Anita is a nationally recognized visual artist based in Kansas City. She received her BA in Art from Kansas State University and MA in African American Studies from the University of Kansas. Her portraits are known for their ability to evoke emotion and her unique hatching technique. She specializes in traditional drawing, digital art and oil painting. Her work celebrates Blackness through: Black culture, fashion, history, and sisterhood.

Aveek Dhar, an artist from Kansas City, Kansas of Bengali-Indian roots. He got his BA in Visual Arts at the University of Kansas in 2015, and his MA in Art Therapy from NYU in 2022. Aveek’s art reflects his personal passions, with his work blending his American lifestyle entangling his Hindu cultural heritage, resulting in pieces that are both deeply personal and culturally rich. Using India ink, ink pens, acrylic, and watercolor, Aveek brings his anime-inspired style to life.

BAM’s Private Lesson Program is weekly appointment where students work one-on-one with an instructor at their own pace and without distractions.  Private music lessons are the main focus for BAM because we want every student we work with to have an adult look them in the eyes and give them their full attention. Private lessons offer the platform to tell that student through words and actions that they matter and that they have something to give.

In 2021, Bryce Holt started painting full-time. He is a self-taught artist focused on figurative and representational pieces with a story behind each one. Storytelling is at the heart of Holt’s work. Each painting he creates has a narrative behind it before it is started. Kyle Holt the realm of arts business and management. Together, they are the Patrons.

Charlie Quinn is a self-taught artist and licensed Master Social Worker whose vibrant, texture-rich works and public speaking inspire resilience and healing in survivors. Drawing on their own journey with complex-PTSD, Charlie leads human rights initiatives and explores themes of trauma, identity, and beauty through art and storytelling.

Crissi Rice’s art practice is deeply rooted in celebrating the beauty and significance of black women's hair and culture. Her inspiration is from the rich experiences of her mother, grandmother, and sisters, I aim to honor the resilience and legacy of their ancestors who have contributed to shaping their identity. Rice captures the complexity and diversity of natural hair, highlighting its beauty and symbolism within her community. Her art serves as a homage to the strength, pride, and heritage of African American & Indigenous women.

As much civil servant as artist, Don Wilkison creates art informed by rigorous research and a passion for emotional audience engagement. His art practice is rooted in active experimentation uncovering how human actions intersect with the world. The results are then transcribed through an interdisciplinary lens to create projects that often mix visual imagery with experiential endeavors.

Dora Kearney combines her decorative painting skills with her fine art background to create wonderfully unique art pieces. She utilizes acrylic paints layered with inks, plasters, foils, glass beads, glitters, and even drywall mud to achieve the perfect textures, infusing movement and sparkle in unexpected ways. Since the 90s, she has been immersed in the world of art and continue to experiment with new ideas and techniques.

Dr. Phil True is a renowned framer in Kansas City, known for his exceptional craftsmanship and eye for detail. He has built a reputation for creating custom frames that preserve and elevate everything from fine art to personal mementos. Trusted by artists, collectors, and institutions alike, he is a cornerstone of Kansas City’s creative community.

Born and raised in the Kansas City area, Emmalee Rathsam is an award winning commercial, portrait and fine art photographer. Fine art and editorial photography is where her creativity really shines. Rathsam’s surrealist approach to her photography sets her work apart and her recent exploration with self-portraiture has brought her international recognition among the photography community as she is recognized for her artistic excellence at image competitions.

In Kansas City, Everett Freeman Jr. performs locally with the Jazz Disciples, and continues to be one of K.C’s favorite sidemen, performing with nearly all the great female vocalist of Kansas City. And now, he performs regularly with his own band Eclipse.

Janine began her artistic practice soon after her husband of 16 years passed away. Art became an outlet of expression for her feelings of grief and loss. During Covid, Janine found her practice to be a key part of her healing journey.

Jean McGuire returned to painting after a nearly 40-year hiatus. She has had work in group shows both locally in Kansas City, and nationally. Her current body of work focuses on figurative pieces based on antique photos that she finds intriguing. Using a very limited palette her work tries to honor the lives lived by these people who were captured by primitive cameras in a brief, fleeting moment of time.

Karla Deel lives and works as a writer, historian, photographer, poet, designer, and explorer in Kansas City, Missouri. Her first book publication, Storied & Scandalous Kansas City, a History of Corruption, Mischief, and a Whole Lot of Booze (Globe Pequot Press, 2019), continues to bring disparate groups of people together in celebration of a shared history.

Kayla Traxel is an eclectic artist whose journey began with watercolor, drawn to the medium's fluidity and the sense of collaboration it offers. Over time, Kayla has developed a unique style that merges portraiture and mixed media, delving into themes of beauty, identity, and the complexities of societal values. Her work is a reflection of her deep passion for people and community, which also extends to her role as a docent at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. Kayla's artistic journey is marked by several awards in mixed media and drawing, underscoring her dynamic and continually evolving practice.

Kenya Martin, the artist behind K.Made.It, modeled for over 33 years before transitioning into a fashion designer, mastering her craft at The Sewing Labs and The Academy of Pattern making and Draping. K.Made.It features bold, trendsetting designs using vibrant African fabrics, showcased at 18th and Vine Arts Festival, Kansas City Fashion Week and African Fashion Week Omaha. She is dedicated to empowering emerging talent and creating opportunities for new artists and models to gain visibility in the fashion industry, staying true to her motto—"If K.Made.It, so can you."

Kim Newton believes in creativity, authenticity and growth. Her work fuels the human emotional journey with a time-honored tradition. Emotion is the thread that connects all people. Her work creates pieces that elicit universal human reactions. Through these sacred sources she finds her creative voice to tell impactful stories that ignite the spirit. Her fabric affirms the beauty of human essence, our experiences, our value a our strength.

Maria, a lifelong civil rights attorney, reflects on the momentous changes and awakenings of 2020, a year marked by loss, adaptation, and activism. Witnessing the death of George Floyd during the pandemic, Maria was moved to tears, igniting her passion for acrylic pouring art. Inspired by the protests and the phrase "I Can't Breathe," Maria embarked on creating a series titled "The Pandemic/Revolution 2020," using metallic paint to symbolize the struggle for justice.

Mark Raddant is a local, self taught artist.  He has been many things throughout the years, but all his life he has sketched, doodled, and created.   His focus has been non-objective works on canvas in either oil or acrylic, and he is looking forward to seeing how his work evolves in the Zhou Art Center and community.

Former Tattoo artist and self-taught artist, Milton has gained knowledge through the formal mediums of architectural/mechanical drafting school, pottery apprenticeship, and tattoo apprenticeship and practice alongside informal education expressed through a desire to continue developing and refining skills independently.

After almost 20 years as a docent at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Misty is launching her own artistic career. Self-taught, she is drawn to the everyday and mundane: stuff in junk drawers, garden vegetables on the counter, vintage family photos, "ugly" city views. Her medium is currently experimentation, but bold acrylics and found objects are often the foundations of her colorful works. 

As an artist and a biologist, Mol is driven to create by a never-ending curiosity about the natural world. They approach making with a tenderness, making decisions about color and texture, light and pattern. With such a rich world of observation, it is clear how Mol delights in the act of seeing. Common subjects include anatomy, cells, and aquatic organisms, often drawing from photos taken during trips to the aquarium.

Nam is an industrial designer by day and artist by night. His artistic practice draws inspiration from daydreams and the borders between reality and fantasy.

No Divide KC uses the arts as a vehicle for stimulating social awareness, participation and community building. No Divide KC partners with Kansas City-based organizations and artists to create artistic events that are focused on the stories of underserved and misrepresented communities in Kansas City. No Divide KC is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Oli Carioti is a painter and illustrator from rural Maryland. Inspired by fleeting memories and daydreams, their work is bittersweet and surreal.

They create with the hope to capture the magic in the mundanity of daily life and to escape it.

Phyllis Anne (p’anne ally) studied speech, drama and fine art at two universities, later earning a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University in California. She is now a full-time artist working in Kansas City. Growing up in a creative Midwest family, she learned she could make something from nothing fueling an already imaginative spirit. Painting tools range from acrylic and house paint, self-made collage paper, repurposed old books, newsprint, rags, sticks, crayons, markers, pastels, pencils, oil sticks, charcoal, inks, canvas, cardboard and wood. Images range from serene to energetic and edgy, representative of whatever winds its way into Phyllis’ dreamlife.

Remy Wharry’s artwork is a reflection of her experiences as a Black woman, celebrating resilience, diversity, and beauty in every form. Whether it’s vibrant murals, striking portraits, or intricate illustrations in children’s book to capture emotions these stories strike. Wharry has also turned her love for the arts into a thriving paint business, RAW Art Paints, to support her fellow creators.

Shayna Strahm is a mixed media artist

from Kansas that specializes in printmaking, painting, and drawing. Her work juxtaposes classically beautiful female forms with expressive dogs to explore masculinity through her own feminine perspective. 

Sharon Arteaga is a retired engineer. She self-taught and has been painting and drawing for over 50 years. She is currently working in acrylics and watercolors. She has exhibited at the Westport show and other art fairs and businesses in Kansas City for many years. Her work is strongly representational and includes landscapes, portraits and still lifes. She is not Grandma Moses. She paints to capture the beauty in life.

Susan is an Intuitive Visionary Artist and Angelic Warrior. After near death experiences as a child Susan was given the ability to see into the Angelic Realms allowing her to see the angels in their pure light form. She also creates healing art with a conscious heart from her visions during meditation. This is her way of connecting with the divine and to assist humanity to do the same and recognize the divine within ourselves and each other.

Through bold strokes and vibrant colors, Zac brings his subjects to life, imbuing them with a sense of vitality and depth that resonates with audiences. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences and imaginings, Zac's work transcends traditional boundaries, offering a glimpse into the myriad of emotions that surround us everyday. With each brushstroke, Zac captures his passion of art, creating an immersive experience for all who encounter his work.

Welcome to The Dog House is a bold and unapologetic creative space in Kansas City, founded by Robin Lucky. As a hub for comedy, music, and raw artistic expression, it’s more than just a studio—it’s a home for fearless creatives to push boundaries, collaborate, and bring unfiltered stories to life. 

Originally starting her artistic journey as a digital illustrator, Lauren Koluch has broken out of her own parameters and found a new creative haven in multimedia projects. As an artist fueled by experimentation, she uses her illustration skill-set as the foundation for any project. She is drawn to layered narratives rich with detail and grounded in literary references