WIP – GCCC Visual Arts Faculty Biennial

The Mercer Gallery is proud to be hosting the much-anticipated Garden City Community College Visual Arts Faculty Biennial featuring artwork by Brian K. McCallum and Michael K. Knutson. This exhibition titled WIP or Works in Progress will round out the 2021 Gallery Season opening on November 15th and lasting until December 14th. Light refreshments will be provided, with a closing reception on Friday, December 10th, from 3:30 to 6 pm.

Knutson and McCallum have been working hard since their last stint in the Mercer Gallery. WIP is an exhibition with a wide variety of artworks by the two artists ranging from traditional pottery and landscape paintings to abstract figurative sculptures and portraits. The title of the exhibition WIP refers to Works in Progress; as artists and educators, Knutson and McCallum constantly have something in progress, whether it is a portrait drawing or ceramic vessel demonstrations their role is to educate through their artistic process. WIP can also serve as a metaphor for a very clever, brilliant individual with mental quickness. The exhibition features playful abstracted figurative sculptures by McCallum that pair nicely with the melting and morphed portraits in Knutson’s Imaginary Friends painting series. McCallum’s figurative sculptures convey emotions of the human condition while giving the viewer a bit of a magical, surreal twist. At the same time, Knutson’s Imaginary Friends installation combines his past relationships with his imagination to create abstracted portraits or figures that range from very representational to very abstract. This work is juxtaposed with McCullum’s rigid and sturdy functional pottery and Knutson’s calm and serene western landscape paintings. McCullum’s pottery has both form and function with its sleek looks and durable performance holding up to the toughest of household uses. In comparison, Knutson’s landscape paintings showcase the vast beauty of the region and the critters that inhabit it. With the variety of work at this exhibition, everyone should find something they enjoy.

Brian K. McCallum is an artist and educator who received his MFA from Kansas State University under the tutelage of Yoshiro Ikeda. His work in ceramics is often figurative and focuses on the nature of the human condition. He arrived at GCCC in 2003 and is the three-dimensional foundations specialist. McCallum’s courses include History of Art, Appreciation of Art, Sculpture, Design, and all levels of ceramics, and he has received numerous awards in competitions both nationally and internationally. 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. GCCC Graduates in art have gone on to earn degrees with honors from several universities.

Michael K. Knutson has been an art educator at GCCC since 2015 after serving as Art Instructor at Fort Hays State University. He was the son of two art educators. He spent his childhood immersed in creativity, drawing inspiration from his experiences in the natural environment of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Knutson has a BA in studio arts from Black Hills State University in 2010 and earned his MFA at Fort Hays State University in 2013. He is an accomplished visual artist and works primarily as a painter, the courses he instructs include Art Appreciation, all levels of Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, and Design. Michael has an active national exhibition record of solo and group shows and has completed many public art commissions. The base for Michaels’s work is a deep connection to the immediate environment, life experiences, and the human condition. He works both in the studio and in the landscape in this manner, allowing him to explore a wide range of physical and emotional experiences. Michael encourages exploration, searching for cinematic scenes with a strong sense of impending drama.

Do not miss your opportunity this installation by the renowned GCCC Visual Arts Faculty. The Mercer Gallery is open Monday through Wednesday, from 9 am to 4 pm, Thursdays from 9 am to 10 pm, and Fridays from 9 am until 4 pm. For information, contact Gallery Director Michael Knutson. [email protected].