The Art of Comics:

An Andrews McMeel Universal retrospective of the creators and characters who shaped popular culture

The exhibit opens on Friday, April 6th and will be on display through May 25, 2018.  The public is invited to a free reception on April 6th from 11:30-1:00pm.

Comics have shaped American popular culture since their first appearance in 19th century newspapers. But it was the visionary founders of Andrews McMeel Universal in Kansas City who, starting in 1970, challenged convention to give voice to groundbreaking comic storytellers and cultural commentators, having a profound and lasting effect on the medium.

This exhibit explores the evolution of the funny pages, from Doonesbury to Calvin and Hobbes to the new frontier that is web comics, all through the lens of the company that resulted from that legendary partnership. The comics presented in this show represent some of the most groundbreaking, monumental and impactful to come from Andrews McMeel Universal throughout its 47-year history.

About Andrews McMeel Universal

 The Andrews McMeel Universal story begins with the dynamic partnership of Jim Andrews and John McMeel in 1970.  Their entrepreneurial vision and values continue to serve as the foundation of what has grown to become a global, independent and integrated media company specializing in comics, commentary, illustrated humor and inspirational content.

Distinguished by a creator-first approach and an uncanny ability to tap into the zeitgeist of popular culture, the remarkable roster of talent across newspaper syndication; book, calendar and greeting card publishing; digital consumer experiences; and entertainment licensing includes dozens of New York Times best-selling authors and winners of the Pulitzer Prize, Reuben Award and Emmy Award.

Today, Andrews McMeel Universal continues the tradition of its founders, seeking out and championing creators who represent the timeless voices of their generation, whose work remains significant and relevant, and will so for generations to come.

For over seventeen years, local artist Susan Lordi Marker has found inspiration for her work in the ecosystems of native tall-grass prairie. Her exhibit features eleven works of cloth, each hand-manipulated to create vibrating patterns and dramatic textures. By experimenting with materials derived from the earth, including linen, silk, gold leaf and iron oxide, the artist creates meditative works in rich, harmonious tones.
Repetitive visual marks often cover the cloth echoing the prairie’s rhythm and cycles of the seasons. They are the “recordings of what I see, hear and touch. And cloth, as my medium, manifests the natural, tactile environment from which it came,” states Susan Lordi Marker.
For those visitors seduced by the works’ texture, an educational area provides textile samples to touch, and information about her fluid and sometimes unpredictable process.
 

About artist Susan Lordi Marker

Susan Lordi Marker received an MFA with honors from the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Her fiber work has won awards in the United States and internationally, including Best of Show in the exhibition Muse of the Millennium, Seattle Nordic Heritage Museum; Second Prize in Fiberart International, Pittsburgh, PA; and International Judge’s Choice Award in International Textile Design Competition, Tokyo, Japan. A monograph of her work, Portfolio Collection: Susan Lordi Marker was published by Telos Art Publishing in 2003. She is one of 10 U.S. artists featured in the Telos book Art Textiles: USA. Susan has served on the fiber faculty of both the Kansas City Art Institute and the University of Kansas. She has been a visiting artist at Haystack, Maine; Penland, North Carolina; and other university art schools around the country.
In 2000, Susan created Willow Tree®, a line of hand-carved figurative sculpture for the gift industry, distributed and sold worldwide. Susan maintains her studio in the Crossroads Arts District of Kansas City, Missouri. To view more of Susan’s art textiles, visit: susanlordimarker.com.

UMB Bank and Commerce Bank both have Kemper family connections and a long tradition of supporting the arts. But few know it was Charlotte Crosby Kemper who inspired generations of Kempers to celebrate the arts.

Charlotte Crosby Kemper married William T. Kemper Sr. in 1890 and moved to Kansas City.  A daughter of a prominent family, she attended college at Vasser College School of Music and Painting, where she developed a life-long passion for the arts. Her son’s James Kemper Sr. (Commerce Bank CEO) and Crosby Kemper (UMB Bank CEO) would continue their mother’s support of the arts.  Today, generations later, Charlotte Crosby Kemper’s legacy continues, through the work of both banking institutions.

This Box Gallery exhibit features a selection of portraits from both corporate art collections, as well as tips for viewing portraiture.  The shared goal of the dual exhibit is to announce and celebrate the arrival of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art’s exhibit, “The Outwin American Portraiture Today,” on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, and raise awareness of the rich genre of portraiture.

About the UMB Financial Corporation Collection

UMB Financial Corporation exhibits one of the most highly regarded collections of American art in the Country. More than 1,200 pieces of paintings and sculpture are on display at UMB banking offices throughout Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Arizona. The collection was a personal mission of art patron R. Crosby Kemper, Jr. Mr. Kemper was respected world-wide for his personal, corporate and museum collections.  J. Mariner Kemper, Chairman and CEO, has continued this amazing legacy of American Art, making several remarkable acquisitions that strengthen the collection not only in a significant visual way but also in a comprehensive way. Their dedication and keen insight have created a highly regarded collection, rich in spectrum, always on view.

About the Commerce Bancshares Fine Art Collection

Commerce Bank’s corporate art collection started in 1963 by William T. Kemper Jr. (1902-1989) who formed a committee of leading art professionals to guide the process. The Collection was formed to provide a stimulating environment for employees, customers and the general community. In the 1980’s Laura Kemper Fields (1948-2014) served as the Director of the Collection, and during her 30-year tenure, the collection grew with additions reflecting both high-quality and broadening scope. Today, more than1,400 works are exhibited throughout its banking offices in both public spaces and private offices across six states.

Hank Young is a Kansas City native whose photographic journey is in its fifth decade.  For most of those years, Young’s photography served the corporate, advertising and editorial community, including 42 years in professional and college athletics.  This exhibit will feature both his past work, and a new chapter of photography inspired by ordinary people and the extraordinary places they inhabit.

About Hank Young

Hank’s photos have been published internationally in a wide range of magazines: Time, Newsweek, People, Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, Forbes and Fortune. His work also has appeared in the pages of the London Times, New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post.  He helped create corporate reports and advertising projects for numerous Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T, Sprint, Southwestern Bell, PepsiCo and Northwest Airlines. His work in sports has taken him to the Olympic Games, World Series, World Cup, Indy 500, Super Bowls, NFL games in Germany, Japan and Mexico, along with NCAA championships. Game Face, a collection of portraits from his more than 30 seasons as team photographer of the Kansas City Chiefs was published in conjunction with the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in 2001.  A Kansas City native, he attended Maur Hill School in Atchison and then the University of Kansas, where he earned an undergraduate degree in political science and a graduate degree with honors in journalism.

The U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) may be one of Kansas City’s best-kept secrets. Established in 1881 and located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, it is an elite graduate school for Army and international military officers. As part of “The Art of War Initiative,” this exhibit highlights the college’s impressive history and art collection. The paintings, sculptures and objects on display reflecting commerce were selected from more than 3,800 in the College’s collection, and represent the school’s long tradition of teaching leadership and building international relations.

The June 8 reception will include a short program to enlighten attendees on the selections on display and about the CGSC Foundation’s “Art of War Initiative,” a project designed to preserve, promote, and protect the life and longevity of the CGSC collection.

Other events are also scheduled during the “The Art of War: Gifts of Peace” exhibition. On June 22, from
5:30 – 8 p.m., The Box Gallery will host a discussion panel titled “Lessons on Leadership” featuring a panel of military and business leaders. On July 13, from 5:30 – 8 p.m. the Gallery will host “Reflections,” a poetry reading featuring local poets, including a poet with a military background.

The Command and General Staff College has been educating military officers for service to the nation since 1881. International military officers began attending the college in 1894. The CGSC art and gift collection traces its beginnings to 1943 at the height of World War II with a plaque from the Polish delegation attending the college. Gifts prior to that were not necessarily catalogued or maintained, however some gifts, such as a painted portrait of Confederate General Robert E. Lee donated in 1934 by the Daughters of the American Confederacy, still exist. In the 1970s, CGSC classes began a tradition of giving gifts to the college upon graduation. That tradition has taken many forms, from stained glass windows currently displayed in the Lewis and Clark Center (the home of CGSC), to original works of art presented annually on a topic chosen by the class. In addition, many of the international military student officers from each class annually gift the college with tokens of appreciation representing their country. In addition, visiting dignitaries and interested donors have gifted the college with works of art. Examples of these gifts range from a presidential portrait collection to bronze statues commemorating the military’s role in the war in Afghanistan.

Over the years CGSC has amassed a collection of gifts of art objects and other items that provide a physical representation of the historical significance between the college and the nations it serves. Until the “Art of War Initiative” began in summer 2016 with a partnership between the CGSC Foundation and the Todd Weiner Gallery, the general public has never truly had an opportunity to see this collection.

For more information about the Art of War Initiative, visit www.theartofwarinitiative.org.

The Glory of the Hills – Paintings of the Flint Hills from the art collection of Cliff Stone.

Cliff Stone of El Dorado, Kansas, was a banker, WWI hero, generous community supporter and avid art collector. This exhibit features that artwork he collected over his lifetime.

Since the 1980s, the way we purchase, store and listen to music has changed drastically. Listening to digital music on our phones and mp3 players is more accessible, convenient, portable and affordable than ever before.  But what are we missing when we focus on convenience over quality?

This exhibit provides visitors access to high-end sound technology and the opportunity to listen to a short list of music.  The experience is intended to serve as a reminder of the difference, importance and thrill of high quality music – and hopefully ignite a passion for Kansas City music.  Visitors are invited to visit The Box Gallery’s Facebook and Twitter pages and share their favorite song, and a selection will be incorporated into the exhibit.

For this exhibit, The Box Gallery is partnering with Elevated Electronics, a local company located in Overland Park, Kansas.  Owner Ryan Anderson opened the business in 2002.

All three artists have close ties to The Mattie Rhodes Art Center and Gallery, the best place in Kansas City to celebrate and learn about Latino culture through visual arts.  The exhibit introduces the artists’ work to a downtown audience while raising awareness of the Mattie Rhodes Center.

The Mattie Rhodes Center has been a positive presence in KC for over 120 years, and this exhibition highlights their unique art programming. The Mattie Rhodes Art Center offers a wide range of creative programs for children and adults, including visual art classes, art camps and events.  The Art Gallery hosts year-round exhibitions featuring emerging and established Latino artists.

The artwork of local artist Adolfo Gustavo Martinez is often informed by his Mexican heritage and multicultural perspective.  His pop art inspired paintings often reflect his identity and sense of humor.  Likely best known for his “sofa” paintings, his work can be found in the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Kansas City Arrowhead Art Collection.

Local artist Isaac Tapia attended the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts and studied at the Kansas City Art Institute from 2010-2012.  His paintings often include portraits of his family and friends, which reveal his interest in exploring cultural identity and the urban environment.

The third artist, Gemma Tornero, divides her residence between Kansas City and Mexico. She holds a master’s degree in Education and the Arts, and is a self-taught artist.  Her dimensional mixed media works follow the tradition of votive paintings and are filled with religious imagery and symbolism.

The Box Gallery will feature a new art show, Reflecting the Times, Sept. 2 through Oct. 28. The show includes works by Harold Smith, Stefan Jones and Jason Piggie, and will be curated by Ramona Davis, founder of KC Black Artists Network.

An Opening Reception will be held Sept. 9 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and an Artist Talk and Closing Reception, Oct. 22 from 3 to 6 p.m. Events are free and open to the public.

The exhibit will include 12 large-scale models that capture the essence of some of the most famous buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building, Jim Mao Tower, the Gateway Arch and the Willis Tower. The sculptures were created with hundreds of thousands of Lego pieces and built without the use of glue or adhesives.

After earning degree in Architecture from Kansas State University’s College of Architecture, Planning and Design, Adam Reed Tucker worked as an architect throughout the Kansas City and Chicago areas. Adam decided to leave his architecture job to focus on building with a new creative medium, the Lego brick. In 2007 he became the 7th person to be a Lego Certified Professional –one of only 13 in the World. He was also the co-creator of the Lego Architecture line featuring smaller scale architectural models.

Dino-might is a group exhibition in collaboration with the NCECA conference featuring works from six artists playing with a paleontological theme. This ground-shaking show explores both the natural world and natural history from varied conceptual and material perspectives. Bringing diverse approaches to this fossilized theme, the included artists will unearth an array of artifacts. Featured artists include Jessica Brandl (IA), Craig Cilfford (WI), Alanna DeRocchi (AK), Ryan Kelly (OH), Brett Kern (WV) and Peter Morgan (PA), all of whom are also professional educators.

At the center of the exhibit is a hand painted Country Club District Map from the J. C. Nichols Company.  The illustrated map was created in 1930 by an architect of the company, Earl Willson Allen (1908-1961).  Visitors to the gallery who worked or conducted business in the J. C. Nichols Company offices at 310 Ward Parkway will likely remember its grand presence and unique detail.   The map is on display thanks to a generous loan from The State Historical Society of Missouri.

The exhibit also features a panel display featuring the iconic Kansas City designs of Hare and Hare, a landscape architecture firm that worked closely with J. C. Nichols.  The father and son team of Sid Hare and Herbert Hare helped shaped our City with design concepts for the Country Club Plaza, The Nelson-Atkins Museum, and surrounding residential areas including Mission Hills.  The panel display is a generous loan from the Kansas City Public Library.

A video of Meet the Past, created by Kansas City Public Library, features Library Director, Crosby Kemper III  interviewing  J. C. Nichols, as played by author and historian, William S. Worley.

In 1925, Nashville heard the start of a one-hour country music radio show. Broadcast on WSM, the Grand Ole Opry’s original purpose was to promote the station’s parent insurance company through the relatable medium of country music. Over time, the program became enormously popular, evolving into a stage show that soared to the national spotlight and attracted the brightest stars of its genre.

These photographs catalog the Opry in its prime. The positive postwar atmosphere of the United States was critical for the success of the radio show and of country music in general. Gillingham captures the spirit, camaraderie, and sheer joy of the era by focusing his lens both on- and off-stage. Photographs of Minnie Pearl, Chet Atkins, and Patsy Cline performing demonstrate the carousing spirit of the performances, while pictures of June Carter, Johnny Cash, and Roy Rogers interacting with their fans offer a backdoor perspective of the Opry.

Grand Ole Opry provides insider access to the radio show that forever cemented country music’s role in American culture. The show is still on the air and has become the longest running radio program in the world. The exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA sends more than 25 exhibitions on tour to more than 100 small- and mid-sized communities every year. More information is available at www.maaa.org and www.eusa.org.  The exhibit is a partnership with Art in the Loop Foundation.