Featuring Artist Leah Bowring

Leah Bowring is an artist who is a dynamic, balanced, and very intuitive young woman. To have a conversation with her, you come to realize how much synergy exists between her life and her art.

She creates ceramic pieces that are delicate, ethereal, and subtly detailed. Then another body of her work will be richly functional with a strong vitality about them.

During Leah's undergraduate years she spent time in Tokyo studying the Japanese language, historical ceramics, architecture and theater, while also teaching English in the interim between her formal degrees. She studied with Koiichi Koyama, a very accomplished Japanese potter, conducting personal research, analyzing traditional Japanese kilns while traveling throughout Japan. Her design aesthetic from this time is authentically apparent.

Leah now lives in Northern California and loves to run the trails surrounding the area. Here she achieves a rhythm and meditative state of mind, where creativity flows harmoniously without the interference and disquiet of the city. 

From her artist's statement:

"I make sculptural vessels to comment directly on a state of mind of clarity and lightness when experiencing open landscape. I make pots to take part in nourishing the body with this same tone of mindfulness and meditation. Forming habits to take care of the self are worthwhile, therefore I devote myself to these processes that can soothe; where mind, body and land can combine like a song."

Please visit Leah's website at Leah Bowring,  to learn more about her, where you will be amazed and enchanted by her many varied ceramic works of art. You may contact her at lbowmarie@gmail.com.

Leah also has an upcoming show, the  2015 Winter Exhibition at the  Sager Bradis Gallery in Columbia, Mo. The Opening reception: January 1st.

Thank you to my Family, Friends, and Followers who Support The Arts.

Please leave a comment as they make my day!

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I also want to thank my friend Joni of Cote de Texas for her help in fixing an issue with my site that I thought would never be resolved! Joni you are the best!

xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena

Leawood Fine Art Grand Opening

Dierk Van Keppel Art Glass and art by Noelle Stoffel

This past Friday evening was the grand opening for Leawood Fine Art's new space at Camelot Court in Leawood, KS. When we arrived not only was the gallery packed with people there were also about 30 people outside drinking wine, having refreshments and a great time! Leawood Fine Art has been in business 20 years in the area.

Mike Dean, the gallery owner is on the left with gallery patrons

Landscapes by Carla Craven

Leawood Fine Art offers a variety of superb services. These include Custom Framing and Custom Mirrors,  Art Consultations and Installations, and Corporate Art Consultation.

Christopher Jackson's Happy Trees

Fine Art Photography by Paul Bonnichen

Paul is also well known for his fine art photography of Kansas City Landmarks.

Abstract Expressionist Art by Noelle Stoffel

Artist Christopher Jackson on the left with gallery patrons

This is just a small selection of fine art and art glass available at Leawood Fine Art! 

The Kansas City area is very fortunate to have an impressive selection of art throughout the city. We also have some of the most important  supporters of The Arts in the world as is seen in the vast array of museums in the greater Kansas City area.

Aspen Trees by artist Daniel Fishback

Fine Art Glass Installation

Contact Mike and his team of art experts at:

Leawood Fine Art 11709A Roe Avenue Leawood, Kansas 66211 Phone: 913.338.4999 Fax: 913.338.4807 Email: info@leawoodfineart.com

The website is leawoodfineart.com  

Thank you to my Friends, Family, and Followers who support The Arts!

Please do leave a comment as they make my day!!

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xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena

A New Gallery in Town: Gallery V Fine Arts

Photo Credit: Sito Colon

I was so thrilled to hear that my longtime friend Valerie Phillips has opened a new art gallery in Mission Farms West in Overland Park, Kansas located here in the Kansas City area. Mission Farms is a perfect mixed use development with luxury condominiums, apartments, dining and shopping, as well as a great locale at 4020 Indian Creek Parkway. Please call for hours and additional information at 913-341-3483. The website for the gallery is www.GalleryVFineArts.com  

 She is carrying some amazing artists of several genres and continues  to add art to the mix. Enjoy!

Ceramics by William Kidd

1) Did you know from a young age that you wanted to be in the gallery business?

The answer is actually "no." What I did know; however, was that I wanted to be an artist as early as age five, not even knowing quite what that meant...But, I learned early, the thrill of expressing myself and creating something original that came from a unique internal place that was all my own.

As a young adolescent, my parents took me to a gallery show in my hometown. They had read about an artist's endeavor of opening his own personal gallery, converting a run-down very historic building into a restored new place of beauty to showcase his work. My parents introduced me to the artist and staff as their daughter "the artist".  As we exchanged words about his art and gallery, the artist suggested, "Maybe one day you'll have a gallery of your own!" That impression was my first education and visual impression of an art gallery, which has always remained in my memories.

Art Glass by Scott Gamble

Cube Cup Luminaria by Michael Mikula

2) When did you realize that you wanted to open your own art gallery?

About 5 years ago, as I was entering into my eleventh year in the art gallery industry. What started as merely a vision, but an explosive daydream about 20 years ago and not knowing quite what to do with this powerful dream, later turned into an accidental second career for me. Eventually, after managing 3 separate galleries over the years, I found that all the stepping stones of my various professions in art, design and sales, at last, had rounded out the experience I needed to step forward into my own business. Then, the recurrent question from others of, "Is this your gallery?" and "Why haven't you started your own gallery??" revealed what I took as "my sign" that "now" was the time. While I had developed a scrapbook of "someday" ideas and sketches of my own gallery space, it was the encouragement of my family, friends, mentors and clients who nudged me to move forward with what I already had in passion, ideas and ability to make my dream a reality!

Wood Sculptures and Vases by Gary Burditt

Beth Cosner Custom Jewelry Designs

3) Have you had mentors or others that you admire in the art world?

Yes, probably my art teachers more than anything were the earliest and ongoing force who recognized and encouraged the artistic "gifts" in me. I give equal, if not more importance, to my kindergarten teacher as my greatest influencer as my college art professors. Grade school through my adulthood, there were many, many influencers and mentors who shaped me...They were the ones who thought outside the box and encouraged me to stretch - to not only learn, but also to discover. I have tried to see the gifts that each person who crosses my path has brought my way. I believe our wonderful mix of personalities in this world is like a beautiful symphony. One same note cannot compose a song! We were meant to "sing" together!

Valerie with the Baby Grand Piano sitting in the Front Window Photo Credit: Sito Colon

4)  Who are some of your favorite artists?

This is the toughest question, because I consider art to span across many mediums or genres. I have an affection for too many artists and too many art forms! I once heard, "When we love something, we tend to love it too much!" I love the Classical music of Tchaikovsky and Chopin, the ballets danced by Mikhail Baryshnikov to modern dance and Cirque de Soleil; Andrea Bocelli, Dave Matthews, Aretha Franklin to name a very small few. Picasso's woodcuts, abstract expressionism to street art!  Some of my favorite Old Masters are Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh and Rodin.

I would say that modern day artist, Victoria Montesinos paints in a style that connects to my soul. She paints in a surprising similarity of style as I discovered in my own art in early college years!

Painting by Artist Salome

5) Will people be able to make purchases of art and artful accessories online?

While we do not have online payment arrangements available at this time, customers can contact the gallery by phone (913-341-3483) or email us at: info@galleryvfinearts.com to place art orders for pick up or shipments.

Photo Credit: Sito Colon

6) What advice do you have for the budding entrepreneur at any age?

Follow your dreams! Never give up. Listen to your inner passions and detect your innate gifts. In doing so, every day will be rewarding, even through the challenges. Each day is a joy to go to work at the job you love. LIVE in your ELEMENT! 

As I was starting my business from ground up, my famous quote was: "I never had so much fun being so stressed out!"

Metal Kinetic Wall Sculptures by Frank Strunk III

7) Are there any special events or artist features scheduled at Gallery V Fine Arts in the near future?

We will have approximately 4 - 6 scheduled events throughout the year. Right now we are planning an event for Cinco de Mayo and a Mother's Day special with larger scale showcased artist events throughout the year. Stay tuned to our Facebook page and our website for details at galleryvfinearts.com.

Thank you so much Valerie!

 

Art by Salome

I don't know about you; however I am ready to get out and explore this spring. Art galleries like Gallery V Fine Arts are the perfect place to find new works of art for your home or even lovely and very special gifts for others! Please visit the gallery site www.galleryvfinearts.com. You can also visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/galleryvfineart. 

Thank you to my Friends, Family and Followers who Support The Arts.

Please leave a comment and also sign up for email alerts to receive my latest features!

xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena

Weekend Art Museum Excursions

The completion and opening of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's Bloch Building is a huge milestone for the Kansas City Art scene. The Bloch Building, which has been under construction since 2005, casts a luminous glow on the east side of the Nelson, adding to it's wonder and mystique of what's being shown inside. Surprising to most is that much of the collection is underground.

The Bloch Building also promises to bring Kansas City some of the most talked about and most treasured collections and exhibitions that are not to be missed. The Bloch Building opened beginning on June 9th, 2007.

Inaugural Collections and Exhibitions::

The Bloch Building will feature two inaugural collections:
Developing Greatness: The Origins of American Photography, 1839-1885 June 9—December 30, 2007

Manet to Matisse: Impressionist Masters from the Marion and Henry Bloch Collection June 9—September 9, 2007

Bloch Building Architect

In 1999, six architects were selected as finalists for the Nelson-Atkins expansion project. They were encouraged to view the north side of the Museum as the best site for the expansion, and most presented preliminary designs that followed that suggestion, with large buildings that used the original Nelson-Atkins as a backdrop.
One architectural firm, however, broke all the rules. Steven Holl Architects presented a design that ran along the east side of the Museum, tumbling into the Kansas City Sculpture Park and incorporating landscape and light as key elements in his overall plan. Rather than block the grand north façade of the original building, Holl’s design found its own space along the gently sloping eastern edge of the Museum’s 22-acre campus.
His design was a daring and unexpected solution to the Museum’s needs, balancing innovation with respect for the beloved Nelson-Atkins neoclassical building. Steven Holl Architects was the clear choice of the Architectural Selection Committee and was selected as the Bloch Building architect in July 1999. Considered one of America’s most important architects, Steven Holl is recognized for his ability to blend space and light with great sensitivity. He specializes in seamlessly integrating new projects into contexts with particular cultural and historic importance.

Steven Holl Architects has designed cultural, civic, academic and residential projects in both the United States and internationally. The Kiasma Museum of Contemporary is generally considered to be his masterpiece. Most recently, The School of Art & Art History at the University of Iowa received the AIA’s 2007 Institute Honor Award, their highest award for architecture.
Steven Holl Architects continues to work on a variety of projects such as the Linked Hybrid (Beijing, China); The Nanjing Museum of Art & Architecture (Nanjing, China); Herning Center of the Arts (Herning, Denmark), Cité du Surf et de l’Océan (Biarritz, France), Sail Hybrid (Knokke-Heist, Belgium), Vanke Center (Shenzhen, China); and the NYU Department of Philosophy in New York City.

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened October 2, 1994. At the core of the permanent collection is the Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection, a gift by the Museum’s donors R. Crosby Kemper and his wife Bebe Kemper, and the Kemper Foundations. The collection includes works by such artists as Louise Bourgeois, Christian Boltanski, Manuel Neri, Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, Frank Stella, Joan Mitchell, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Hung Liu, Robert Motherwell, Deborah Butterfield, Fairfield Porter, Wayne Thiebaud, Grace Hartigan, William Wegman, Red Grooms, Georgia O’Keeffe, Christopher Brown, Willem de Kooning, and Robert Mapplethorpe.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is dedicated to the enjoyment and understanding of the visual arts and the varied cultures they represent. It is committed through its collections and programs to being a vital partner in the educational and cultural life of Kansas City and a preeminent institution both nationally and internationally. The Nelson-Atkins strives to achieve this goal by adherence to the highest professional standards in the collection, preservation, exhibition and interpretation of works of art.

Welcome Julián Zugazagoitia, a man whose passion for the arts has taken him around the globe, has been named the fifth director of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and will assume his post September 1. The news was announced at a March 5 press conference. Born in Mexico and educated at the Sorbonne Paris IV in France, Julián speaks six languages and has worked in the Americas, Europe and Africa. On his visits to Kansas City, he has been struck by the vibrancy of the area, especially the synergy between the arts culture, the university, business and scientific communities, and the overall commitment to philanthropy.

For the past seven years, Julián has been the Director/CEO of El Museo del Barrio in New York, a leading institution in the field of Latin American and Latino art. He led the institution through a $44 million renovation project that resulted in new gallery spaces, a refurbished facility and a popular restaurant. Jim Luce with the Huffington Post wrote about the opening: “Last week on a cold, windy night, over 1,600 New Yorkers arrived to welcome the opening of the Museum. The place was so alive, so hot – so on fire.” Julián is known for his high-energy leadership and his collaborations with other institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, the National Portrait Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Before leading El Museo, Julián worked at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York as Executive Assistant to the Director. As a consultant and curator, he also worked with UNESCO and the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, organizing exhibitions, events and conferences internationally. He also curated exhibitions for the international art fair ARCO 2005, the 25th Sao Paulo Biennale in Brazil in 2002 and as Director of Visual Arts with the Spoleto Festival in Italy.

2010 marks the 100th anniversary of Corinthian Hall, the residence of Robert A. Long and his family, and the historic home of the Kansas City Museum. The Corinthian Hall Centennial will be celebrated all year long with special events, programs and activities.

The Kansas City Museum will be celebrating the “century mark” each month with a dynamic series of lectures, workshops, books, films and seminars that highlight Corinthian Hall’s unique architecture and the Long family’s deep and abiding commitment to the civic well-being of Kansas City.

This is just a sampling of great things to do in Kansas City. Truly a surprising and enchanting city to visit

Images and information courtesy of the above Museums and Galleries