300 Years of KS Winemaking Celebrated with Work from MICRO Agency
09.30.2024
The Bourgmont Winery in south Johnson County, Kansas commissioned two murals from Emily Johnson ('23 Illustration) to celebrate the milestone.
The winery celebrates the Tercentennial this Fall.
The MICRO Agency class at the Kansas City Art Institute seeks to simulate a real agency setting - having students from across disciplines at the school meet with clients who are looking to work with young artists from KCAI.
The result of one of these projects will play a prominent role in a celebration at the Bourgmont Winery on Saturday, October 26. Their event 300 Years of Kansas Winemaking will honor winemaking's history in the state - featuring a backdrop with origins in the MICRO Agency class.
Emily Johnson ('23 Illustration) - now working in a graphic design role as a media specialist - remembers the clients coming into the class seeking a mural highlighting the history researched by the winery.
According to their records, the winery's namesake Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont is recorded as making the first wine in Kansas history in 1724. The grapes used had been traded with Native Americans - an aspect the winery wanted to highlight as a part of the milestone.
"I didn't know a whole lot about winemaking," Johnson said. "But I learned a lot from the project."
Students in the MICRO Agency class were provided documents, paintings, photographs, and records for their research. Johnson remembers one of the client meeting where she - along with her classmates - prepared sketches to presented to representatives from Bourgmont Winery.
About a week later the winery let the class know that they were selecting Johnson's work. Her digital artwork - two murals - were later resized and printed in preparation for the installation and the upcoming 300 year anniversary.
"They are an incredible addition to our winery and help us portray and share the rich history every day with our customers," Bourgmont Winery General Manager Alex Bergman said.
"We were thrilled with the results, and were very impressed with the students from KCAI. All the students that participated were really impressive, and picking the final design was incredibly difficult. It’s really nice to visually represent our local history, made by our local students," Bergman said.
"They are an incredible addition to our winery and help us portray and share the rich history every day with our customers."
KCAI's connection to the winery persists still. During an upcoming Wine Walk in the Vines event on Friday, October 11 student art is planned for display alongside a musical accompaniment from members of the Kansas City Symphony.