November Final Friday
November 28th through January 25th
Fun way to kick off the holidays at the Phoenix Gallery this Final Friday!
This month, in our Phoenix Underground Gallery, we invited our favorite artists to create anything they wanted with the theme of Donuts; it resulted in our group show exhibition “Donut Mind If I Do!”. Featuring a variety of artists local to Lawrence and the surrounding area, this month’s Final Friday show pays tribute to everyone’s favorite delicious and iconic breakfast treat. Come enjoy whimsical work created by the artists--and yummy treats created by Taylor’s Donuts!
In the Upper West Gallery, we will have M. Robinson Artworks, with their show "Color in Motion”. This talented duo creates colorful and unique works of art using special techniques they’ve refined over years of collaboration.
You can meet the artists and gain insight into their exhibition on opening night, November 28th from 6 pm to 9 pm.
Opening night music will be provided from 6-8 pm by local musician Alonzo Beardshear.
You can find this exhibit in the Phoenix Underground Gallery of the Phoenix Gallery.
To view the pieces from "Donut Mind If I Do" online or to purchase, please click here.
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M. Robinson Artworks
Shawnee, Kansas
Artist Statement
After fifteen or so years of creating work in his original style, Michael wanted to branch out into abstract art. He spent years exploring and refining techniques until he created a process that is original and uniquely appealing, known as M. Robinson Artworks, which Michael and Mary Ann create together. They build their own boxes, apply lightweight modeling paste tinted with paint to the surface and put impressions in the paste with vintage toys, game pieces, etc. Once the impressions are dry, they add black gesso, followed by layers of vibrant acrylic paints. The pieces are then deconstructed by lightly sanding the surface and adding a shiny UV resistant finish.
Artist Biography
Michael Robinson Holmes grew up in Glidden, Iowa, and began drawing and painting at a very young age. Michael attended Kansas State University, where he studied interior architecture. He was drawn to interior architecture by the furniture design and color theory. While at Kansas State, he was introduced to the rendering styles of Mike Lin, which largely influenced his later artwork style. In 1990, he took an internship with the world-renowned interior design staff of Leo A. Daly, where he was taught invaluable lessons of the proper use of color and textures.
After graduating from Kansas State in 1992, Michael took a design position with a bank in Des Moines, Iowa. Although his job fostered the engineering side of his degree, he was missing an outlet for expressing the creative side of his abilities. He began drawing with pastels and his artwork career was born. He was noticed by a local gallery and worked with James Navarro, who allowed Michael to use his frame shop and gallery for his work. After several years of messy framing projects, Jim convinced Michael to transition into painting. It was an opportunity to include texture in his pieces. With Jim’s assistance and guidance, he began his first acrylic paintings.
Mary Ann grew up in Kansas City and got her B.A. in psychology from Arizona State University in 1993. She began working as an artist in the San Francisco area in 1997, under the tutelage of Beatrice Vandervoort, a wonderful French artist. Mary Ann learned a wide variety of decorative finishes and painted hotel lobbies, restaurants, designer show homes, offices and private residences. Upon returning to Kansas City, she continued painting decorative finishes. When Mary Ann met Michael in 2009, he introduced her to his painting techniques and they have been collaborating ever since. Michael and Mary Ann live in Shawnee, Kansas and travel the country doing fine art shows. Their art can also be found in a dozen galleries throughout the U.S. and in corporate collections.
You can find Michael and Mary Ann’s exhibit in the Upper West Gallery of the Phoenix Gallery.
To view their work online or to purchase, please click here.
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Opening night music will be provided by beloved and fan favorite local musician Alonzo Beardshear
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This exhibit will be in the Phoenix Underground Gallery, with our featured artists stopping by on opening night to discuss and promote their artwork. Be sure to like and follow our Facebook before the show so you can be kept up to date on events involving the Final Friday November exhibition.