In the Harrison Gallery:

The Wyandot Art Association

 Jan Kobe - Children's books type and realistic
After receiving my BFA in Illustration from KU and working with 200 prestigious artists at Hallmark Cards, I have spent the last 8 years developing an arts program for persons with disabilities.  I paint from my own creativity and explore subjects reflecting my imagination, especially children from my family in fantasy settings, still life’s and landscapes from Wyandotte County.   

        Zada Vogel - Realistic    (mostly pencil)
I have been a member of The Wyandot Art Assn. for over 10 years.  I did not begin my art career until 1995, while taking art classes at KCK Community College.  I work in many mediums, including oil, tempera, pastels, charcoal, and watercolor.      

        Donna [Nelson] Suther - Realistic (flowers and hat)
 

     Donna [Nelson] Suther was born in Canada but came to the U.S. at the age of 2 with her parents. She received her education in South Dakota and taught country school. She married Erwin Suther and 3 sons were born.

 

     Donna has taught painting classes for over 30 years in 3 states to students 5 to 80 years of age, including many 3 generation families.  Many miles were put on a van full of art supplies in all kinds of South Dakota weather.

 

     She always had a love of art and painting. She took lessons and workshops from National teachers which helped her learn many techniques and ideas for teaching. Her teaching included classes in Decorative Painting; Rosemaling [Norwegian roses]; canvas; and 15 different species of wooden decoys in oils and acrylic..  A student introduced her to a state art council  member which started her career as "artist in resident " teaching in 2 states.  This was done in smaller schools [not having full time art teachers] grades K through 12 writing her own curriculum using the elements of design.

 

     Donna appeared on TV shows displaying and telling of her art work, speaker at Farm and Home shows in 2 states with her art work display.  She had many solo shows in libraries, colleges, and other art shows.  She also judged 4-H  art shows.

 

     Donna taught students how to paint on various types of surfaces: wood, canvas, glass, paper, rice paper, furniture, and even animal skulls.

 

     STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES INCLUDE;

 

     One high school girl had a canvas [done in Donna's class], travel  a year  throughout the state of North Dakota in the state art council project.

 

     Grandmothers brought their grandchildren to the classes.  One 9 year old boy painted a 16 x 20 canvas featuring a black bear on back legs doing a super job.  One 14 year old painted a portrait and you could really see the likeness.  Both students were boys.

 

    Students are totally interested and do beautiful work.  One young boy wanted the class so bad he shoveled snow to earn money for the classes....painting a beautiful eagle. 

 

     A unique story of an adult [a Dr.s wife] from India took private classes from me and took all her paintings back to India to show her paintings.  She came home empty handed because her parents wouldn't part with them.

 

     Art is important for our young people.  We must insure that they can learn and enjoy doing the art they are interested in.  They are our future.

 

THE ART DOOR OPENED UP FOR ME AND GAVE ME A WONDERFUL ADVENTURE.

 

 

Unrelated art news in Donna's life is listed below.

 

Donna also has compiled recipes from her grandmother into a cook book "Grannies Pioneer Cooking".

 

Serving as National Bird Chairman in the garden club she wrote a book of recipes of food to feed the birds.  A 32 booklet of recipes garden club members sent her sold 10,000 copies.  In 1996 her son asked her to give the book the 90's look.  In 1997 with over 200 pages with recipes, news about birds and Donna's sketching many birds was featured on QVC selling 850 books in 20 minutes.

 

After open heart surgery in 2004 she sold her house and is now living with her son and family in Kansas City.

        Marie Bohndorf - Photographer

I love anything to do with nature and wildlife. I am a docent at the Kansas City Zoo and have been for 18 years. I never go without my camera to photograph what I have seen, it usually draws a crowd when they see me with my camera and that gives me the chance to tell them about the particular animal that I am beside. I also enjoy taking pictures of flowers, butterflies and birds. I have had exhibits at the KCK Public Libraries. I have been and still am a member of Camera Clubs in the area, The Kansas City Zoo Camera Club and

the Great Plains Nature Photographers.

Ada Adilah Shakir-Mahmud- Abstracts and other stuff

I am a Visual Artist blessed with a divine gift to paint, draw, sculpt, write, and create.

The consistent use of my will power, motivation and determination assist me to achieve compositions in various mediums.

My work-related experience include Elegba Galleria Art Gallery Owner, Tallahassee, Florida, Town House Gallery Artistic Directory, Kansas City, KS, Boys and Girls Club of America Art Facilitator, Kansas City, Ks, past VP Wyandot Art Association, Kansas City, KS, Art Advocate - Arts Day at the Capitol, Topeka, Ks and other various art related projects.  I developed and taught “WHO am I” Self Realization Artistic Workshops, these workshops assist others in uplifting their self-esteem, motivation, and creative talents.

I am focused on upcoming Exhibits, Commissioned Assignments, Community Arts Associations, Teaching, and Advocate for the Arts. My work depicts courage, devotion, mental clarity and healing. My first painting “Self Realization” painted in 1982, opened a reality within me – An Original True Artist.

My gratitude is to The Creator who placed in me creativity and appreciation to those who nurtured me to paint, sculpt, and draw the wonders of the Universe.

        Diane De Mint - 3-D abstracts  (tornado03)

 

  I was born in Arkansas and raised on a cotton farm until I was 14. I then moved to Kansas City and went to school during the time Kennedy and Martin Luther King was killed.

I quit school and went to work to help my mom meet the bills and never had the opportunity to go back.

 

I now own a small specialty construction company in Parkville Missouri. In my work I’ve drawn templets of company logo’s and designs to install in stone. My husband told me I was pretty good at art so why didn’t I come up with some art of my own.

 

Well I have and I don’t know where it comes from but I made it. One of my pieces was inspired by the tornado that hit Wyandotte County in May 2003. The storm nearly destroyed our home and completely wiped out most of my neighbors. After the storm, I was in my yard and picked up some power cables that were on top of the house. They had become unbraided and when I saw them I could see my new piece of art. They became the hair of my tornado and there were broken mirrors on the floor in the living room so I used them also. The tornado is made from paper and lots of glue. It made me feel like mother nature was sucking up the earth and that’s how I made my tornado.

 

All of my art is made with paper and what ever I see to go with it and they all have some broken mirrors in them somewhere.

 

It has been the most rewarding thing to happen to me in my life. I have only made eight so far but intend to continue to make them.

 

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do making them.

 Dianne De Mint

nolaD

        Betty Selbe - Realistic

I returned to art about 20 years ago, after raising my family.  I worked at three private schools as an art teacher, and since that time have worked with Wyandot Art Association, at the same time trying to improve my craft.  My artwork has branched out a little lately.  I try to keep myself challenged in what I do.     Betty Selbe

In the East Gallery:

Tammy Eklund - Unique Jewelry

My name is Tammy Eklund I live in Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas. Age is 46, and loving every min of life. As I also love to garden, playing in the water in warm weather, enjoying my family and friends. I have worked for the Unified Government as an Inspector 1 for 7 years. My son calls that my real job, and my beading my not real job and then he laughs.
Oh yes, my son the love of my life who is now 18, and ready to embark on life as he finishes school.
 
My faith in the Lord God up above is first and for most in my life, he always has been and always will be as he guides me through this journey called life.
 
 I started my beading journey for the 2nd time six years ago after some events in my life lead me to slow down and just enjoy life a little bit more. I love the fact that I have been given such an assume gift, to design and finish a piece of jewelry just blows me away most days.
 
I have recently in the past 4 months been able too teach an art class WHICH I JUST LOVED, and the idea of being able to teach someone, since they just soak up everything like sponges is so GREAT! I hope to be able to do this again. I will jump on it in a heartbeat. It is my goal to be able to teach all races, rich, poor and all walks of faith the art of making jewelry.
 
In the past two years I learned how to knot pearl, the art of hand blown glass beads, I am learning how to work with all kinds of melts as well shaping, the art of scattering, cooper clay, etc.
 
When it comes to beads, and playing with them I am like a little kid on Christmas morning, I love them and all the possibilities that come along with them.
 
I donate a lot of my work to be sold for school computers for kids, for older people and what they need, and also for the homeless.
I have worked with Alcott Arts Center, Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities and several Craft Shows as well through the years. For the most part my
jewelry is sold by word of mouth, and I hope that will change in the next year as well.
 
I hope this tells you a little bit about my love and my passion of playing with beads
 
Gods Grace and Peace Be With You!

Open Jam

Alcott partners with HardRockHaven.net to offer this to the public. Anyone wanting to come and jam with others are welcome to bring their instrument and jam with our regulars. If you sing and don’t play an instrument you are also welcome to come and join in!

Radio Plays from Days gone by

There will be a presentation of Radio Plays from the past, given by Rich and Angie Sutton -The Night Star Players in the Alcott Theatre.