Charlie Paynter was born in Kansas City in 1938 and graduated from Paseo High School. He was employed at the Kansas City Star for 55 years, where he worked in the mailing room and other positions, and for the 10 years before his retirement was in charge of supplies. He has won every employee service and customer satisfaction award that the Star provided.

He became friends with an art dealer, Susan Lawrence, and began accompanying her to museums, art galleries, openings and other art-related events. He had the opportunity to see what artists could do, and often said: “I could do that, or better.” He retired from the Kansas City Star in 2008 and began making sculptures from his vast (over 6000) collection of bottle openers that he had been collecting since around 1991.

He has made little character sculptures and two-dimensional wall pieces from bottle openers, wire, and found and recycled objects that he gets from friends and finds at thrift stores. He has made a series of local musicians. Whenever there is a wedding, he makes sculptures for the bride and groom. He has worked on a series of all the states. He has made a group of scenes from the Bible. He had made many building facades and a series based on the alphabet.

Featured Artists

Debbie Barrett-Jones | Suze Ford | Kristin Goering | Jenny Meyer-McCall | 

Holly Swangstu

Chromatic Conversations showcases the work of five artists — Debbie Barrett-Jones, Suze Ford, Kristin Goering, Jenny Meyer-McCall, and Holly Swangstu — who explore the relationship between the use of color and form. The exhibition highlights each artist’s unique perspective and the profound impact of color in both art and everyday life.

In my studio practice, the work tends towards reflections on environments I grew up in. My visual vocabulary might include flaking linoleum, astroturf, wormy tendrils of shag carpet, fistfuls of paper confetti, and other bits of middle American detritus. The content and approach to making is reflective of a mix of influences: my mother’s folk-ish ceramics/floral arrangements and crafts, high/low culture clash, the complicated character of the American Midwest, and the personal and cultural weight of everyday objects.

In my work I am oscillating between the very mundane and the uncanny, seeking a reflection of the very strange against the very normal. It is a reflection of the time and place that I have experienced as a person, and that I see in the world I observe from a physical and metaphorical “middle”.

In the past couple of years, I’ve been branching out from painting…and lately have interest in layered site-specific wall works and installation. I am beginning to especially appreciate the conversation between tangible material and painting. I’m fairly sure that I have my curatorial experiments to thank for this, and so consider my artist-as-curator role part of my practice as well. As an artist-curator, my interest is in seeing artists realize their specific artistic vision, and drawing connections in that vision to broader dialogue in contemporary culture.

Belger Arts is pleased to present Materialize: Visualizing Climate Change, an exhibition opening Friday, February 7 at the Belger Crane Yard Gallery (2011 Tracy Avenue, KCMO).

Materialize: Visualizing Climate Change brings together the work of six contemporary artists who explore multiple aspects of one of the world’s most challenging topics.

The artists’ innovative use of materials and digital processes invite viewers to examine the impact of climate change on natural and human-made systems. Caroline Landau utilizes clear glass to memorialize a Bristlecone pine tree, a species threatened by climate change. Marie McInerney’s laser-etched graphite drawings illustrate data related to habitat disturbances such as landslides and fires. Lauren Shapiro combines ceramics and technology to depict fragile and endangered coral ecosystems. Steve Gurysh employs 3D scanning to recreate ash trees devastated by emerald ash borers. Tali Weinberg incorporates images of fire-scarred trees into weavings using petrochemical-derived materials. Anne Yoncha sonifies and materializes soil data from post-extraction peatlands in her installation titled, Peat Quilt 1.

Each artist asks viewers to consider how digital technologies transform disembodied data into experiences that engage our senses and emotions. In doing so, they raise critical questions to inspire change and cultivate environmental stewardship.

Two Cracked Pots showcases a remarkable collection of ceramic works created by Jim Leedy and Don Jahn over a decade of friendship and mutual inspiration. This exhibition not only displays the artistry of two ceramicists but also reflects the product of a fruitful friendship – launched by John O’Brien in 2012. The culture of creativity and community that emerged from Jim Leedy and Don Jahn’s collaboration imbues Two Cracked Pots with a genial quality.

Central to Jim Leedy and Don Jahn’s friendship and collaboration is a wood-fired train kiln, built by Jahn in the heart of the Ozarks in 2010. Across twelve years, the kiln — the bricks of which were harvested from Kansas City’s historic Stockyards power plant- has been fired 28 times. At their firings, Leedy and Jahn celebrated craft, camaraderie and collective effort. Drawing on a community of artists and friends who gathered to stoke the flames, cook meals, and prepare camp, the friend-collaborators invited others to share in the transformative process of woodfire ceramics. Jahn introduced salt glazing to the kiln in 2024 to add a distinctive texture and character to the ceramics, some of which are Leedy’s wares. In this way, their collaboration has carried on since Leedy’s death in 2021.

Jim Leedy’s studio served as a catalyst for experimentation and inspiration, where the creative dialogue between friends and fellow artists flourished. The years spent in Jim’s studio were among the most fulfilling in Jahn’s life, filled with camaraderie and inspiration. Every Thursday night, the studio transformed into a vibrant gathering of friends, artists, and musicians — a place where ideas, experiences, and creativity flourished.

Two Cracked Pots is as much about community and shared artistry as it is the artists’ final products. Each piece tells a story not only of skill and innovation but of friendship, celebration, and the love of ceramic arts.

Artist Statement: Donald M. Jahn

I am deeply fortunate to have spent the last half of my life working with and learning from some of the finest ceramic artists of our time. My journey in ceramics began at the age of forty under the mentorship of John Kudlacek at Emporia State University. This path led me to study with exceptional artists like Jim Estes, Stephen Hill, Victor Babu, George Timock, and Ken Ferguson, each of whom profoundly shaped my artistic vision and technical approach.

In the later years of my career, I had the privilege of collaborating with Jim Leedy, an opportunity made possible by our mutual friend, John O’Brien. Our partnership was one of creative synergy: I threw the forms, and Jim assembled them, resulting in works that embody both of our artistic voices. These years spent in Jim’s studio were among the most fulfilling of my life, filled with camaraderie and inspiration. Every Thursday night, the studio transformed into a vibrant gathering of friends, artists, and musicians — a place where ideas, experiences, and creativity flourished.

Since retiring in 2003, I’ve dedicated myself to my practice, building a wood-fired train kiln on my property in the Missouri Ozarks. My current work focuses on mid-range and high-fired ceramics, blending traditional techniques with personal exploration. Each piece is a testament to the relationships, collaborations, and creative energy that have shaped my life and practice.

Artist Bio:

Donald M. Jahn began his journey in ceramics at the age of forty, studying under his first mentor, John Kudlacek, at Emporia State University. He further honed his skills with Jim Estes at Missouri Western and was fortunate to learn from renowned ceramicists such as Stephen Hill, Victor Babu, George Timock, and Ken Ferguson during his time at the Kansas City Art Institute. In the later years of Jim Leedy’s life, Jahn had the privilege of working alongside him in his studio, an experience that profoundly shaped his artistic practice.

After retiring in 2003, Jahn built a wood-fired train kiln on his property in the Missouri Ozarks. This kiln has become a cornerstone of his creative process, producing mid-range and high-fired ceramics that showcase the unique effects of wood firing and occasional salt glazing. Beyond a tool, the kiln has also fostered a vibrant community of artists and friends who gather to participate in its firings, sharing meals and camaraderie.

Jahn’s work embodies a dedication to craftsmanship and exploration, reflecting both the technical mastery and the serendipitous beauty that define the ceramic arts.