‘The Little Princess’ Interview with Adrianne Clayton

Adrianne Clayton’s artwork is displayed at the ARTwall at 13th and Grand. We interviewed her to learn more about ‘The Little Princess.’ Adrianne’s artistic process, her history with art, and her experience as a member of this community.  

 How did this piece come about, and what is the meaning behind it?
This piece came about after hearing about giant canvases on sale at a nearby Ross for $30. I rushed to the store purchasing all 4 of them as I’d been taught by my mother to look for the sale and get the “bang for your buck.”
Not long after, I was scheduled to have an exhibit at the Natasha Ria Gallery and I needed to create a body of work.  I didn’t want the work to only be aesthetically pleasing; I wanted there to be a message that would speak to the hearts of little girls of all ages.  There are so many people that we interact with from childhood to adulthood, from our most intimate and close family members to friends, neighbors and teachers. There are also hidden figures that contribute to who we are and why we are. My desire was expressed through my artwork as an appreciation and celebration of black female pioneers whose life has impacted the world in a way that an easier path was made for us all.  I began to paint the small girl reflecting the earlier years when we are most like a sponge watching and absorbing. I wanted her to perch upon a couch with her feet up as if she were royalty. I began adding her mother who is her first influencing relationship as I have been both the child and the mother at this point in my life understanding both roles. As I painted I began to think about ways to incorporate other women without taking the focus off of the little girl and I thought, “Oh, her clothing!”  She will wear past and present African American Female Trailblazers who are powerful through resilience like the wet nurses/slaves, or Michelle Obama who set the standard for African American women high ranking positions, Sojourner Truth who used words to get people to see beyond appearance and Cicely Tyson who has modeled ageless talent in the acting arena. I collected and printed photographs of these powerful women and began to collage them for her dress. 

How has this project differed from other works you’ve done?
This project did not really differ from past projects as far as process because I often collage when painting. In the past acrylic paint was my go-to because it dries quickly. Sometimes when collaging I attach an ornament of some sort like a pair of beautiful earrings, fabric or simply printed photos.  Not too long ago, I painted a portrait for a family whose father had passed. He always wore denim shirts, so I found a pair of jeans, and I constructed a denim shirt because it made it more sentimental and impactful.  In the Little Princess I collaged as usual but used a lot of faces.

What’s been your experience with Art in the Loop before this year?
I’ve worked with Art in the Loop for two projects now.  The first time I submitted for a streetcar stop I was conflicted about sending the painting, Mother’s Plight. I chose it in line with the theme but I knew my truth would offend some people.  I decided to take a chance and submit it anyway. I was surprised when I was informed that it was unanimously chosen. I have been continually impressed with Art in the Loop.  They have provided so many opportunities for all types of artists to be represented in public space.  

The staff are all so kind and so loving, they make sure you have support when necessary and they care about sharing your work in the light possible.  After the the streetcar stop I thought the next time there was a call for artists, “Well, I’m gonna submit again.” It was and has been a great experience and a great opportunity to be in public spaces and I’ve met some really great artists, and people and gained lots of resources like the Art Incubator Hub.

What has the process been like getting it ready to go up on the ARTwall?
My image didn’t fit the space being a perfect square so we had to almost double it in length which created two girls sitting on the sofa instead of one; it works because I have a twin. Working with The AI Hub was amazing. They have been super helpful in making the process a very smooth one.  This husband, wife and toddler squad downloaded the image of my painting while discussing the best way to adjust the art for the space. They tagged teamed flawlessly both using their strengths to make the image you will see for a year.  

The printing was another story due to the size of the wall but I’m excited to see it up.  

How long have you been in Kansas City, and what’s been your experience living here?
I am a Kansas City native, born and raised here in a very blended family. I am the fourth oldest child coming in 20 minutes behind my twin sister, Andrea Clayton-Jones who is also an educator.

While growing up in Kansas City I was a part of the South Suburban Athletic Association, we are a sports family! I took classes at the sewing co-op at Linwood United Methodist and Presbyterian Church where my Granny, Doris Clayton, Nana, Juanita Gibson and Aunt Cheryl Martin taught us to sew every Saturday.  My first job was at the Nelson Atkins Museum when I was in the 7th grade when one of my art teachers asked my mother if my twin and I could work in the Creative Arts Center as teacher assistants.  Talk about a great job, there was a closet, more like a small room with wall-to-wall shelving filled with any and everything imaginable for creation. I had a lead teacher named Maria who allowed me to teach classes sometimes.

I went to school in the Kansas City, Missouri School District participating in sports and the arts. I’ve had arts education since about fourth or fifth grade and through high school as a part of the Magnet School Programming.

I have had the privilege of working under some amazing artists and teachers while attending Wendell Philips (Mrs. Cole) the Kansas City Middle School of the Arts (Dr. Richard Bay and Betty Hudson) and Paseo Academy (Mario Jordan, K Mendenhall, Wendy West,  Rusty Newton, Mr West, Lonnie Powell, Andrea Davis and Anthony High).  Dr. Bay taught me to explore, experiment, and try anything, he was wild and fearless and I learned that fearlessness in art exploration from him. Betty Hudson told me in the sixth grade, “Adrianne, if you’re not gonna create your own characters, then stop copying them.” That was the beginning of me drawing what I saw in life and being inspired by life when creating.  Mr. Jordan told me I would be a great teacher when I was in about the 10th or 11th grade and I have been for almost 23 years.  Mr Powell was my first painting teacher and he pushed me to not run away from difficult things and gave me the space to grow which is how I teach in my classes. My very first art teacher was my Nana, Juanita Gibson, a beautiful watercolor painter who saw my talent early on.

Kansas City was a great place for me to grow into who I am today.  Without so much culture and community I don’t know who I would be. Kind of like the little princess, yep she’s me.

Thank you, Adrianne Clayton, for sharing more about your art and story!

For more information about Adrianne’s artwork and the other artists featured this year, visit www.artintheloop.com

The 2023 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous support of the KC Streetcar Authority, JE Dunn, Henderson Engineers, Stinson LLP, UMB and other corporate partners. This project is funded in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, as well as by awards from the Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC, KCAI and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank Trustee.

 Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

For more information about the project and the artists, visit www.artintheloop.com or www.facebook.com/artintheloop

# # #

Contacts:

Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Marissa Starke, Visual Arts Director, marissastarke@gmail.com, (c) 816-519-4236
Jade Osborne, Performing Arts Director, jademuse@gmail.com

KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications & Marketing Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, (c) 816-877-3219

Thank you, Adrianne Clayton, for sharing more about your art and story!

‘How to Build an Altar for the Living’ Interview with Kaitlyn B. Jones

Kaitlyn B. Jones’ artwork is displayed at the Library Southbound Streetcar Stop. It shows one frame from her short film ‘How to Build an Altar for the Living’. We interviewed Kaitlyn to talk more about the original short film that formed the basis for the Streetcar Stop Art. We recommend you watch the film before reading this interview here: https://vimeo.com/545766878. Kaitlyn’s work will be featured at the Artwalk on September 13, 2023.

What inspired you to create this video?
In the Spring of 2021, while visiting my grandparents’ house in Waco, Texas, I sat for breakfast with my great-grandmother, who, at the time, was 101 years old. I don’t remember exactly how the conversation got started, but soon I started asking her questions about her life growing up on a small farm in Gonzales, Texas. I pulled out my phone and before I knew it, I had recorded over two hours of oral history. One of the stories that really stuck with me was a girlhood memory of turning the bark of a wax tree into chewing gum. My great-grandmother’s formative years were shaped by the Great Depression and the aftermath of World War I, so obviously, chewing gum was a luxury they couldn’t afford at the time–but they made do with what they had grown on their land. Her chewing gum memory resonated with me the most because its simplicity brought her so much joy that she vividly remembered it over 90 years later.

A lot of my work as an artist is centered around Black legacy and lineage. I draw a lot of inspiration from my familial history and my attempt to preserve that rich history. I don’t think anyone would have known such a specific detail about her life if I had not taken the time to ask her about her childhood, or if I had not recorded her telling it. Storytelling is so important–especially for Black people. The survival of our culture is dependent upon the stories we tell to the next generation. Even the simple things are worth celebrating.

We typically think of altars as something you build for somebody who’s passed away, but in How to Build an Altar for the Living, I explore what it looks like to build an altar for somebody who is alive and well…giving them their flowers while they’re still breathing. I decided to build the altar from plants that I found around my childhood home. At the center, I placed an old wooden chair that I found in my grandmother’s backyard. I built this altar for myself, to honor my life, but I also built it to honor my great-grandmother, who will turn 103 in September. In the first half of the video, you hear the audio recording of my great-grandmother telling her chewing gum story. Everything after that is just my own exploration of what I imagine my legacy might be.

You wear three costumes in the video in total. You wear the dress, the sweatpants, and then the overalls. Can you talk a little bit about what each of those costumes represents?
Every outfit was a deliberate choice. I grew up in a Baptist/Episcopalian Christian household. I’d spend summers going to vacation Bible school with my cousins at my grandmother’s church in Waco, Texas. I have vivid memories of attending Easter services, Sunday school, and all sorts of different church activities. Although I am not religious in my adulthood, the Black Baptist culture that raised me is still very present in the way that I live my life.

In the video, I’m wearing overalls and cowgirl boots to reference my great-grandmother’s Texas farm life–even though in reality, she’s never worn pants a day in her life–and I blew a bubble of chewing gum in reference to her story. During filming, I used the “church lady” outfit and the “sweatpants” outfit to explore the relationship between the religious teachings I grew up with and my queerness.

I’m not a masculine-presenting person in reality, but there was something fun about exploring masculine energy in contrast with the feminine energy that radiates from the church ladies I would see on the front pews in my grandmother’s church on Sundays. At the time of filming, it had been a little over two years since I came out to my immediate family and I was having a really hard time balancing a Christian identity with the fact that I am gay. I wanted to explore those two dichotomies and how they make me who I am.

What was the process of making the video like?
The process of putting them all together was pretty haphazard, honestly. I filmed all the scenes in one day. I knew I wanted three sections, but the editing is really what brought it together.

In the beginning, the spinning circle is exactly what the loading screen for ancestry.com looks like when you type a name in the search bar. I’ve always felt frustrated by sites like ancestry.com because I don’t think I should have to pay to learn my own history. Especially when Black history has always been gatekept and erased by oppressive systems of power. Layering the videos of myself on top of one another was a visual “meshing” of all of my identities.

Why did you end the video with the masculine person sitting in the chair?
I ended on the masculine outfit mainly because it was the part of me that felt the strongest and still feels the strongest to this day. Not necessarily the masculine-presenting part…but the queerness that it represents. Being a proud lesbian has freed me in so many different ways. And I have found that living authentically in my queerness has freed me a lot more than religion ever did. I think that’s why the video ends the way it does. It’s my own way of saying, ”This isn’t going away. This is not a phase. It’s not an experiment. It’s something that’s here to stay, and whether you like it or not, it’s me.”

In the second half of the video, ‘I Believe’ by John P. Kee plays. How did you decide on that song choice?
Honestly, the song was kind of random. John P. Kee is an iconic gospel artist, and “I Believe” was a song I heard throughout my childhood. I guess I selected the song because it felt like home. It felt familiar. I didn’t think much about what song I was choosing until I finished the video, and then I realized it fit perfectly.

When did you move to Kansas City, and when did you find out about Art in the Loop?
I moved to Kansas City in July of 2022. My coworker, David Wayne Reed, was a part of Art in the Loop last year, but I didn’t make the connection between my coworker David, and David whose art was on the Kauffman Streetcar stop until I had lived here for a few months and finally discovered that the reason art was on the Streetcar stops was because of Art in the Loop. I think it’s really awesome that rotating public art is made available in places that people pass by every day. When I saw the Art in the Loop call for 2023, it was important to me that I figure out which of my works fit within the theme organically. This year’s theme, “celebrate”, wasn’t a word that I had used explicitly to describe my work, but it definitely reflects what I do. I celebrate the seemingly mundane. I celebrate lineage. I celebrate history, storytelling, intergenerational communication, and Black historic preservation.

On the streetcar stop is one frame from the video. Why did you choose that frame?
I think the image of me in overalls with the giant bubble of chewing gum reflects the intergenerational storytelling of the complete work. The chewing gum story is my maternal great-grandmother’s memory and the photograph at my feet is of my paternal great-grandmother holding my grandmother as an infant. The whole image brings together both sides of my lineage in a way that represents the theme and the work really well. Most of the time, Black women are the keepers of familial histories and traditions, and I’m honored to be able to continue that legacy.

For more information about Kaitlyn’s artwork and the other artists featured this year, visit www.artintheloop.com

---

The 2023 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous support of the KC Streetcar Authority, JE Dunn, Henderson Engineers, Stinson LLP, UMB and other corporate partners. This project is funded in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, as well as by awards from the Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC, and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank Trustee.

Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

For more information about the project and the artists, visit www.artintheloop.com or www.facebook.com/artintheloop

# # #

Contacts:

Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Marissa Starke, Visual Arts Director, marissastarke@gmail.com, (c) 816-519-4236
Jade Osborne, Performing Arts Director, jademuse@gmail.com

KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications & Marketing Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, (c) 816-877-3219

‘Here, with you’ Interview with Arin Yoon

Arin Yoon’s artwork, Here, with you, is displayed at the River Market North Streetcar Stop. We interviewed her to learn more about her artistic process, her history with art, and her experience as a member of this community. Arin’s work will be featured at the Artwalk on September 13th.  

Is this piece part of something bigger?
I made this work during my time at the Tallgrass Artist Residency. The residency took place in Matfield Green, where the population is under a hundred people. Even so, it has a really robust artist community, including the Tallgrass Artist Residency, the Rural Arts Collective and Matfield Green Works. When you set foot there, you can feel the energy of the land. Much of the Midwest used to be tallgrass prairie, but now less than 4% remains.  

What’s your Kansas City story?
I immigrated here in the mid eighties. My dad was going to graduate school in Warrensburg, Missouri, and we had come to visit, but he didn’t want us to leave, so we ended up staying here. I am now a military spouse and my family has been stationed in Fort Leavenworth for almost five years, the longest we have been in the same place in a long time. There’s something about the Midwest that keeps pulling me back. We immigrated here and this is our second time being stationed here, so I really feel a connection to this land. When I pass by Warrensburg, Missouri and I see the signs for the town, something stirs in me, a pull to my past. When I immigrated here, it was really important for us to learn English and assimilate. This project is about reconnecting with this land and carving out space for myself, my children, and my memories through photography. 

How did all this culminate in the piece for Art in the Loop?
In the Art in the Loop piece, my daughter and I are wearing hanboks, traditional Korean dresses. When we made this picture, my children were five and seven, the same ages as me and my brother when we immigrated here. That didn’t feel like a coincidence. I knew I wanted to bring these traditional Korean dresses, almost like an intervention on the land. When you think of the prairie, you think of cows and bison, farmland and farmers, settlers and of course the problematic mythology of cowboys and Native Americans. You don’t necessarily picture immigrants on this land. Historically, our contributions and experiences have been easily overlooked or erased. With this image, I’m inserting myself and my cultural history into the preconceived notions many Americans have of this landscape. This is my way of creating new memories with my children. The land also remembers.
     The image is installed at the River Market North Stop, which is meaningful to me because my parents used to be weekend vendors at City Market. They used to sell goods like earrings and belts. My dad was in graduate school, so this was their only source of income. Having my work displayed there feels like a full-circle moment. I imagine them in this space, but now with their descendants watching over them from the future. When I went to see the piece for the first time, I got a little emotional thinking about the significance of that moment

How did you find out about Art in the Loop, and when did you decide to become a part of it?
I applied last year, and my work didn’t get selected, but I applied again this year, and it was selected. I knew that Art in the Loop was a place where I wanted to show my work. I’m a big fan of public art. I don’t think gallery spaces always feel accessible to everyone. Public art is great because it’s out there in the open and anyone can engage with it. Art is something that creates community and that can create healing. When it’s publicly displayed in a functional space, it reaches more people. And this interaction in turn changes the meaning of the work which is exciting to think about. 

How did you first hear about Art in the Loop?
I love being a Kansas City based artist because it really feels like a community. I know a lot of artists and photographers here and it’s a very supportive community. There are so many great art organizations in KC like Art in the Loop, Charlotte Street and AI Hub. I found out about Art in the Loop because I’ve seen the work displayed over the years and always admired it and realized it added a little extra joy to the day, especially for my children, when we experienced the work at streetcar stops. 

How did you decide on the photograph for the Streetcar Stop out of all the pictures in your set?
The picture I selected embodied the story I was trying to tell as an individual piece. This piece is about everything that led up to the moment in the image and everything that is the future. The most important thing, though, is about being in the present moment with my children. The act of making this work and having it be a collaborative process with my children is what is at the core of this image.

How did you decide on the composition of the image?
As a photographer, you take a ton of pictures, especially if you have someone else clicking the shutter. My son was the one taking the pictures from a tripod I had set up. My daughter and I moved around a lot and tried different poses but I knew I wanted one image from behind which would create a little anonymity, like this could be anyone. In terms of installing the image, compositionally we just wanted to make sure the subjects fit in one panel on the streetcar stop. The subjects were on the right side of the frame, so it worked out. The panels on the left and right were AI-generated through a new Photoshop tool called generative fill just to extend the grass to the left and right to fit the dimensions of the streetcar stop.  

Thank you, Arin Yoon, for sharing more about your art and story!

---

For more information about Arin’s artwork and the other artists featured this year, visit www.artintheloop.com

The 2023 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous support of the KC Streetcar Authority, JE Dunn, Henderson Engineers, Stinson LLP, UMB Bank, and other corporate partners. This project is funded in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, as well as by awards from the Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC, and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank Trustee.

 

Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

For more information about the project and the artists, visit www.artintheloop.com or www.facebook.com/artintheloop

# # #

Contacts:

Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355

Marissa Starke, Visual Arts Director, marissastarke@gmail.com, (c) 816-519-4236

Jade Osborne, Performing Arts Director, jademuse@gmail.com

 

KC Streetcar

Donna Mandelbaum, Communications & Marketing Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, (c) 816-877-3219

‘Flower Garden’ Interview with Madeline Marak

Madeline Marak and Art in the Loop will be installing the ‘Flower Garden’ at the River Market West Streetcar Stop, and everyone’s invited to help! We interviewed the artist to learn more about the process of creating the ‘Flower Garden’ Stop by to help make the flower garden grow. Local musician ‘Alber’ will also be there to play and celebrate!

July 22 from 6-9 pm at the River Market West Streetcar Stop
Featuring music by Alber

What is the goal with ‘Flower Garden’?

Flower Garden is a colorful, layered relief sculpture that celebrates creativity and community collaboration. I gathered drawings that kids left behind at the children’s art studio I work for to create the flower shape designs. After scanning the drawings and laser cutting them out of colored acrylic, the public gets to use their creativity to make their own stacked flowers that stay for the duration of the installation. I hope the piece reminds someone of a time they were creative and inspires them to be creative in whatever form that takes. 

 

How has this project differed from your previous work?

In previous public art projects, I have used materials such as steel rods and reflective tape to create framing devices for viewing the landscapes in which the sculptures were placed. For this project, I wanted to propose something lighter and more colorful while staying close to materials you might find in an urban environment. 

 

What are you most excited about for the community event on July 22?

I am very excited to see how participants interact with the piece and what responses they have. Art-making can bring up memories, feelings, fun conversations, and so much more. I can’t wait to see the color combinations and layering the public creates. I can imagine how I might layer acrylic flower shapes onto a streetcar shelter, but the best part about public engagement is seeing all the different ways others approach creativity. 

 

How did you decide on the base background?

The base background of stylized leaf shapes is similar to the start of any garden. First, there are seedlings, then buds, and then flowers. I wanted there to be layers of growth happening throughout the installation to show my creative process of making the Flower Garden project. 

 

What has been your experience with Art in the Loop before this?

As a newcomer to Kansas City, my first experience of Art in the Loop was the Streetcar ‘Darrius’s Garden’ by Devin Edwards. It was such a thrill to board a piece of moving art with bold, bright colors and such a unique stylistic expression. I was very inspired.

 

Why did you submit a project this year?

I love how much public art there is in Kansas City. The public projects I’ve done in the past have all been cherished experiences. I was excited to have the opportunity to engage with the Kansas City community through art. 

 

Thank you, Madeline Marak, for sharing more about your art and story!

---

For more information about Madeline’s artwork and the other artists featured this year, visit www.artintheloop.com

The 2023 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous support of the KC Streetcar Authority, JE Dunn, Henderson Engineers, Stinson LLP, and other corporate partners. This project is funded in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, as well as by awards from the Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC, and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank Trustee.

Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

For more information about the project and the artists, visit www.artintheloop.com or www.facebook.com/artintheloop

# # #

Contacts:
Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Marissa Starke, Visual Arts Director, marissastarke@gmail.com, (c) 816-519-4236
Jade Osborne, Performing Arts Director, jademuse@gmail.com

KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications & Marketing Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, (c) 816-877-3219

 

‘Party Balloons’ Interview with BubbleGum Kurt

BubbleGum Kurt will be at the Crossroads Northbound KC Streetcar Stop this summer as they install their Live Painting! We interviewed the artist to learn more about the original artwork Party Balloons that inspired the live painting. Stop by regularly and enjoy their monthly visit to the artwork site as they add to and grow their celebratory Party Balloons installation.

July 7th from 5 – 8 PM
August 11th from 6 – 8 PM
September 1st from 6 – 8 PM
October 20th from 6 – 8 PM
November 3rd from 6 – 8 PM 

Can you give a brief introduction to Party Balloons?

This was originally a series I did during my undergrad. It was initially several party balloons. The process was to inflate a balloon, add stuff onto it layer by layer, and then let it slowly deflate. I took pictures of the process of decaying and of the fully deflated balloons. In school, it was more like throwing spaghetti at the wall and then analyzing why I did that later. I’m definitely that kind of creator. Looking back on that, I wasn’t in a good mental state, and so when I was making things, I wanted to pile things I loved onto other things to create joy in my art where I couldn’t find it in my normal life. Then, watching the balloon deflate and decay while still holding that joy felt very beautiful and sad at the same time. I still want to unravel what that means, which I think is why I want to revisit it. While I’ve definitely evolved from my past work, I still like to look back and question why I was drawn to those images and ideas.

Why a live painting?

I wanted to mimic the process I did with the original project. Adding more images onto something over time. I’ve always been really interested in patterns. Repetition but not exact repetition. There’s that human element of trying to draw the same thing over and over again. I loved how “in the moment” Party Balloons were and the stuff that was created either by my hand or with the materials decaying. When I submitted my proposal for a live painting, I wanted to pay homage to the original work.

What has been your live painting experience before this?

I’m not much of a painter. I do a lot of printmaking, mostly, and I do love to draw. For me, painting is another way of processing what I’m drawn to imagery-wise. I have a lot of experience with live performance. I have a series called Birthday Party, where I make an installation and perform in it. I also invite people to perform in the space with me. So I have experience with live performances in front of people but also with an interactive element. I’m pretty comfortable performing, but I don’t think I’ve ever done a mural. I’ve assisted with mural paintings but never painted my own piece, so for me, this is definitely a meeting of mural painting and the performance aspect of it. I also find painting very meditative.

What do you find meditative about it?

I really love getting in the zone of making marks, and many of my pieces involve repetition. I use a lot of repeated images and symbols. Smiley faces, for example. I repeat those smiley faces over and over and over again, but they’re all slightly different. I find that meditative and beautiful how I’m doing the same mark, but it’s always slightly different. It’s similar to this performance exercise where you say the same word over and over again until it loses its meaning. Your mouth becomes this way of making a sound that used to be a word that makes sense, but now it’s devolved and becomes this noise. That’s what I’m going for.

What are your plans for each session?

The goal is to have a good product done by the end of each session but still with room to grow and add for the next session. I want to challenge myself to get something to a good spot but add more. The first session is the only one I have a clear plan for. I’m going to start by gridding out the image of the balloon to be the size of the streetcar shelter. Then I will tape butcher paper or newsprint to the back to act as my skeleton. I’m going to be painting the bones of the balloon rather than an exact pattern. From there, I want to find a good flow of how to fill in the deflated balloon. I like to add negative space to my pieces, so I have a tester of the vinyl, and I’m working on how to remove paint from it so I can make negative space.

What are some of the challenges you’re worried about for this long project?

I’m worried I’ll get visually stuck. By the third session, I might walk up and have no idea what to do, which is an anxiety I frequently have anyways. Still, I’m confident I’ll be able to come into each session and be excited about what I’m making. Another thing about doing interactive public works is that you can have all these great conversations with people. Still, there is that worry of someone coming up and trying to challenge and degrade what you’re doing. It’s happened to me before, so I’m definitely worried about that. Overall though, people are usually excited about the art.

How do you feel when people talk to you and ask questions?

I typically have a very performative energy, but adding on painting is a new layer. I think either no one will want to bother me, I’ll just be painting and chilling, or one person will start talking to me. Then that’ll bring in more people asking questions and interacting with me. Both possibilities would be great and fun. I love talking about my work, so I wouldn’t have a problem with people asking me questions.

What has been your experience with Art in the Loop?

I’m not originally from Kansas City. I moved here about 5 years ago, and I didn’t have a car for the first year and a half, so I took a lot of public transportation. I took the streetcar to the farmers market every weekend, and I remember seeing the Art in the Loop art at the stops. I particularly loved one that looked like a word search, but it was rubber bands, and you had to stretch it out. Basically, I’d interacted with the projects in the past. I feel like my creativity comes from my childhood because my parents were really weird decorators. They would put stuff up on the walls that was not wall hanging stuff like baskets and hats and stuff they would find on the ground. Being exposed to creativity, especially at a young age, is so important. I think it’s great that we have that in this city. It’s great having art in a public place for all to see. Creativity is an underdeveloped skill in a lot of ways, and I think it’s a good foundation tool for growing up and learning.

Why did you decide to apply this year?

I am an artist who mainly functions in the DIY space. I’ve done lots of cute galleries in town that are run by younger artists and smaller events like that. I’ve been trying to apply for more formal spaces. I got a piece at The Box Gallery, which felt great, and I applied to Art in the Loop in the past, but looking back, I was not developed enough as an artist.

What attracts you to Art in the Loop?

Putting art in public spaces and places where it normally isn’t is very important to keep it as a pillar of our society. It’s a great way to celebrate local artists, and it’s extremely important that they’re actually paying their artists and valuing their work. There’s so much room for it to grow; I can’t wait to see how it develops. Having art be present as a young child can shape people. Kids can challenge that part of their brain and be excited about something. Art is this whimsical thing that can challenge people of any age and make people excited again. Art is so influential in kids’ lives, and to keep it once you grow up is so important.

Thank you, BubbleGum Kurt, for sharing more about your art and story!

---

For more information about Kurt’s artwork and the other artists featured this year, visit www.artintheloop.com

The 2023 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous support of the KC Streetcar Authority, JE Dunn, Henderson Engineers, Stinson LLP, and other corporate partners. This project is funded in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, as well as by awards from the Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC, and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank Trustee.

Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

For more information about the project and the artists, visit www.artintheloop.com or www.facebook.com/artintheloop

# # #

Contacts:
Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Marissa Starke, Visual Arts Director, marissastarke@gmail.com, (c) 816-519-4236
Jade Osborne, Performing Arts Director, jademuse@gmail.com

KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications & Marketing Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, (c) 816-877-3219