KCK Artist - Steve Curtis

From time to time, we here at the Arts in Kansas City, KS blog would like to highlight area artists. I've decided to start with one of our own: Photographer Steve Curtis. I really wish I had time to gather a more thorough bio for this dude, because he is really the most involved-in-the-community artist I've ever met.

Really, I sometimes wonder if he's single-handedly created the art buzz we seem to be having down on Armstrong! (Honestly, there are a lot of people involved, but Steve surely is persistent.) He and photographer friend Steve Larson were the first artists to move in to the old Kansan building, where they pushed to have more artist's studio space created (and where I now have my own studio) and started the Friday morning coffee at S2 Studio at 750 Armstrong.

Steve also gets a lot of satisfaction from working with inner city kids and sharing his love of photography with them. This Friday you can see an exhibit at Kaw Valley Arts and Humanities at 756 Armstrong that shows both his dedication to KCK's youth and his talent for thinking-up creative solutions with multiple benefits. If I have it correctly, City Vision Ministries held a pancake breakfast to raise money for this project that Steve envisioned, titled "Who Am I?" The money raised was put to use by KVAH so that Steve could work with a group of 5th grade students, who learned about photography, themselves, and their community through the project. Now in its final stage, the images created by the students are being displayed in a group exhibition in the KVAH galleries for the public to enjoy. Everyone here benefited, from those who enjoyed a pancake breakfast, to the arts community, to the 5th graders who participated, and to the general public that gets to enjoy the art and learn about kids in their community and how they view the world.

That's what I'm talking about with this guy: Good stuff. Can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Here's another project of Steve's, this time in his own words. Please be sure to follow the link to Present Magazine to enjoy the full article! You can see even more of his work at Steve Curtis's photography website.

The Pribilof Islands

Landscapes From Afar

Steve Curtis

Story and Photography by Steve Curits

Published: Monday, February 9, 2009

About the Pribilof Islands

The Pribilof Islands are a chain of four volcanic islands located about 300 miles off the southwestern coast of Alaska and 230 miles north of the Aleutian Islands. Saint Paul and Saint George are the only inhabited Islands.

Russian sailors captured Aleut natives from the Aleutian Islands in the late 1700’s and relocated them to these two small islands to harvest Alaskan Fur Seals, halibut, and snow crab.

Today the descendants of those first Aleut natives still live on the treeless islands of the Pribilof’s. The islands constantly get hit by severe storms famous for making the Bering Sea one of the most dangerous bodies of water on Earth. Some say it is the only place in the world where you can experience the four seasons of the year in ten minutes.

The islands are also home to small blue and white fox. In the nesting season, you can find more then 220 species of sea birds living on the cliffs along the shoreline.

Read and see more from Steve Curtis at Present Magazine...