BROOKSIDE ART ANNUAL

Art Attack is a new series of posts which will reflect everything artistic– gallery and museum trips, artist tributes, perhaps some of our own creations, and much more! To launch our first post of this series, we headed on over to an art fair. The Brookside Art Annual kicked off the 2014 art shows in the KC area. It came up quick– and it’s a good thing our friends Kara and Matt reminded us of it, otherwise we would’ve missed it! We hit brunch at Julian, which was pretty tasty; and then walked a block to the fair. It featured 180+ local and national artists showcasing a myriad of media. We had to walk pretty briskly through (as Mya was pushing nap time), but we still left inspired and aesthetically energized! Here were some of our faves:

Chris Vance is from Des Moines, IA. His caricatured work makes me smile– so fun-natured. Would be so witty in a kid’s room.

David Stine is from Dow, IL. I would absolutely love to own one of his dining tables— you know, once Mya won’t color all over it. His juxtaposition of metal and wood is totally our taste.

Mark Lewanski‘s talent blows me away. I love art glass and used to work at a gallery called Glass Expressions, where they carried some of his pieces. (Glass Expressions no longer has a store-front gallery, but still has pieces for sale online. I was so blessed to work there– as it truly formed my appreciation and passion for glass art.) Lewanski’s glass weavings present depth, texture, and color like no other.

Suze Ford is from Lee’s Summit, MO. I was able to speak with her briefly– what a nice gal! She had such a vast selection of vibrant pieces in all sizes.

Brad Pogatetz‘s photography is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately I didn’t get to view his pieces live because I must have been corralling Mya (as she was more interested in the array of leashed canines than the art). But Derek picked-up his info and I’ve been able to scope out his work via online portfolio. Who knew that beat-up trucks and dilapidated buildings could evoke such emotion?!

Andrew Johnson is “The Stitch Maestro” and his work was chosen for the Brookside Art Annual’s marketing tools (ie fliers, web design). I especially enjoyed his animal pieces.

Hope you feel even half as inspired as I did after viewing the above artists. For the full list of the Brookside Art Annual’s participating artists, you can go here. And if you’re looking for an art fair in your area, this is a great guide. Go get your art on!

PS- This was Mya after the art fair. It took her T minus 1 minute to fall asleep in the car.