Crystal Major (photo by Jim Barcus)
Ten Kansas City artists share their stories of overcoming adversity
The canon of art history is filled with stories of personal courage, recounting the lives of artists who navigated everything from social personal catastrophe to imprisonment and even execution for expressing their truth artistically.
From Frida Kahlo’s struggles to create while navigating the pain of a devastating back injury to Ai Weiwei’s 81-day stretch in a brutal Chinese prison, art history is written with a pen dipped in the inkwell of human spirit, resilience, strength and determination.
Kansas City’s art scene is no different. Not discernible at First Fridays gallery openings and at high end galas or in glossy publications and endless social media postings are the stories of courage, determination, and almost superhuman efforts that local artisans have demonstrated to pursue their dreams and goals in the face of life’s most daunting challenges.
Crystal Major, painter and mixed-media artist
“I may have lost my sight but not my vision” says painter and mixed-media artist Crystal Major. Born with diabetes, her sight began to fail in 2009. Since 2014, she has lost her sight completely.
That has not stopped her resolve to create. Feeling the brushes and textures, she creates works unforgettable in their simple beauty. “Courage,” Major said. “It’s knowing what you have and what you can do without even knowing what you have and knowing that you can do it and make something out of it.”
Major is determined. She has exhibited her work at Studios Inc and at the 18th and Vine Art Festival with great success. “I don’t like the feeling of failure,” she said. “I have so much confidence in myself, knowing I can do what I want to do and be good at it. I will try and try and criticize myself to the point and I might get stuck, but I will never quit.”
Odell Talley, musician
Courage among artists often includes making a choice between the easy road and the harder but more rewarding path. Odell Talley, Major’s brother, is a professional musician specializing in gospel music. Talley, a school district employee of many years, had to make a decision between a comfortable professional career and choosing the path of the arts.
“I worked for the Kansas City Kansas school district,” Talley said. “Everything concerning that industry requires being up at ‘Dark-30 a.m.’ But everything concerning music takes place in the evening. I was burning both ends of the candle. Prayed and gained inner strength to completely walk away from that job of 18 years. I have not looked back one time.”
Adrianne Clayton, painter and educator
Stepping into the public as an artist also takes courage.
Adrianne Clayton, figurative painter and longtime educator states, “I needed courage the day I saw Natasha (Ria El-Scari) at QT after years of only creating as an example to my scholars for work.
“I knew my trusted friend, talent, hadn’t left me, but I didn’t know what to create and if people would want to receive what I was trying to say through my work. I literally stepped out on faith and hoped there was a place where my work could take up space.”
She adds, “I need to be courageous when I experiment. I can’t be afraid to mess up or change.”
It takes courage to set aside the doubt of others about the resolve of creatives to manifest their dreams. Sometimes, this doubt comes from the very community that the creative is serving.
Natasha Ria El-Scari, poet and former gallery owner
Natasha Ria El-Scari, director of the Women’s Center at UMKC, former gallery owner, and one of Kansas City’s most critically successful poets and writers, states, “When I decided to open an art gallery I expected to be celebrated and encouraged by some of the elder women I looked up to. When I got a completely different response, I was shocked. I had to even stand up for myself in a heated phone conversation as to why I should not open a gallery. I knew I was onto something important.
“I am so grateful that I chose courage and my best ideas, even if I haven’t had the experience to prove I would be successful.”
El-Scari went on to run Natasha-Ria Art Gallery for several years, closing on her own terms to pursue other challenges.
“The gallery changed my life and the artistic lives of so many others!” she said.
Mark Cook, landscape painter
Beloved painter Mark Cook has demonstrated a different type of courage. The gifted landscape painter, a Hallmark retiree and familiar face at the paint counter at Lowe’s in Roeland Park, suffered a catastrophic spinal injury that threatened his creative dreams.
“The spinal cord injury stole my ability to hold a paintbrush, write my name, and walk,” Cook said. “Courage has played a role in my creative journey by helping me press through pain and uncertainty. It also helped me explore and adapt. I found new ways of creating within my physical limitations and how to go beyond them.
“Courage helped me to see that my creative journey wasn’t over.”
Denise Perkins, jewelry maker
Denise Perkins is a jewelry maker who has carved out a name for herself as a waist bead artist. The path hasn’t been easy and has been peppered with heartbreaking challenges, but Perkins has leaned upon her courage and belief in self to stay true to her gifts.
“As a plus-size woman myself, I wanted to create a safe space where women can find beautiful waist beads and learn to love and appreciate their bodies, just as I have,” Perkins said.
Her “Pieces of Zoey” jewelry line was born, she said, “out of my own personal struggle and triumph over grief.”
“After experiencing five miscarriages, I turned to jewelry making as a way to heal and find solace, and it’s been a journey of transformation and growth. The name ‘Zoey’ means ‘life,’ and the pieces I create put my life back together.”
She adds triumphantly, “This is my story of Strength and Courage!”
Crissi Curly, artist and founder of KC Curly
Crissi Curly, artist and founder of KC Curly, a huge photo shoot project in Kansas City that promotes empowerment within the natural hair community, has faced serious health challenges that would have driven those of less resolve into a spiral of despair and depression. However, Curly has built a castle of accomplishment and empowerment upon her challenges.
“One of the biggest challenges I faced was when my health was compromised,” Curly said. “In that difficult season, art became a source of healing and resilience. It helped me stay focused on my purpose and reaffirmed what God has placed me on this earth to do.”
“Through that experience, I’ve learned that creativity is not just about making something beautiful — it’s about transformation, survival, and the courage to keep going.”
Quez Beasley, prime mover, 18th and Vine Arts Festival
Quez Beasley, nephew of painting powerhouses Leroy and Michelle Beasley, has shifted the artistic energy of Kansas City with his work for the 18th and Vine Foundation and the highly successful 18th and Vine Arts Festival. He has demonstrated sensitivity and compassion toward artists who are often overlooked by the artist community because of their physical limitations.
“Building this festival and working for myself wasn’t easy,” Beasley said. “I heard a lot of nos, faced closed doors, and dealt with setbacks. But through it all, I never quit. I kept my faith, leaned into my passion, and trusted that if I kept going, the right doors would open. And they did.
“The hard work paid off. After two years of persistence, we officially became a non-profit, allowing us to grow and make an even greater impact in the community. Now, in our third year, we are celebrating how far we’ve come, turning a challenge into a movement that uplifts artists, brings people together, and keeps the culture of 18th & Vine thriving.
“Courage isn’t just about facing challenges,” he added, “it’s about moving forward despite them. It’s about believing in your vision even when others don’t see it yet. My journey has shown me that resilience, faith, and creativity go hand in hand.”
Pierre Owens, poster artist and portraitist
Pierre Owens, a kind and gifted Paseo Academy graduate and artist with autism, has had to fight against the stigmas toward those who are autistic. Facing these challenges with courage, he has created an impressive body of work with sophisticated hand-drawn movie posters, moving commissioned portraits and his uncanny knowledge of movie trivia.
“It has taken courage to continue sharing my work with others, which (has been) and still is a hard task to do. I’m not perfect, and I made some mistakes when it comes to being an artist.
“Being an artist can be hard sometimes but creating something can be the easy part. There were times that I wanted to give up on my artwork, but courage has allowed me to never give up and to keep going. I have been through ups and downs in my creative journey, but I always come back up top.
Stephonne Singleton, performance artist
Stephonne Singleton, a 2023 Charlotte Street award winner, dynamic singer and electric performance artist, has faced the dual dragons of racism and queerphobia in his life and artistic career.
“Persisting in art has never really been a question of courage, because I was born an artist,” he said. “Therefore, even in my own family and communities, I’ve been a square peg that no one can fit into the round holes they’d like me in.”
To all those who feel challenged, he offers these wise and empowering words:
“Life is the ‘courage’ to be introspective and ask what YOU really want from life.
We have great power in simply BEING.
We must prioritize finding out who that being is at any given point and it is up to us.
Courage is just showing up for yourself, for your own sake FIRST. Then, for the rest of the world.”
