Residents of the Kansas City metro are fortunate to have many world-class museums and gallery spaces in which to spend an afternoon and beat the summer heat. Enjoying art doesn’t have to be a dedicated outing though thanks to Johnson County Library’s gallery spaces. The Library is proud to share exhibitions from local visual artists in ten of its 14 branches, to inspire people of all ages and beautify our Libraries.
Beginning this year, the Library extended its partnership with InterUrban ArtHouse to curate nine of the ten gallery spaces with a diverse selection of artwork that inspires, educates and promotes community connection; the Library continues to manage Central Resource Library’s gallery.
The fact that the Library serves a “huge cross-section of people, including people who otherwise would never have an opportunity to see contemporary, local art,” is one reason InterUrban ArtHouse has enjoyed taking on curation duties, said CEO Angi Hejduk.
Johnson County Library’s art exhibits have been a popular service for decades; librarian Bryan Voell was reminded how much the exhibitions can mean to patrons when he encountered a woman with a mobility scooter looking at an art display at the Central Resource Library. Her limited mobility made it difficult for her to get to art galleries and museums, she told Voell, so the Library gallery was an important resource. “This is where she comes to enjoy the art and learn about the artists,” Voell said.
Blue Valley Library (South Overland Park)
Remy Wharry is a self-taught Black woman artist and entrepreneur dedicated to expressing her artistic vision of life and beauty through acrylic painting.
Cedar Roe Library (Roeland Park)
Anita Easterwood is a nationally recognized visual artist based in Kansas City. Her portraits are known for their ability to evoke emotion and their unique hatching technique. Her work has been published in “American Art Collector” and “The New York Times.”
Central Resource Library (Overland Park)
Experience the transformative power of art through the Emerging Artists program, an innovative art-as-employment initiative offered by Johnson County Developmental Supports, a division of Johnson County Government. This visionary program empowers adult artists with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) to channel their passion and creativity into compelling artworks. This exhibition opens July 1.
Corinth Library (Prairie Village)
Jaylon Goode is a visual artist focused on drawing and painting the human form in a variety of mediums, from digital art to drawings to painting.
Gardner Library (Gardner)
The inspiration for local artist Amanda Jolley’s work comes from an observation of the patterns found in everyday life, and how they complement and often mirror the connections in the brain and processing of the subconscious.
Leawood Pioneer Library (Leawood)
Terri Pollack paints on brightly colored backgrounds, creating vibrant images and then translating that work into different media such as relief prints.
Lenexa City Center Library (Lenexa)
Creative Cloth is a community of artists who share a passion for exploring the limitless possibilities of original fiber art. Members are committed to supporting each other in their artistic journeys.
Merriam Plaza Library (Merriam)
Kansas City-based artist Joha Bisone mostly paints in watercolor, enjoying the fluidness and unpredictability of the medium. She creates organic landscapes, often taking inspiring patterns from nature and transforming them into their own world.
Oak Park Library (Overland Park)
After an accident that injured his dominant hand in the summer of 2016, Taj Mattingly left his career as a graphic designer and illustrator to pursue a new way to tell his stories with artwork. Driven by a focus on technique, Mattingly has pushed to learn new ways of drawing that he can approach ambidextrously.
Shawnee Library (Shawnee)
The digital artwork of David Morris has evolved out of his love for jazz. He uses a variety of computer software programs to develop, compose, retouch, refine and print his work, culminating in what he calls “a dance of contention and cohesion, mirroring the very essence of jazz where chaos yields to a breathtaking, unexpected symmetry.”
Exhibits are typically switched out three times per year in the spring, summer, and fall. For additional details about this summer’s exhibiting artists, visit jocolibrary.org/events/exhibitions. All exhibits run through August 21.
