Tall” with a sunflower proudly upright above those words. Additional works can be viewed at Cliff's Taphouse (3044 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108) and Centering Souls (5215 NW Crooked Rd, Parkville MO 64152). With all these sunflowers to choose from, your problem may be deciding which one(s) to buy. Unfortunately, none come with sunflower seeds, but perhaps that will be next. by: Nancy Kalikow Maxwell If you want to see any of those heart-shaped sculptures that have popped up throughout K.C., you better act fast. Those 154 art pieces installed as part of the Parade of Hearts Program will be taken down at the end of May. Plans call for the artwork to be sold at auction, with proceeds benefitting medical, educational and arts organizations impacted by the pandemic. Similar to the previous “Cow Parade” art project, Parade of Hearts features five-foot fiberglass sculptures designed and decorated by local artists. One of the stated purposes of this regional initiative is to “shine a bright light on the entire artistic community.” Out of 700 heart designs submitted, more than 150 works from 123 different artists were selected for inclusion. The artists chosen are of different ages and genders and represent various cultural, ethnic and geographic backgrounds. A complete list of artists can be found online at https://theparadeofhearts.com/artists/, as well as through the QR codes provided on each sculpture’s plaque. Thanks to the local efforts of City staff, PV City Council Member Bonnie Limbird, and PV residents, Prairie Village was selected as the site for five of the hearts. These sites include:
These Prairie Village hearts range from the whimsical to the deadly serious. “Spectrum of Love” at 7400 W. State Line is a colorful representation of an eye created by Whiskey Design and sponsored by the University of Kansas Health System. That same sponsor also underwrote the work at 7301 Mission Road - “We are Better Together” by Dennis Stanton. This piece features hands reaching out to each other on one side, with grasping hands depicted on the reverse. At W. 78th St. and State Line, the heart entitled “Moving Forward” was designed by Michaela Riley. Sponsored by a locally-based café, Parisi Coffee, this sculpture features time piece gears, a clock and Kansas City skyline. The heart at Meadowbrook Park sings the praises of Kansas City’s musical tradition with “Jazzin’ KC Nights.” Created by Wanda Vehlewald and sponsored by VanTrust, the piece is shaped like a piano and features other musical instruments. Emblazoned on the back side of the heart is a neon-looking sign pronouncing, “JAZZ KC.” The heart in Corinth Quarter was created by Brooke Jiskra and sponsored by Veracity, an Overland Park-based technology consulting company. Calling the work “Broken Hearted,” Jistra created a memorial to the victims of COVID. Photos of the deceased are shown within the heart, along with hand-written post-it notes from mourners. Among their heart-wrenching statements are:
Several people have been so moved by this piece, they have placed flowers and candles on the sculpture’s base. In addition to these five PV pieces, approximately 25 other hearts have been installed throughout Johnson County. The Shawnee Mission Post created a driving map of county-wide pieces that can be found HERE.
According to Parade of Hearts, after all these pieces are removed at the end of May, “an exciting extravaganza” is planned for this summer. For now, however, the enthusiasm remains at the sculpture locations. "I was honored to have been invited to be the 2022 Art of Photography’s juror. I know, from working with jurors and the amount of entries they had to determine which images would make the cut, that my job would not be easy. I do not make my choices lightly, as there were so many excellent works entered. The major difficulty was having to choose only one from a series that worked so well together. Out of 452 I was asked to select only 70 pieces. A difficult task indeed.
"I had started with impact. Which images kept creeping into my psyche and held my attention? Then the category. Did the images, in my opinion, represent the category under which they were entered? Then the technical. I chose technical as my last because I know images that have impact can override technically strong in my book. "The culmination of these images will take the viewer to many different places, moods and affect each person differently. I have found many to be fantastical constructs that create contemplative imagery and convey mystery, fun, sentimental nostalgia, and tension. The use of different materials or tools helped the artist create an ethereal wisp of a dream. "I wish I could have selected more, but under the exhibition constraints I had to reign in my selections and weed them down to this very wonderful, extraordinary show. All of the artists selected should be incredibly proud and I hope encouraged to continue their work." - Angie Jennings, Photographer President, Kansas City Society of Contemporary Photography |
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