Meara featured in special art show

Fort Scott, Kan. â€" Brendan Meara is an artist who wants to make his work appealing to everyone.

"I try to make work that is approachable by most anyone, or any artist, so that they might find something that maybe inspires them or that they might enjoy," Meara said during a Thursday interview with The Fort Scott Tribune.

The 26-year-old former Fort Scott resident, who now lives in Kansas City, Mo., will be one of the featured artists during a special art show titled "As Loud As The Sky and Pasture" scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 at the Paragraph, an art gallery in Kansas City.

The title of the art show was coined by Meara and Jules Hearne, another Kansas City area artist whose work will be displayed in the Paragraph art gallery during the show. They came up with the name of the show by brainstorming different words associated with their particular art styles and realized their works link to nature, Meara said.

"I think we saw the connection with nature, and that there was a consciousness of our surroundings," he said. "A lot of our work deals with audio elements, and it all ties together really well."

Meara, who has lived in the Kansas City area since 2000, is a 1999 graduate of Fort Scott High School. He graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2004. He lived in Fort Scott for much of his life before moving to Kansas City.

"I drew a lot of inspiration from my upbringing in Fort Scott, that is apparent," Meara said. "I love Fort Scott. I miss it."

His time at FSHS, especially in the school's art program under instructor Ellen Kendrick, played a big role in boosting his developing career as an artist, Meara said.

"The art program (at FSHS) was invaluable," he said. "I was one of Ellen Kendrick's disciples. I owe her my life, because she encouraged my interest in art and helped me see that it was a viable option for a career."

Meara said he has maintained an interest in art since he was in the third grade. Since earning his college degree in 2004, Meara has continued to expand his education in the world of art through internships, by working in art galleries, and by displaying his artwork.

Last year, Meara completed an internship with the Pegy Guggenheim Museum in Venice, Italy.

The concept of art has changed a lot over the years, Meara said.

"Artwork is sometimes intimidating for people to look at," he said. "I see a lot of self-referential narratives in art today. I like to do work for the masses."

Meara said he doesn't specialize in one particular style of art and considers himself to be more of a multi-media artist.

"I think ‘dabble' is a good word," he said. "I like to experiment a lot and keep things fresh every time I take on a new project."

Much of his art work involves electronics, and what he called kinetic sculptures. Meara said he has designed such a piece that will be displayed during the Nov. 16 art show.

That piece will include a series of music videos that will play on a television monitor that is connected to different circuitry. The circuits will operate lights that flicker in sync with the music heard in the videos, Meara said.

Other creations that Meara will have on display include drawings on paper, light sculptures, kinetic sculptures and other artwork that involves several types of circuitry and programming. Meara said he learned about designing circuits for the purposes of art by picking up bits and pieces of information on the topics over the last few years.

He has also displayed stone carvings and photography in various art exhibitions.

Like Meara, Hearne graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2004.

Both artists will speak at 7 p.m. during a reception that is part of opening night events at the Paragraph, which are scheduled to take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 16. The gallery will be open from noon to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays after that date until Jan. 5, for those who aren't able to attend the opening night event but want to view the artwork, Meara said.

For more information on the upcoming art show, call the Paragraph at (816) 221-5115. The gallery is located at 23 E. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo.