Mark Cook
Becoming Frida Kahlo
18" x 24"
acrylic on panel
We Are Enough
A Group Exhibition
Curated by Harold Smith
Celebrating the strength, resilience and diversity of
Kansas City's Artistic Community
February 2 - April 26, 2024
Front Gallery
FEATURED ARTIST
Aaron Scarbrough | Ada Koch | Adrianne Clayton | Anita Easterwood
Anna Goodwin | Anson DeOrnery | Art Miller | Avrion Jackson | BJ McBride
Brittany Noriega | Chico Sierra | Clarissa Knighten | Claude Harris III | Crissi Rice
Crystal Major | Dean Kube | Debbie Scott Williams | Debra Smith | Derrick Schmidt
Garry Noland | Hubbard Savage | Isaac Tapia | James Schiller | Jamie James
Jamie Platt | Jeff Tamblyn | JoAnna Termini | John C. Sutton III
Juanita Maxine Harris Gibson | Julie Denesha | Katherine Looney | Kelli Hearn
Kevin Hopkins | Kwanza Humphrey | JT Daniels | Leonard Le'Doux, Jr.
Mark Cook | Michael Brantley | Nano Nore | Nikita Vonee | Onnissia Harries
Peregrine Honig | Pierre Owens | Raffaela Malazarte | Rodrigo Alvarez
Ryan Wilks | Sue Moreno | Taylar Sanders | Theo Davis | Tj Templeton | Toni Gates
Trey Loomis | Valentine Poindexter Orozco | Vivian Bluett | Wolfe Brack
We Are Enough celebrates the strength, resilience, and diversity of Kansas City’s artistic community.
From the work of under-the-radar, self-taught artists who have survived the unsurvivable to college-educated artists who found recognition early and often and have immortalized themselves into the city’s creative consciousness, We Are Enough presents and explores answers to the age-old question of “What does it mean to be human?”
As a curator, it is my hope that viewers will leave energized, invigorated, and with a newfound respect for this amazing artistic community that we live in.
As a resident, it is my hope that this exhibition will remind us that Kansas City is a significant arts destination with creatives that explore the issues, push boundaries, and are dedicated to their craft.
As an artist, it is my honor to work with all of these amazing individuals.
As all of the above and a Kansas City native, I say “We Are Enough!”
Thank you to Stephanie Leedy, Erin Woodworth, Debbie Barrett-Jones, Darren Doss, and Shari Hartbauer for this amazing opportunity.
And thank you to the art community of Kansas City for opening your arms to me.
Harold Smith
December 12, 2023
Curator's Bio
Harold Smith is a retired teacher and self taught artist who also writes for KC Studio magazine, curates exhibitions occasionally, mentors other artists, and likes to watch sci-fi and horror movies. Prior curatorial endeavors have included Call and Response I and Troost Gardens (2023) and Call and Response II at Smalter Art Gallery (2023).
Harold has attended artist residencies at both MacDowell (2022) and Art Omi (2023). His work has been exhibited at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and other venues in Kansas City.
He is represented locally by Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art. He has earned an A.A. from Kansas City Kansas Community College, B.S. from Union College, M.A.T. from Webster University.
He is a father and grandfather. He plans to adopt a senior dog in the near future.