In late 2024, I accepted an invitation to have a retrospective at the Gallery at Kansas Wesleyan University. The chair of the Art & Design Department, Lori Wright, thought it would be of value for her students to see that a life in art and design can be about more than just a job. I got to work sifting and sorting piles of work.
For more than four decades I’ve worked on design projects for clients, projects that often required me to delve into unfamiliar areas. I had a reason to learn something new, and then had to translate that knowledge into effective visual communication.
This process also generates ideas for personal work. If I’m curious about something I see or read or hear, I tend to draw or paint or write my way through learning about it. In other words, I make a project out of it.
This show itself was a project, and I’ve learned a lot by putting it together. Going through so many years of work has been daunting. Besides the sometimes overwhelming task of organizing 40+ years of work, I’ve noticed the feeling of a door closing. But I also sense lights up ahead and feel a breeze from an open window I can’t see yet. I guess I’ve got more projects coming up!
During the run of PROJECT at the Gallery at Kansas Wesleyan, I kept in contact with viewers through a QR code that I sent to my email list. Each time the code went to a different place — sometimes it was art info, sometimes trivia, sometimes giveaways. Below is a list of all the links.
The first link went to a survey where people could give me feedback on the show.
A link to a video about Watson and the Shark, an 18th century painting by John Singleton Copley, and a trivia contest about the event. I made a ‘movie poster’ with an image of the painting, and the first reply to the contest won a framed poster.
A look through one of the sketchbooks on view at the Gallery.
I made a video featuring the work in the exhibition, El Paso, based on Marty Robbins cowboy ballad of the same name.
Some additional client work that didn’t fit in the gallery.
There were giveaways the last 5 days of the show for all newsletter subscribers. The first day’s question was:
What are the titles of the 2 sculptures at the front entrance of the Smoky Hill Museum?
For having the first correct answer, Land and Communication, the winner received a $10 gift certificate to the Smoky Hill Museum Store.
Shown at right are my illustrations of the Carl Mose WPA-era sculptures.
Day 2’s question:
What is the name of the famous Stoic emperor played by Richard Harris in the movie, “Gladiator” (2000 version)?
The answer is Marcus Aurelius, and the winner received this Stoic-inspired journal and mug that I designed.
The Day 3 contest was a popular subject, and included a Mary Oliver poem. The question was:
Young sunflower buds follow the sun's movement from east to west during the day, then reorient themselves to face east at night in anticipation of the sunrise. What is this phenomenon called?
The correct answer was heliotropism, and the winner received this Kansas vintage sunflower shirt that I designed.
Day 4’s question:
What is Abraham Lincoln’s middle name?
Abraham Lincoln didn’t have a middle name, and the smart reader who knew that received this Lincoln sweatshirt and Lincoln pillow. The sweatshirt with the Gettysburg Address (featuring my drawing of Lincoln, which is also on the pillow) is one of the most popular items in my online shops.
Lastly, the Day 5 contest was a nod to having three paintings included in the book, Somewhere Between Kansas City and Denver. The question was:
According to Google maps, how many miles is it between Kansas City, MO and Denver, taking the fastest route?
The correct answer (debatable, according to some people) was 605 miles.
Thanks to all who supported the idea of this retrospective. I appreciate everyone who took time to see the show, those who loaned work and purchased work, and those who helped with installation and deinstallation. And thank you to Salina Arts & Humanities and the Horizons Grants program.