Sharif Bey is a Syracuse-based artist and educator whose inspired by modernism, functional pottery, Oceanic Art and Art of the African diaspora. His works investigate the cultural and political significance of adornment and the symbolic and formal properties of archetypal motifs, while questioning how the meaning of icons and function transform across cultures and time.

The exhibition opens on Friday, February 3 and will remain on view through May 6, 2023 at the Belger Crane Yard Gallery (2011 Tracy Ave, KCMO).

BIO

Although I trained as an apprentice, in a state-of-the art ceramics facility, my current works evolve outside of conventional Western facilities. I primarily work at home (oftentimes with my children), firing in my back yard or fireplace, and resist the narrative that ceramic artists require expensive facilities, costly materials or concentrated periods of time. When professional demands or family life takes up my day, I often carve out a few hours (by way of multiple 10-minute settings), producing small clay components or rummaging through shard piles to reclaim and reconfigure. I employ a combination of traditional and nontraditional ceramics materials and processes to suit my lifestyle. For me, working outside of institutional structures not only affords me more time with my family but invites other material and aesthetic influences into my trajectory. I might use glazes in the ceramic studio but while working in my kitchen I cold-finish works with paste wax and cinnamon/turmeric or incorporate spray/auto body putty in the garage. My practice is informed by my numerous roles and my transient nature, resisting the conventions of ceramic production.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Inspired by folklore, functional pottery, modernism, natural history and my lifelong affinity for West African and Oceanic sculpture, my works investigate the symbolic and formal properties of archetypal motifs, questioning how the meaning of icons, objects and functions evolve and transform across cultures and over time. As a consequence of colonialism and conquest African and Oceanic ceremonial objects made their way into Western consciousness as looted artifacts, stripped of their original frames of reference, inspiring European modernists both for their aesthetic interests and perceived otherness. Specifically, I am interested in investigating how fetish, racism, science fiction and popular culture impedes interpretations of ‘non-western’ cultural objects. I play on “westernized conjecture” by producing works that suggest nonwestern utilitarian, ceremonial or ritualistic purpose but are ultimately designed for ‘display’ for the Western spectator/consumer. I ultimately seek to expose the interpretative deficiencies of the colonized mind and place them on display beside my work.

VAMP. Tease. Repeat.

On the first Friday of every month, travel back in time to the era of classic bump and grind. This Classic Burlesque Review in the Crossroads of Kansas City is the perfect night out. Sexy. Fun. Entertaining.

BRING YOUR CASH! Tipping is encouraged. There is no ATM on site. Debit and Credit Cards can be used for entry and drinks. Doors open at 8:00 PM. Show starts at 9:00.

We are hosting a private event this afternoon, but will be open from 7 – 11pm and will have our Happy Hour specials running from open-close. $2 off select draft pours, $2 off wines by-the-glass, 1/2 price select whiskey pours, and $3 Stockyards Cerveza Royale cans.

butch Murphy’s sculpture practice came late in life when searching for a meaningful form of expression and creativity. Through his journey, Murphy was mentored by long-time friends, artists Michel Beaudry and Bonnie Baxter, as well as life-long partner, Corva with her foundation in Art History. Murphy’s work has been exhibited in several local galleries, with a solo show at the Ashby Hodge Gallery of American Art. He has developed several ongoing venues for public display of his work throughout mid-Missouri, the Kansas Flint Hills, the Kansas City metro area, South Carolina and Oklahoma.

I’m the creator, fabricator and abstract metal sculptor, autodidact by training, combining new and found carbon steel producing representational forms. I make no drawings beyond a simple chalk drawing on my work bench. Stealing words from Jackson Pollock, as I’m producing my sculptures there is a definite period where I spend time just getting acquainted, thus providing direction and evolution. I create to instill a degree of spectator confusion asking for responsive participation. Although in recent years I’ve focused on horse sculptures, I’ve been inspired by such things as a reflection on the ceiling or an early morning dream, many that just vaporize, fortunately. I don’t see myself being trapped by a leitmotiv, however, I am definitely captured by geometry and the Cubist movement. I’m taken by the layering three dimensional effect seen in paintings by Braque and best described by what Donald Baechler defined, and I borrowed, ‘editing’. For now, each production is a study … never expecting perfection, as that would eliminate the search, and for me, the end. — Murphy

Melissa McCracken was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1990. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from William Jewell College in 2013, but ultimately pursued a career in the arts post-graduation. As a synesthete, she utilizes her unique ability to see colors in the sounds she hears. Many of her paintings incorporate vibrant colors and lively textures to depict the movement of music. Implementing the effects of both palette knives and brushwork, McCracken seeks to convey the swirl of colors embedded deep in her mind’s eye. Layered blossoms of color and streaks of white create cosmic-like scenes, evoking new perceptions of melody and rhythm in her audience. Through her work, McCracken strives to unmask the elusive areas of the world we encounter, allowing a refreshing experience of the familiar.

I believe that we too often view the world through a singular and narrow lens, only allowing our habitual and empirical experiences to inform our perspective. Through my work, I hope to widen that lens, even if it is at the smallest degree.

By incorporating elements of synesthesia, I create a visualization of music. My hope is to transcend traditional interpretations of experience and to reimagine the familiar. Intended to feel elusive, I invite the viewer to envision the potential of each piece in their own regard, thereby making the final product one of collective consciousness. — McCracken