Current Exhibition
WHO: Michael Knutson and Brian McCallum – Visual Artists, Art Activists, and Educators
WHAT: The All-Powerful Flight of Fancy – An art exhibition featuring works by Michael Knutson and Brian McCallum, who create work with unrealistic ideas or fantastic notions, or even pipe dreams and of reality. The artwork in this exhibition is a unique blend of Knutson’s dark and mysterious paintings and McCallum’s commanding cerebral figurative sculptures. It juxtaposes Knutson’s lushes’ western landscapes and McCallum’s whimsical pottery. Knutson brings his dark and mysterious nocturns that communicate a sense of Deja Vu alongside his imaginary friends’ installation of ghostlike abstracted portraits. At the same time, McCallum brings his allegorical figures, who sit on pedestals like deities that demand to be worshiped. The two art professors’ works complement each other well with McCallum’s playful abstracted figurative sculptures that pair nicely with the melting and morphed portraits in Knutson’s Imaginary Friends painting series. McCallum’s figurative sculptures convey emotions about the human condition while giving the viewer an enchanting experience. At the same time, Knutson’s Imaginary Friends installation combines his past relationships with his imagination to create abstract portraits that range from very representational to very abstract. This unique blend of art is an experiential must-see exhibition that spans two decades of these extraordinary artists’ careers. The exhibition will be held from May 2nd to the 25th.
WHERE: The All-Powerful Flight of Fancy exhibition will be held at the Smokey Valley Folklife Center, a charming and well-loved venue known for its dedication to the arts and the communities it serves, at 114 1/2 S. Main St., Lindsborg, KS, United States 67456
WHEN: May 2nd to 25th, 2025.
RECEPTIONS/ARTIST TALKS: Friday, May 23 rd, 5:30 to 7:30 pm Artist Talk begins at 6pm
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Brian K. McCallum is an artist and educator whose work in ceramics is often figurative and deeply emotional, focusing on the nature of the human condition. His allegorical figures, which sit on pedestals like deities that demand to be worshiped, convey a profound understanding of human emotions and experiences. His courses include History of Art, Appreciation of Art, Sculpture, Design, and all levels of ceramics, and he has received numerous awards in competitions nationally and internationally. His peers voted him Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year in 2020. His work appears in the book “500 Figures in Clay” by Lark Press. In addition to his sculptural work, Mr. McCallum is an accomplished potter. Pottery lovers have quietly collected his practical work for several years. He is incredibly proud of his students and their accomplishments, as many Garden City Community College graduates in art have gone on to earn degrees with honors from several universities.
Michael Kent Knutson is an artist, educator, and art activist. He is a multi-media artist who works in various media and themes. He currently works as a 2-D Art Professor at Garden City Community College in southwestern Kansas and serves on the board of Garden City Arts. Knutson, the son of two art educators, grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota and has always connected strongly with nature. With a Bachelor of Arts degree from Black Hills State University and an MFA from Fort Hays State University, Michael’s dedication to his craft is truly inspiring. His impressive exhibition record features solo and group shows across the nation. At the same time, his talents have been sought after for public art commissions, including the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and the City of Garden City. His artwork entices us to embark on a journey, seeking cinematic scenes brimming with an intense sense of impending drama, from alien abductions of bison to fiery sunsets on the plains to late-night gas station hallucinations leaving you with “fragments of memories suspended in time.” You can reach out to him on Instagram and Facebook at @michaelknutsonart.