To help students realize their dream of attending the Kansas City Art Institute, dozens of faculty members have stepped up to the easel, the kiln and the sculpture studio to create incredible artwork to be auctioned at KCAI’s Art & Design Auction on June 3. Their work, and art donated by KCAI alumni and friends, will be auctioned to benefit student scholarships and programs at the college. Over 200 pieces of original artwork will be available at this dazzling event.
Maura Cluthe, assistant professor of illustration and KCAI alumna, knows first-hand the impact scholarships make to students. The amount of financial aid she received from KCAI helped her make her final decision to come to Kansas City for college.
“Since the inception of the KCAI Art & Design Auction, I have donated work to the auction. As a student, I relied heavily on my student scholarships and worked very hard to maintain them. They enabled me to be here; I am immensely grateful for that. As an alumna and now as a faculty member, I am happy to donate work to the auction with the hope that it will not only find its way into a new home, but also help to support a student like me. Every little bit helps, and can make all the difference. I’m honored to be a small part of this ongoing effort to support our students,” said Cluthe
Cluthe’s art blurs the lines between art, illustration and design. Her mixed media work integrates text drawing, photography, painting and other things she has collected. Her donated piece, “Arrange and Rearrange”, oil, alkyd, enamel, enamel marker on canvas, 48 x 48 inches, is valued at $2,800.
Assistant Professor of Sculpture Jill Downen’s art practice is a focused investigation of the symbiotic relationship between the human body and architecture expressed in temporal installations, drawings and models. She donated her sculpture, “Spine” Cyanotype on paper, on wood panel, 35 x 41 inches, 2017, valued at $5,000.
Since she interacts with KCAI’s talented students every day, she sees how KCAI’s creative environment is impacting their lives and wants to make a difference in their future. “I am continually impressed by the intelligence and talent of the students at KCAI and the auction is an important opportunity to invest in their education, “she said.
Don’t miss your chance to bid on artwork from Downen, Cluthe and many more KCAI faculty members. Tickets for the KCAI’s Art & Design Auction on June 3 start at only $125. For more information and tickets go to https://donate.kcai.edu/auction.
