Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. When I grow up, I want to be an artist. That always was, and is, my answer. The desire to create is more than a pursuit; it is a divine calling, intricately woven into the fabric of my being by the Creator Himself. I feel called by the Lord to share His presence with the world around me through the gift He has given me. In my acrylic paintings, I delve into the vast beauty of God's creation. Each painting is a reflection of moments that have stopped me in my tracks, moments where I saw and felt God. Bold brushstrokes and vibrant, unexpected colors communicate joy! While areas of serenity allow the eyes to rest and encourage a contemplative connection, a peacefulness. My hope is that those who encounter my work experience the same sense of peace and joy that initially held me. Through my work I seek to convey a profound message – an invitation for viewers to draw closer to the true Creator, gaining a better sense of who He is.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Driven by an innate need to shine light into the dark, I express myself through mixed media and embroidery. I create variations of the expected, highlighting nature and celestial elements. Each vibrant piece invites viewers to explore a new view of the enchanting facets of the world around them.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Born in Topeka, KS, Matthew Miller graduated from Fort Hays State University with a Bachelor of Fine Art, emphasis painting, in 2013. He previously earned a B.A. History of Art degree from the University of Kansas. A visual record of the shifting and urging impulses of nature, Matt’s paintings represent our every day relationships with light and the landscape.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Ariana Wheet has lived and made art in Garden City almost her entire life. She is a graduate of FHSU with a BFA in Studio Art. Primarily working in watercolors and pen and ink illustrations, her art is mostly influenced by fairy tales and stories of mythology she read as a child. Her goal with creating art is to explore different perspectives in familiar stories. When she isn't painting or making comics, she can usually be found with her nose in a book.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. I LOVE TEXTURE, experimenting with materials, not doing the same thing twice. I WANT PEOPLE TO TOUCH MY ART! Because we are always taught not to; but the materials are so tangible ….. ‘is that really bubble wrap?" I express my thoughts, inner struggles, and confidence in my exploring and playing with various mediums, applications and LAYERS. I LOVE LAYERING!!!!! How can you truly express anything in just one layer? Aren’t we all like Shrek, with lots of layers like onions and cake. My layers are both transparent AND opaque. I want you to see through the layers, but not everywhere. Every layer may be a different medium, this allows the true depth of my content and feeling to be expressed and interpreted. I love teaching students and community artists to get out of their ‘reality box’ and express their world with color, shape, and material layering qualities. I quite frequently say, ‘if you want something to look real then simply take a pic,’ but if you want it to come to life, ‘create then, how you feel about it.’ Let the art take you somewhere that you cannot go in your tangible, everyday world.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Emily Dodge Sexson is a professional graphic designer and photographer working in their hometown of Garden City, Kansas. In addition to their progressional work, they enjoy painting and other mediums with subject matter focused primarily on the natural world, mainly wildlife.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. I am pleased that I have been asked to participate again in the Downtown Garden City Banner Art Project. I am happy to have done paintings every year, and I love seeing all the wonderful original art hanging from lamp posts on Main Street. The Banner Art Project is something that artists and art lovers in Garden City can really be proud of. Be sure to take time for a Main Street Art Walk with your friends! The Arts are vital to all of human existence and I like to support and enjoy the creativity of others whenever I can. My painting this year celebrates Lydia Gonzales, a friend and a prominent member of our community. She was director of LULAC at GCCC. There she started her legacy of advocating and mentoring for higher education of Hispanic students. She was the founder of HALO and the Hispanic Student Day at GCCC. She received multiple awards from various Kansas colleges, was honored by State Legislators in Topeka and was recipient of the Governor’s Distinguished Community Service award by Kathleen Sebelius. She said, "It’s not what you do but what you cause others to do." She once told me she loved tulips and would like a painting of them. Sorry it took me so long. Lydia passed away in 2022.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Jensen Strasser was born and raised in Garden City and currently resides in Manhattan, Kansas, with her two cats, Rufus and Amie. Jensen has been an artist throughout her life and enjoys painting and drawing as her favorite mediums. She draws inspiration from organic life in nature both while home in Kansas and while traveling. The Banner Project allows Jensen to share some of that inspiration with her hometown.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Michael K. Knutson has been an art educator at GCCC since 2015. 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 earned a studio arts BA from Black Hills State University in 2010 and 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. His peers voted him Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year consecutively in 2021 and 2022. 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. Michael encourages exploration, searching for cinematic scenes with a strong sense of impending drama.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Rachel Lord was born in Willard, KS, and currently lives in Concordia, KS. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration in Painting from Kansas State University in May of 2019 and a Masters in Education from Fort Hays State University in May of 2024. While at K-State, she has received various scholarships including the John Weary Art Scholarship and the Oscar V. Larmer Art Scholarship. Her work has been shown in various exhibitions in Manhattan, Garden City, Kansas City, and Overland Park, KS. In April of 2019, her work, Clean Wind Energy was shown in the Undergraduate Student Exhibition at the Kansas City Artist Coalition in Kansas City, Missouri. Other works titled Clean Wind Energy and Kansas Trail are published and featured on the cover of the 2019 Spring Issue of K-State’s Literary Magazine, Touchstone. In March of 2021 she had her first solo exhibition at Garden City Arts in Garden City, KS. Previously she was a gallery attendant and summer program teacher at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. She is currently a 7th-12th grade art teacher at USD #333 Concordia and an avid member of the Kansas Art Educators Association.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Carol Burnum is an award winning abstract artist and instructor. She currently lives in the small town of Ulysses, Kansas. She paints nearly everyday. Her paintings are colorful with a bit of whimsy. You will find textures that make her happy and tell a little bit of the story of the painting. While Carol is largely self taught, she has been under the tutelage of other professional artists and teachers. Her artwork is mainly acrylic with some mixed media. You will make shapes, marks in a variety of mediums. Her paintings bring wide acclaim from collectors due to the timeless subjects. They are found worldwide in many collections. Carol wishes to invite the viewer to connect emotionally with her work. Carol likes to listen to music, garden and journal in her Bible. She is a wife of Randy, has 4 amazing boys and 6 grandkids.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Mario Garcia Jr. is a Hispanic artist, originally from Garden City, KS, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washburn University in Topeka, KS, and a Master of Business Administration from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. He currently works in marketing and also engages in photography. Mario’s artistic journey is deeply rooted in his Hispanic heritage, finding inspiration in the vibrant colors of his culture, particularly in traditional Hispanic clothing. His artistic approach is characterized by a focus on emotion and vibrant colors within his subjects, whether in painting, drawing, or photography. artworks are rooted is his Hispanic heritage, serving as a way of staying connected to his family and roots. Through his art, Mario invites viewers to explore the richness of Hispanic culture and the personal stories woven into each piece. Working with this subject matter allows Mario to fill the gap he experienced after leaving home, realizing the value of his upbringing and inspiring him to share with his viewers an experience of his life that he is proud to be a part of. With his use of colors and detail, Mario aims to emphasize the presence of Hispanic traditions and culture. Mario’s artistic approach includes drawing and painting in an expressive and gestural manner, aimed at allowing viewers to witness his artistic process and see the pencil marks or brush strokes, capturing his moment in each artwork.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Raquel Garcia is a Kansas based two dimensional artist with an emphasis on watercolor, acrylic, and oil paint. Garcia has an Associate of Arts degree from Garden City Community College, where she graduated in 2021, and has participated in various art shows around Kansas. Art has always been a constant in her life and a place where she can freely express the bittersweet beauty in growing up, womanhood, and other coming of age themes.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. I’m always on the lookout for a new challenge: a new skill to practice, a new concept to learn. That’s why I paint. I would argue that there is always something new to learn about painting. Even failed paintings are learning experiences, like much of life. The lesson often informs technique, but sometimes it’s a practice of acceptance. It’s a win-win because either you end up with a visually interesting product or a lesson learned, sometimes both!

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Brent is an artist currently living in Lawrence, Kansas. He began exhibiting his artwork in 2011. He has been painting and drawing and involving himself in various creative endeavors his entire life. He enjoys long walks and is not short but also not tall.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. For more than 45 years I taught middle school art and that experience lives on in me - "The world’s oldest 8th grader" In order to encourage students to find a media or style that suited them, I worked with virtually all known art materials from drawing to sculpture to painting and all mixed media. Creating pieces of art from varied media to demonstrate techniques. But rarely did I finish any of them. The attention span of an average middle schooler is that of the common gnat and so pieces were abandoned mid stream so that the next adventure could begin. When I retired from teaching, I loaded up all my stuff and brought it home. I now have the luxury of time to finish something. But the tendency to become easily bored has not gone away and so I change media and subject matter like the phases of the moon. When asked what media or style I work in my answer is always the same - whatever is close - but I do like to glue stuff together. I selected an owl for my subject matter for several reasons. They are such lovely creatures and have strong personalities. When selecting a color scheme I wanted this fella to make a statement so out came the bright colors and bold paint strokes. He is here to keep you company and brighten your day.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Krista Elaine Morris is a part-time artist currently residing in Salina, KS. She graduated from Fort Hays State University in 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in Studio Arts, emphasis in painting. She uses other mediums as well, to include ink and charcoal. Krista prefers to create scenes containing a wide range in value and color, and enjoys the challenge of applying these elements to various shapes and spaces within her art.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. I am a visual artist specializing in expressive painting with oil and acrylic. My vibrant work materializes and illuminates the unseen. I am influenced by the rich landscapes and soulful faces I have met during my travels. I showcase the light, detail, and sparkle found in nature and in people. I love it when viewers tell me they feel like they can walk right into my landscape paintings or when they connect with a piece that provokes deep feelings.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. I was born and raised in Nebraska before attending college in Kansas for my studio art degree. After living in various mid-west states, I have settled in Illinois where my art centers on the ambiance of the American mid-west highlighting the beauty in the most common activities. I have worked in a variety of mediums from bronze statues in Illinois, murals in Iowa, painted banners in Kansas, and various other works in Nebraska and Wisconsin. I have a realistic to impressionist style, often with acrylic paints on canvas, not hiding the brush strokes or build-up of color. This leaves the viewers to do the blending. I have a variety of experience from large scale museum walls, to the small pages of a children’s book. I enjoy painting what is around me such as the beauty of motherhood, the joy of a landscape, and the life of animals.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Robin Valenzuela is a practicing visual artist and workshop instructor. She builds abstract artwork by using bold colors and textures with acrylics, acrylic mediums, mixed media, or oil and cold wax. Her works are spontaneous and loose with smaller details of cut-in lines and shapes. The textural process, or layering, for her is exciting as it allows colors and hidden gems to appear and pull together an entire piece. Much like human behavior, she often relates each piece to the many layers we carry around. Robin is active in the art scene of Garden City, Kansas and participates in various local shows and fundraisers. She has shown in multi-state juried art festivals and galleries and has received various awards.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30”. Erica has always had a passion for art, which is inspired by her love of nature. She is hopeful through her paintings to draw the viewer inward to share with others her love of nature. Erica started painting trees and flowers on the walls in her first home. Soon friends were contacting her to paint children's rooms. Creating her first business Break-Away, painting murals and decorating. Erica teaches painting classes at her studio Lynnie’s Nest. Teaching step by step instructions to create beautiful paintings. Lynnie’s Nest studio became a floral and art studio selling fresh flower arrangements, home goods and offering art classes. Allowing Erica to work with beautiful flowers and paint daily.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. As "The Stencil Pusher", my trademark is my stenciled backgrounds. The stenciling technique came about several years ago by accident when I needed a “filler” for some flower paintings: I took a few stencils and some neutral spray paints to my back deck, gave them a muted design, and I loved it so much that I repeated the process in later artwork. Today, I start a lot of my paintings with a couple of coats of brush-on acrylic, then head outside with my arsenal of stencils and see what designs I can spray into life. In these later years I have challenged myself to create realistic backgrounds, but I know that some pieces just beg for the non-traditional stencils. This latest painting for the banner art is a nod, as are all my sunflowers, to my late father who loved them. He was one of the first farmers in his area to experiment with growing sunflowers, and he later branched out and started the Sunflower Harvest brand of packaged sunflower seeds. In the summers, my sister and I awoke at 5:00 am to beat the heat, and weigh, package, seal, and box bag after bag of seeds, to help my father’s vision come true. I’m not sure what became of that company after he sold it, but sunflowers remain one of the items that remind me most of him. I hope you enjoy my work!

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30. Jade grew up on a small ranch in Montana. Her love of art started at a young age. She pencil-sketched any chance she had free time. Her sketches were hung in local diners and became widely known and, as a result, was asked to paint murals in the surrounding areas by the age of 17. Jade now lives in the country with her family in southwest Kansas and stays busy painting commissioned art for local residents. She is a self-taught artist that uses mostly acrylic because, she says, "Life is busy and acrylic dries fast!" When time permits, she branches out and paints something on her mind; however, there is never much spare time between requests for a commission piece, keeping up with four kids and a handful of farm animals. Jade loves creating unique pieces and looks forward to the day she can paint full time and create more murals.

Original painting on canvas. Banners are 59.5" x 30 Teresa Wasinger is a self-taught artist with a lifelong connection to art. She started sketching with pencils and charcoal, what commenced as a simple hobby eventually turned into a passionate creative outlet. Unfortunately, a series of events along with life itself gave her other priorities and she stopped creating art. Only until recently did she rediscovered her love for art. Teresa enjoys working and experimenting with all sorts of mediums; because there is still a lot to learn, she is not quite set on one particular favorite. She has found that she enjoys the combinations that can be achieved with mixed media, where she gets to explore in fun ways with all sorts of different materials. There is no special creative process she follows; her paintings depict her mood or feelings at a particular point in time. Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dali have always been her two favorite artists, inspiring her with their highly imaginative paintings and eccentric style.