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Alumni
Profile
Christine Stormberg (‘09 painting)
“The mindset I learned at
KCAI taught me that you can
do anything you want.”
— Christine Stormberg
Co-owner, The Dog Show U.S.A.
“
G
ucci Gucci, Louis Louis, Fendi Fendi,
Prada. I’m lookin’ like Madonna but I’m
flossing like Ivana [Trump]. So says musician
Kreayshawn in the song “Gucci, Gucci,” one
of the celebrities Kansas City Art Institute
alumna Christine Stormberg would like
to see cross the threshold, under the giant
Easter-egg-colored unicorn head, into her
store, The Dog Show. Eight blocks off Sunset
Boulevard in the Echo Park neighborhood
of Los Angeles, the ’80s and ’90s vintage
clothing boutique emits a vibe of urban rock
star meets retro roller derby and resembles a
Katy Perry closet bursting at the seams.
”
After graduating from the painting program
at KCAI in 2009, Stormberg returned to her
hometown of Omaha, Neb. Stormberg and
her lifelong best friend and now business
partner, Anna Greer, moved in together
and started collecting clothes. (Greer
received a B.F.A. degree in fiber from the
Savannah College of Art and Design.) So
what prompted the dynamic duo to up and
move to LA and start a clothing boutique?
Stormberg shares some of her experiences
and motivations, from studying at KCAI
and interning with Kansas City fashion icon
Peggy Noland to her journey west.
Q: What was your experience at KCAI?
A: I loved my experience there. I did a Studio
Plus program, majoring in sculpture, then in
painting.
Q: Where does clothing design come into play?
A: I took an elective class in clothing
construction and then interned for Peggy
Noland my senior year. Peggy influenced me
a lot, but I didn’t think I’d be going in this
direction.
Q: What was the process, from conceptualizing the idea
to the opening of the store?
A: We came up with the idea early in 2011
and started to save money. We both worked
two jobs, and we budgeted to take a trip in
the summer of 2011 to scout out locations
and to get a feel for LA. We left Omaha at
the beginning of September, found the space
by mid-September and the store opened
11/11/11. It’s still a work in progress. Overall
it’s a creative outlet that we can dump all of
our creative energy into.
Q: Why LA?
A: We wanted a bigger city. We wanted to
be a part of a larger arts scene. Initially we
thought about New York City but we decided
that we liked the LA aesthetic. The idea for a
swimwear line matched LA.
Q: What’s the store like? What do you sell?
A: We’re basically selling our entire wardrobe
that we collected and shared. It’s just that
stuff, all vintage. Also we are selling T-shirts
we’ve screenprinted with The Dog Show
name on them. We’re working on The
Dog Show brand to sell in the store. We’ve
also introduced a line of sportswear. It’s
mainly sweats and something called “doggie
bags.” They’re these big outfits with arm
and leg holes, basically oversized, lounge-y
sportswear.
Q: How has the reception been in LA?
A: The store is in Echo Park, which is up-andcoming, with lots of young people and artists
and hipsters. The main strip is, of course,
Sunset Boulevard, with tons of stores and
restaurants. We are eight blocks off Sunset,
so our area is a destination. There are a few
vacant storefronts nearby, so we are hoping
we got in early and that the area will grow.
There is lots of foot traffic — people coming
in and buying clothes.
Q: Has anyone famous come into shop?
A: A stylist from True Blood came in and
bought stuff for the show.
Q: What celebrity do you most want to shop at The Dog
Show?
A: Brittany Spears, Nikki Minaj, Kreayshawn,
Willow Smith ...
Q: What are your goals for the store?
A: We are totally open for this to have its own
life and turn into whatever. Maybe in a year
it’s something else completely. We’re going
with it, and whatever opportunities come to
us, we will morph.
Q: Was there something in particular that helped direct
you?
A: Peggy Noland was and still is a mentor for
me — the internship with her was definitely
an important part. The mindset I learned at
KCAI taught me that you can do anything
you want — it can be fun and it can be
serious at the same time. If you have an idea,
run with it. One of my inspirations from
Kansas City, it sounds really cheesey, but it’s
making dreams come true. Being in Kansas
City exposed me to the idea of creating
something different and just going for it.
Q: Do you think you will stay in LA?
A: [Laughs] There are some dark moments
but for the most part it feels right. Peggy
Noland just moved here, and now we’re
starting to get connections. We’re working
with Malcom Stewart on a few things and
we’re collaborating with Tan Fat on a project.
We still have our heads under water, and
we’re not making too much money, but we’re
heading in the right direction and some cool
things are happening.
For more information about The Dog Show
U.S.A., visit www.thedogshowusa.com.
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Alumni Profile
Chris Webb (‘88 sculpture)
Prototype Specialist
While Chris Webb might have traveled
a traditional road to the Kansas City Art
Institute, his career and personal journey have
diverged into many fascinating paths.
Like other students who came to KCAI, Webb
drew a lot in high school. He was always
attracted to drawing and painting and was
labeled early on as an artist.
“In my mind, it was always predisposed
that I would become an artist,” Webb said.
“Although I didn’t have exposure to a lot of
different mediums. It was just mainly pencils,
paper, watercolors, charcoal. I developed the
2-D side early on. I went to a smaller high
school near St. Louis, and they didn’t have a
lot of art education. One of the art teachers
there was an alum of the Art Institute, and he
was instrumental in saying I should look at it
and see if it was a place I would like to go and
study.”
“At the Art Institute for the first time, I was
around large power tools,” he said. “That was
an eye opener.”
In 1985, Dennis Soden was running the
Central Shop. One early Saturday morning
he took Webb out to the local flea market.
“Dennis taught me how to spot quality tools
and work a deal, something that has come in
handy over the years.”
After a semester in the design department,
Webb took an interest in sculpture. He was
creating more sculptural woodcarvings and
became more attracted to the building process.
He spoke to Dale Eldred, then head of the
sculpture department, and Eldred agreed
to take him in. Webb worked for Eldred
on different projects but also spent a lot of
his remaining time at KCAI in the central
woodworking shop building furniture.
“Like a lot of young art students I was fairly
idealistic with a strong self reliant streak,”
he said. “Working for a corporation was not
on my list. After graduating, however, a few
friends had become Hallmark commercial
artists and encouraged me to apply. After some
prodding, I eventually did.”
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“ I decided to take my work to the streets,
allowing viewers to experience the work
on their own terms.”
There he spent 10 years as a designer and
sculptor of Christmas ornaments.
“I had a lot of fun there. The job offered a
good deal of autonomy because artist’s names
were associated with the product. They used to
send us on signing events all over the country,
and I enjoyed going out and meeting people,”
he said.
Some of his ornaments included the Oscar
Mayer Weinermobile, the Batmobile, and a
fire truck series.
From Hallmark, Webb moved on to Garmin
International Inc., where he is a prototype
specialist at the company’s headquarters
in Olathe, Kan. His work entails building
displays and models of GPS systems making
them look as realistic as possible.
Webb has taken all of his KCAI knowledge,
professional experience and channeled it into
his latest art projects, building “themed”
hot rods.
“I have never really been comfortable showing
my art in gallery settings,” he said. “So I
decided I would take my work to the streets,
allowing the viewers to experience the work
on their own terms. I feel like the car platform
gives non-artists a place to start to talk about
ideas. Beyond that, I guess you could say, I
have always been drawn to spectacles.
“Using woodworking skills learned at KCAI,
I built ‘The Curtain Rod’ a 1912 Model T
horse-drawn, hot rod, hearse. Last year, a
friend’s father requested to use it for his own
funeral. That was a request I could not refuse.
Recently, I put together another car I call the
Ghost Coach. It started out as a horse-drawn
carriage. I designed it with controls, front
and back. It’s kind of my ‘rolling theater.’ I
place a life size human skeleton up front as a
chauffeur.”
Webb’s next project will be a Model T Chop
Suey delivery wagon.
Alumni Profile
Jonathan Knecht (‘95 illustration)
Vice president, marketing and creative
Kansas City Area Development Council
Jonathan Knecht and his wife owned a design
firm called 5 Creative when they started
handling projects for the Kansas City Area
Development Council in 2000. Three years
later, they were asked to work on a rebranding
project for KCADC, at which point they
developed a brand program centered on a
clean and simple red circle with the letters
“KC” reversed out in white. The circle was
a graphic device that visually addressed the
organization’s challenge of presenting a bistate community as a single entity. “One KC”
was the mantra, and the red ball eloquently
conveyed the idea.
“Our red ‘KC ball’ was a huge hit, and before
I knew it, KCADC had created a position for
me to join the organization and help roll out
the brand campaign,” Knecht said.
KCADC’s mission is to market Kansas City
as a great place to live and work and to attract
business investment, jobs and talented people
to the region. To that end, Knecht and his
team create a variety of marketing and media
projects across all media platforms: print,
online, video, events and more. He serves
as the creative director for the team and the
creative vendors with whom they partner.
“We are a pretty small group, so, thankfully, I
still do a lot of the design work,” he said.
A recent campaign, “America’s Creative
Crossroads,” is one of his favorites.
“We are focusing on the artistry and
inventiveness that have always been in the
DNA of this city,” he said. “The Kansas City
region has a creative legacy spanning more
than 125 years. It’s no coincidence that the
Kansas City Art Institute was founded here in
1885. This community has always been where
styles and influences mix from the East and
West, North and South.”
The campaign focuses on real people and their
stories, spotlighting some of the region’s most
inventive, prolific and influential personalities.
“Much like the transformation Seattle went
through in the 1990s and Austin in the 2000s,
Kansas City is becoming a much-talked-about
arts and technology destination,” he said. “It’s
not a fluke that Google Fiber chose Kansas
City to launch its super-high-speed gigabit
Internet service. It will be exciting to watch
Kansas City’s creativity at ‘light speed.’”
Among the ways that Knecht believes KCAI
helped him prepare for his current career was
in teaching the value of collaboration.
“Collaboration is the essential rule to creating
great work,” he said. “Art school is that time
and experience that hones your individual
skills, while at the same time it is teaching
you how to work with others. KCAI and
particularly Steve Mayse, chair of illustration
at KCAI, really helped me to articulate and
communicate my work well. Every artist and
creative professional is part of some type of
team. Some are good at it, and some are not.
I really value working with teams of awesome
and inspiring creative people, producing great
work together.”
Having grown up in New England, Knecht
initially studied at Syracuse University in the
Visual and Performing Arts School. Later he
attended the School of the Museum of Fine
Arts in Boston. On a visit to Florida, he met
his future wife, a Kansas City native who told
him about a great art school there: the Kansas
City Art Institute. He followed her to Kansas
City and enrolled at KCAI, completing his
B.F.A. degree in illustration in 1995. He’s been
in Kansas City ever since.
Knecht advises high school students thinking
of studying art and design in college to be
confident. “There are no wrong answers,” he
said. “Trust your work, follow your work.
I was too hesitant going into art school. I
needed to let go and be more passionate about
expressing myself. The world needs artists. Go
for it!
“Students who aspire specifically to a career
in graphic design or advertising need to open
their eyes and really look at the world,” he said.
“See how things are organized and packaged,”
he advised. “In design and advertising you will
get a chance to package and present things to
the world yourself. It can be very exciting, but
you need that visual library in your mind to
draw from.
“It’s never too early to start keeping a book
of things you sketch, collect or photograph,”
he said. “Doing that is more valuable than
knowing computer-key commands.”
“ It’s never too early to start
keeping a book of things you
sketch, collect or photograph.”
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Alumni Profile
John Berry (‘12 animation)
Lead Animator
“ You execute the best work when you’re
passionate about what you’re doing.”
It didn’t take long for recent Kansas City Art
Institute graduate John Berry to take the helm
as lead animator at a local multimedia studio,
Dream Studio. Along with two fellow KCAI
animation graduates, Berry works under
Shane Evans, an award-winning illustrator and
creator of the studio.
The experience was stressful, but we learned
we could wear many hats, and it pushed
our team to the next level of becoming
professional artists.
Berry began an internship with the studio his
junior year and was hired as an employee after
graduating in 2012. With a lifelong passion
for storytelling and illustration, Berry says he
feels very lucky to be paid to do what he loves,
and he looks to a long future in animation.
A: I was exposed to so many different people,
and we were constantly collaborating. The
instruction I received at the school taught me
to problem-solve, and I learned to be selfreliant. We were held to a certain standard at
KCAI; whatever I was going to do, I knew I
had to do it to the best of my ability. At the
end of the day, what mattered was what I
produced.
Q: What has changed for you, transitioning from an
intern to an employee at Dream Studio?
A: As an intern I had very specific tasks. I was
doing a lot of animated e-cards, taking cards
into the program After Effects and animating
them. Being there as an employee has changed
the dynamic. Now I feel like l’m an important
part of the creative team. We sit down, have
discussions, hash out ideas and go from there.
I have a sense of ownership over my projects.
Q: What big project are you working on now?
A: The first thing I did as an employee at
Dream Studio was to create a pitch bible for
“Chocolate Me,” an animated series adapted
from a successful children’s book written
by Taye Diggs and illustrated by the studio
owner, Shane. As development continued,
we realized we could produce the animations
in-house and go to networks with more than
flat images to pitch our idea. We hope to get
funding to create six 11-minute episodes, and
we’ll see where that takes us!
Q: What has been one of your biggest challenges at
this job?
A: We just finished a film-based project for
a New Orleans foundation, producing two
shorts for the foundation’s reading program.
Our creative team was flown to New Orleans,
and we planned to film our footage, come
back to Kansas City and cut everything
together to send off as the finished product.
When we arrived, we unexpectedly became
the full-blown production team. We had to
find our own locations, do all the casting,
make decisions on the fly and volunteer
wherever we could to make things work.
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Q: What are some of the valuable lessons you learned
at KCAI?
Q: Which KCAI professor had a big influence on your
craft, and why?
A: Doug Hudson (chair of animation at KCAI)
is a rock star. His knowledge of animation
history, insight into the field and creative
process taught me a lot. He really appreciated
and helped foster my individual craft. I did a
film sophomore year that was really ambitious,
and out of the full minute-and-a-half piece,
Doug pointed out a 10-second segment as the
best part of the film. He asked me to focus on
this, because it was clearly the part I enjoyed
animating the most. That was a powerful
moment for me, and I knew I needed to start
making the art that I wanted to make. You
execute the best work when you’re passionate
about what you’re doing.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be an animator?
A: I always loved art, but it never occurred to
me that you could do it as a career. At 13,
I saw a test screening of the movie “Spirited
Away” at an art house in my hometown
(Dayton, Ohio) — it blew me away.
Something clicked not only in my head space,
but in my heart space too, and from that point
on I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
Q: What advice do you have for high school students
debating whether to enroll in an art school?
A: Don’t go to art school unless you really love
what you do. You can feel like a big fish with
your artistic abilities, but when you get into
art school you’re dumped into a sea of talent,
which can be overwhelming. Expect to learn,
have a lot of fun and be willing to put in a
lot of work. Never stop experimenting; you
shouldn’t get to a place where you feel like
you’ve mastered your craft.
Q: Where would you like to be in five to 10 years?
A: I would love to open a studio and produce
shorts and animated mini-series, represent
foundations with films and continue to work
with clients. I also hope to continue writing
and working on graphic novels.
To view Berry’s work, visit
www.johnwberry.com
Alumni Profile
Nathan Fariss (‘00 photo/new media)
Set dressing lead at Pixar Animation Studios
After graduating from the Kansas City Art
Institute, Nathan Fariss worked on sports
and corporate animation projects in Kansas
City before moving into feature film and
visual effects. For five years he was with The
Orphanage in San Francisco, and in 2008,
he joined Pixar Animation Studios in
Emeryville, Calif.
His illustrations have appeared in magazines
such as Popular Mechanics and Discovery
Channel Magazine. His feature film credits
include “Live Free or Die Hard,” “Pirates of
the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Monsters
University” and “Toy Story 3,” which won an
Academy award.
The culture of the work place is open and
relaxed, with no dress code and flexible work
hours. There are people working at Pixar who
have been at the company their entire working career. It’s not hard to find someone who
may have worked on “Toy Story” or “Bugs
Life,” the first two Pixar features. If you’ve
ever watched the extra features on a Pixar
DVD, you’ve probably seen people riding
around on scooters and skateboards, eating
free cereal and making themselves lattes on
the espresso machines. There are also a swimming pool, basketball and volleyball courts
and a full gym, all on campus.
There are regularly scheduled educational talks
and classes, so that people can learn new
tools and techniques. Along with all the
perks, the work itself is challenging, engaging
and rewarding. With each film, Pixar strives
to push creative and technical boundaries.
Being part of that is a great experience.
Q: What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on so far?
A: Working on “Monsters University” was
very exciting, since I was in a leadership
role. I got to see the project from very early
on, all the way through to the end. It was
the longest I’ve ever worked on a single
project — two and one-half years — and it
was incredible to see it go from sketches and
storyboards to a finished feature animation.
Below he answers a few questions from KCAI:
Q: What’s it like to be working at Pixar?
A: In a way, it’s very much like any other office
job. I work nine to six, go to meetings, have
my work calendar on my phone and sit in
front of a computer for most of the day. In
another way, it is very different from most
office jobs. For example, I’ve been regularly
involved in discussions about how “monster-y”
something needs to be.
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Q: How did your years at KCAI prepare you for
your career?
A: When I was in the photo and new media
department at KCAI, the junior and senior
years were structured such that we were
allowed to work on whatever we pleased.
This freedom came with the requirement that
you presented your progress at mid-semester
and the completed work at the end of
the semester.
This really helped me learn how (and how
not) to structure my own projects in a realistic, deadline-oriented way. It also helped me
learn to collaborate with others on projects,
all while working on subject matter and in
media that interested us.
Q: What advice do you have for high-school students
who might be thinking of studying art and design
in college?
A: Remember: You get out of your education
(and later, your career), only as much as you
put in. If you have a passion for your work
and are willing to put real effort and time
into your studies and projects, then you will
find that you will receive passionate instruction that expands your mind and pushes your
work to new levels. There are few experiences
that can compare to spending every day on a
small campus with a few hundred extremely
talented artists.
Q: What advice do you have for high-school students
who might aspire to a career in animation?
A: There are a few tricky things about the
modern animation industry. These days, it’s
not just about drawings and motion. Computers are thoroughly integrated into everything from 3-D animation to what the public
thinks of as “hand-drawn” animation. Fine art
study is a huge help, but it also doesn’t hurt to
learn a few of the fundamentals of computer
programming, as well as a bit of calculus, as
they can come in handy later on.
Also, much of the animation work that you
see on a regular basis is now being done in
other countries. While creative leadership is
often done in the United States, the actual
frame-by-frame drawings (for traditional animation) or the 3-D modeling and animation
are often being done in India, Singapore or
Vancouver. Most of the big companies, such
as Disney, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon and
the Cartoon Network, have offices around
Los Angeles, but an interest in world travel
would definitely be advised, as many people
who learned in the U.S. end up being sent to
other countries to provide leadership.
To view Nathan Fariss’ work, visit
www.hello-napalm.com
Alumni Profile
Paul Briggs (‘96 illustration)
Story Supervisor at Walt Disney Animation
When he was a senior at KCAI, Paul Briggs
learned from his department chair that
Disney Animation was accepting portfolios
for an internship. The Texas native scrambled, submitted a drawing portfolio, got
the job and started animating on “Mulan.”
Except for stints at Warner Bros. and Nickelodeon, he has been with Disney ever since.
Most recently he was story supervisor on
“Frozen,” an animated feature released in fall
2013 that revolves around two sisters.
“I know a lot about that, since I have four of
them,” he said. “I think the story is the most
compelling one I’ve worked on at Disney.”
Being head of story, or story supervisor,
means he manages a team of story artists
working together to get the director’s vision
up onto the screen.
He describes Disney Animation as an incredible place to work. “There’s such a rich legacy
with animation,” he said. “Our animation
research library allows us to look through
all of the old classic artwork. Being able to
flip through original Pinocchio animation is
a definite employment bonus. What’s more
impressive are the amazing artists, storytellers
and filmmakers I work with every day.
I’m in awe at the talent and level of craftsmanship in the studio. It’s a very collaborative process because you are working with
artists from so many different disciplines that
are from all over the world. There’s visual
development, story, character animation, effects animation, lighting and so on. We’re all
making the same film, so we all have to be on
the same page. It requires an environment
that nurtures creativity and communication.”
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Briggs noted that many Disney artists have
projects outside of work that allow them to
push their creativity even more.
“I know co-workers that sculpt, do plein-air
painting and create comic books outside of
work,” he said. He himself has published
books, done large-scale drawings, sketches,
greeting cards, furniture design, calligraphy,
letterpress printing and design work outside
the studio.
Asked how KCAI prepared him for his
career at Disney, Briggs mentioned the
strong foundation he gained in art training
and the support system he experienced with
other students. He also said that college is
a time when a student can try new things,
experience failure and learn from it.
“You develop a better sense of what your
strengths are, and you focus on improving
and developing yourself,” he said. “KCAI
gave me the opportunity to try a lot of different things. Even though I was in illustration/
design, I was very into sculpting, ceramics
and drawing. Some of my anatomy and
figure-drawing classes were crucial to my
getting an internship at Disney. Plus there’s a
great support system through other students.
You’re all going through the same thing, but
on different paths, so you have friends who
push and challenge your individual work.”
Asked what advice he might share with highschool students aspiring to a career in animation, he said, “Animation is hot right now,
and there’s a lot of it going on everywhere,
not only at the big feature studios but also in
television, gaming and in foreign countries.”
He offered two specific tips for would-be
animators:
• “It’s extremely important to understand
the basic fundamentals. It’s always obvious
when a new portfolio arrives and someone
hasn’t put forth the effort in understanding basic principles and methods. Use your
time at school to do this!
• “The other thing I’d say is tell me a story;
show me character; make me care
and empathize.”
Briggs’ favorite memories of KCAI include
meeting the girl who would become his wife.
“She’s a painting graduate, and we share a
studio at home,” he said. “I also made good
friends that I still keep in touch with.”
Paul Briggs
Alumni Profile
Suzanne Klotz (‘66 painting)
Painter, sculptor and Fulbright Scholar
The world has been the inspiration for Suzanne
Klotz (’66 painting), who has instituted
multi-cultural art programs, workshops and
exhibitions in Africa, Australia, Israel, Mexico,
Palestine, Taiwan, the United States and, most
recently Amman, Jordan. In Amman, on a
Fulbright Scholar award, she created an art
salon and ran a collaborative workshop with
Palestinian women and their families who were
dispossessed from their homes and were living
in refugee camps.
“The Fulbright award provided the opportunity
to expand my research pertaining to the status
of Palestinian refugees and create a work of art
that addresses Palestinian culture and traditional
embroidery,” Klotz said. “The purpose of my
project was to create an artwork that honors and
preserves Palestinian culture and history, while
informing viewers about the ongoing plight of
Palestinian land ownership and national identity.”
Before traveling to Amman in 2013, Klotz
spent a year creating the beaded, painted and
embroidered border of an 8-foot-by-5-foot
canvas. The border incorporated the names
of all of the 246 Palestinian refugee camps in
Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan in Arabic
calligraphy. In Amman, she has led a workshop
entitled “Seven Women’s House Keys,” working
in both traditional and conceptual art-making
practices with seven Palestinian women and
their family members. Throughout the year, she
blogged about her experiences.
On returning home to Mesa, Ariz., she
looked forward to working with a filmmaker
and producer on a movie about her Amman
experience and to pursuing exhibition
opportunities for the “Seven Women’s House
Keys” canvas and her other work.
Klotz’s appetite for international travel dates
to a whirlwind family tour of Europe after she
graduated from high school. “We visited every
museum and cathedral mentioned in every
European tourist guidebook,” she said. “This
trip made me realize that there is a big world
outside of the United States, and I made the
decision to experience as much of it as possible.”
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“ Without my B.F.A. degree, I couldn’t have
acquired the necessary basics to develop
my art and ultimately enter graduate school.”
Recalling her years at KCAI (she spent two
years here after studying for two years in the
School of Fine Arts at Washington University
in St. Louis), she described them as “the Alan
Ginsberg years.”
“I had a very inspiring literature professor,
Roy Culver, who helped me correlate the words
of the great authors with composition and form
in the visual arts. Even now I still use words
as the inspiration for my artworks. As a class,
we had an assignment to go to a nightclub
to hear Ginsberg, followed by a performance
by the newly formed Supremes, minus Diana
Ross. Ginsberg had picked up his brother from
a mental institution prior to arriving at the
nightclub. He propped his brother in a chair
on the stage, handed him a microphone and
said, ‘Say something.’ His brother mumbled
‘Something,’ followed by a five-minute silence
before Ginsberg took the microphone and
recited his poems.”
KCAI’s proximity to the Nelson-Atkins
Museum of Art is “one of the greatest gifts an
art student could have,” Klotz said. “My hours
spent at the museum, during class and outside
of class, made a great impact on my future goals
as an artist. I spent many afternoons sitting in
front of a painting or sculpture and letting it
‘take me inside it.’”
Suzanne Klotz in front of her tapestry painting “Eye”
(acrylic on canvas, beading, embroidery, 97 centimeters by 127
centimeters, Farhat Art Museum Collection, Beirut, Lebanon.)
To learn more about Klotz’s work,
“Seven Women’s House Keys,” visit
www.7womenshousekeys.wordpress.com
Klotz recalled one Nelson-related assignment,
which was to choose a piece in the museum
and write about it from her own perspective,
unrelated to the artist’s intent or any known
facts about the piece. “These papers dramatically
affected my understanding of the power of art
to expand one’s vision and perception of the
world around us,” she said.
Asked what advice she would offer to highschool students thinking of studying art and
design in college, she said, “Without my B.F.A.
degree, I couldn’t have acquired the necessary
basics to develop my art and ultimately enter
graduate school. Without the challenges
presented to me as an M.F.A. student (she
earned her graduate degree at Texas Tech
University in Lubbock), I wouldn’t have known
how to find my own expression. My advice is to
get both a B.F.A. and an M.F.A.”
Klotz also holds a teaching certification
in secondary art from the University of
Missouri-Kansas City, which provided her
with opportunities to teach in public schools
for several years. Subsequently she has taught
at the college level. “I love teaching in higher
education,” she said. “It’s a joy to assist students
in bringing forth their untapped expressions.”
Alumni Profile
Tim Kelly (‘98 photography)
Owner, Curves Ahead
Tim Kelly named his company Curves
Ahead, quite possibly as a metaphor for
the road he traveled through life. In 2001,
the 1998 graduate of the Kansas City Art
Institute founded this automobile transport
company completely by chance.
Kelly, a Topeka, Kan., native, entered KCAI
with a ceramics and photography portfolio,
but chose the path of photography upon
leaving his foundation year.
“My father was an avid photographer in
his spare time, and I grew up sitting on a
stool in the darkroom making prints with
him,” Kelly said. “I love photography and its
ability to stop moments and capture them
for eternity. I applied to several different
schools but chose KCAI due to its proximity
to my childhood home as well as its campus,
courses and reputation.”
After graduating from KCAI, he went to
Chicago and earned his master’s degree
in documentary photography and design
research from the Institute of Design, part
of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Kelly joined the firm of IDEO in San
Francisco. There, he was part of a team that
did real-world documentary photos and
videos of people and the products they used
in their daily lives.
“I wanted to return home and begin
teaching,” Kelly said. “I became a professor
at Washburn University in Topeka, as well
as Johnson County Community College
in Overland Park, Kan. I taught classes
ranging from traditional black and white
fine art photography to video production
and editing.”
Teaching afforded Kelly spare time to
explore other passions in his life. He was
spending a lot of time rebuilding, repairing
and restoring vintage motorcycles. In the
process of this adventure, he was given a
vintage BMW automobile for his services.
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“ KCAI taught me how to look at the
world differently than other people do.”
“I had no need to keep the car and decided
to sell it online,” he said. “The new
owner asked if I knew how he could get
the car from Kansas to Alabama. It was
summertime, and I was between semesters,
so I offered to take it to him on a borrowed
trailer with my 20-year-old pickup truck for
a small sum.”
On his way home, he decided this could be
a fun job. After some research and a trip to
the bank, Kelly bought a large pickup and
an enclosed trailer. Thirteen years later, he
now owns five full-sized semi trucks with
specially-built, fully-enclosed trailers that
can haul up to seven cars each.
“We move well over 1,000 cars per year
and are highly renowned throughout the
collector car industry,” Kelly said.
Some of those cars are moved to the KCAI
campus. Each year, Kelly works with
Marshall Miller, founder of the Art of the
Car Concours, a benefit for the school’s
scholarship fund.
“Marshall became a customer and friend of
Curves Ahead many years ago,” Kelly said.
“He knew that I attended KCAI and offered
a sponsorship opportunity to us the first
year. We have been a part of the Concours
ever since, and we love being able to give
back to the KCAI community.”
Even though Kelly didn’t end up choosing
photography as his career path, he still
cherishes the years he spent at KCAI and
everything he learned there.
“Life has a funny way of changing course,
sometimes in unexpected ways, but you can
always use your past to turn your future into
a positive experience. Did I plan on starting
a trucking company? No. Was my extensive
education in the photography field wasted?
No! KCAI taught me how to look at the
world differently than other people do.
It taught me to keep my eyes open and see
situations that many overlook. I also learned
how to interact with others in a new and
invigorating way. Those critiques in class
helped to build a tough skin, but that also
taught me to think and interact in a way
that helps me every day. If I had it all to
do over again, I wouldn’t change a thing,
including KCAI.”