Torin Andersen | Sponsored by Trust Company of Kansas
Torin Andersen has been showing and performing in Wichita since 1996. Often finding inspiration on the fringe of experience, his latest series #adventuremobile is inspired by his travels abroad and the vehicles that others find a home within for their journeys. Torin’s new painting exploration under the guidance of Jim Gross shows an artist never settling on style but instead finding new ways of expressing the essence of his life experience.
Fabes Belcher | Sponsored by Matt and Nancy Michaelis
Fabes Belcher is an emerging, self-taught artist aiming to alter the human perspective on life through the thought-inspiring emotions of his abstract, acrylic paintings. Fabes finds inspiration in poverty, depression, nature and the state of consciousness. His work as a paramedic helps to heal the body, but Fabes also believes in art’s potential to heal the mind.
Indiana Elman | Sponsored by Mark Eaton
Indiana Elman is a 21-year-old lifelong Wichitan who attended Wichita North High School. Art has always been a huge part of his life, and every day he grows more into his own style. Indiana hopes he is always learning and experience art in all its forms.
Katy England | Sponsored by Jeff and Polly Gentry
Katy England has been a practicing artist for 25 years. She studied painting at Kansas State University and at the Royal College of Art in London, England. Most of Katy’s work has been in Salina, creating collaborative murals with children and community members. She has been a participating artist in the Salina Smoky Hill River Festival, a member of the Bluestem Co-op Gallery, a visiting artist in the Salina Public Schools and an instructor in the Art Department at Kansas Wesleyan University.
Iris Fletcher | Sponsored by IMA Corp.
Iris is a self-taught abstract artist who was born and raised in New York City. Iris, a gallery assistant at HUE Gallery of Contemporary Art, has exhibited in Wichita and Kansas City. She and her husband relocated to Wichita in 2010. Iris works in acrylics, and most of her work is abstract. Iris says art enables her to splatter the unsaid on the canvas.
Matt Langley | Sponsored by UBS
Matt Langley is often inspired by music. For example, he appreciates how the band Lightning Bolt’s “Sound Guardians” song bombards carefully constructed layers throughout a sonic landscape. Matt channels that same controlled chaos in his work. In Matt’s view, just as music touches the soul, so does art.
Cal Shi | Sponsored by Hinkle Law Firm
Cal Shi earned a bachelor’s in fine art from Wichita State University with an emphasis in painting. In her compositions, she explores the space of child’s play. The figures interact with an abstracted background for the viewer’s imagination to complete. A harmony of fabric, textures and patterns captures nostalgia and culture to create a conversation between the figures and the viewer. Her goal is to express the value in the precious moments spent in play.
Jim Simpson | Sponsored by USI Insurance Services
Jim Simpson is a professional designer and artist. He primarily works in painting and mosaics. Recent commissions include a large triptych and several extensive Wichita and Colorado-themed photo collections. In 2018, he will be an artist in residence at The Red Barn Studio in Lindsborg.
Steven Small | Sponsored by Kent A/V
Steven Small is a student at Wichita State University. He is in his final semester and will graduate in December with a marketing degree. Steven loves to travel and is always looking for another adventure. This summer he spent three months working a seasonal job in Alaska. He has been painting abstract art for about five years and loves to experiment with new techniques.
Celia Qualich | Sponsored by Commerce Trust Company
Celia Qualich is a Wichita resident who relocated from Florida. She primarily paints with watercolor and acrylic but has started dipping into oil painting as well. Her artwork is frequently described as vivid and vibrant, featuring bold bright colors. Her rural upbringing and close contact with nature serve as a large inspiration in her artwork.
Emily Miller Yamanaka | Sponsored by Dunning & Associates CPAs
Emily Miller Yamanaka is an artist currently working in her hometown of Wichita. Her style is a composite of her artistic journey, influenced by Textile Design at the University of Kansas; traditional Japanese ink painting in Kyoto, Japan; and Nihonga styles that she learned through her master’s degree in Japanese painting from Musashino Art University in Tokyo.
Donna Yeager | Sponsored by MKEC Engineering Consultants
Donna Yeager is an award-winning artist, teacher and juror. She has been teaching weekly classes for more than 25 years and also teaches national and international workshops in studio and plein air painting. Donna is a member of several pastel societies, among other art associations, and has been featured in Pastel Journal Magazine.
