Meet the Juror - ‘Art at the Center’
Kwan Wu
Kwan Wu is the guest juror for the 2012 Art at the Center Juried Exhibition.
Kwan Wu ranks among the top sculptors in the world. His reputation was established very early, and it is fair to say that he was being groomed to become the state sculptor of China. A series of events brought him to the United States in 1988 and led to his U.S. citizenship in 1997. Starting with nothing but determination, talent, and a dream, Kwan has established himself among the top sculptors in the West. Kwan's quality is quickly recognized and covers work from heroic and monumental to miniature in a wide range of subjects. He lives in the Kansas City area with his wife and children and works from his newly built home studio & workshop.
What sets Kwan apart is his ability to put 'life' into his work to capture the spirit and emotion in powerful ways. His is truly fine art at its best. Kwan's work offers a rare opportunity to participate in the rise of a world class artist in his new country. Click to read Kwan Wu's story.
http://www.kwanwusculpture.com/
Juror Alumni
Juror alumni include: Dr. Patricia McDonnell, William T. Wiley, Sondra Freckelton, Bo Bartlett, Rackstraw Downes, Neil Welliver, Preston Jackson, Mark English, Sangram Majumdar, Dean L. Mitchell, Lewis Nerman, and Ann Wiklund.
Past Guest Juror
John Boyd Martin
John Boyd Martin was the guest juror for the 2011 Art at the Center Juried Exhibition.
John Boyd Martin has established himself as one of the most accomplished portrait artists in the entire country. His paintings now hang in over 75 cities around the world, from Ireland, to Japan, to Jerusalem, to Santa Fe, to Cooperstown, to the Pentagon.
What has made him so popular is a certain realism with which he paints. Born in 1936 and raised in the small town of Ottawa, Kansas, directly across the street from the campus of Ottawa University, Mr. Martin witnessed life at its most vibrant. Impressions of the honest and diligent work ethic of the Midwest, combined with a front row seat to lively campus life, have been instrumental in giving his work a down-to-earth feel that captures the essence of his subjects in a unique and dramatic manner.
A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Fine Arts, where he was an honor student and member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, Mr. Martin began his career as a graphic designer and illustrator. He later became an advertising art director, winning more than 150 local and national awards for his creativity and talent. But, like a first true love, portraiture always tugged at him and in 1986, he decided to give it his complete and passionate attention.
In his long and distinguished list of over 900 commissions, Mr. Martin's work has crossed many professions, including business, academia, government, medicine, collegiate and professional sports. For a complete list of Mr. Martin's accomplishments visit his website at: www.johnboydmartin.com