RSS 2.0 FeedApril 14, 2010, Featured Articles, Local Arts News
Art Council's campaign enters "Found" art phase launching colorful, hand-painted billboards
The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City's public awareness campaign, "Lost-and-Found" Art, entered its second phase on April 5 by posting hand-painted billboards designed by local artists, Michael Toombs and Jose Faus. The colorful "Found" Art billboards replace the stark, white "Lost" Art billboards that have been displayed since March 1. The campaign's slogan, "If We Don't Support Artists, There Is No Art," remains on both the "Lost" and "Found" billboards.
The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City's public awareness campaign, "Lost-and-Found" Art, entered its second phase on April 5 by posting hand-painted billboards designed by local artists, Michael Toombs and Jose Faus. The colorful "Found" Art billboards replace the stark, white "Lost" Art billboards that have been displayed since March 1. The campaign's slogan, "If We Don't Support Artists, There Is No Art," remains on both the "Lost" and "Found" billboards.
"It's imperative," says Toombs, "that we support the creative elements within our society. This is where the true potential for growth, development and competition manifest."
The images on the "Found" Art billboards depict the breadth and diversity of art offered in the Kansas City Metro Area. The artists were chosen by Barkley Creative who created the campaign. Toombs designed a Cityscape with architecture of prominent arts organizations, performing arts centers and recognizable art throughout the city. In contrast, Faus took an abstract approach with bulbous, spiraling forms in vibrant colors of blue, red, yellow and green inter-mingled to suggest dancers or music notes. A black grid outlines and connects each form.
The billboards are displayed in the same locations as originally provided by ArtsKC Fund Futurist sponsor, UMB, on I-70 & Van Brunt, E Face & SW Blvd & I-35 S Face to reach rush hour traffic entering downtown Kansas City.
About the Artists
Michael Vance Toombs is an accomplished painter, art activist, and founder and CEO of Storytellers Inc., Artist Collective. Mr. Toombs is a community leader and champion for young people and working artists in the Greater Kansas City area. Michael began as a young student with Matthew Monks at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. He furthered his study through classes at the Kansas City Art Institute and completed a business entrepreneurial course of study through Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas.
José Faus received degrees in Studio Art and Creative Writing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. José is a muralist with public works locally and in Mexico who has headed up groups of artists working on public art projects. José is a newspaper editor and founding member of the Latino Writers Collective.
About the ArtsKC Fund
The ArtsKC Fund, an initiative of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, is a united arts fund that raises new money to support a wide range of arts organizations and programs. Its purpose is to provide stable sources of new financial support for the arts, broaden access to high-quality arts experiences, and sustain excellence in the arts and arts administration. The Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City is a not-for-profit organization that serves the five-county Kansas City metropolitan area and strives to strengthen and enrich the community by growing appreciation, participation, and support of its arts resources. For more information about the ArtsKC Fund, visit http://www.ArtsKC.org.
Top painting by José Faus
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