Giant KCAI Fiber-Inspired Mural Installed at The Warehouse
10.04.2024
Emily Earp ('24 Printmaking) created the artwork as a part of KCAI's MICRO Agency class.
The course typically has students working with outside clients and creating art for the community as a part of the school's Sponsored Studio program.
Installation is complete on a massive new piece of public art now covering the south-facing wall of The Warehouse - the space occupied by the Fiber program at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Previously, the approximately 25 x 100' area was a blank white wall. KCAI's Fiber department solicited a mural from students in the school's MICRO Agency class. Ultimately, a group of Fiber Seniors selected artwork created by Emily Earp ('24 Printmaking).
Installation in Progress (September 2024)
The mural focuses on plants that provide fiber materials and natural dyes.
"The flat, graphic style of the mural pulls from my work as a printmaker. I hope this mural can highlight the department’s love of natural materials, as well as provide a sort of green space for them," Earp said after workers completed the application of the vinyl printing.
The plants referenced include flax, cotton, weld, marigold, indigo, and goldenrod - representing a small but important selection of materials utilized within the Kansas City Art Institute’s Fiber Department.
"I was drawn to the plants’ colors as well as the students’ swatches of vibrant dyes. Here, I’ve exaggerated the coloration of each species to directly reference the pigments they produce," Earp said.
"Variety in the shape of each plant was another important consideration. By further abstracting their forms, I’ve sought to create clear iconographic distinctions between each species," Earp said.
Earp said she gained inspiration for the work by touring fiber students' studios - feeling struck by the intricate patterning in both their artwork and the medium at large.
"I was drawn to the plants’ colors as well as the students’ swatches of vibrant dyes. Here, I’ve exaggerated the coloration of each species to directly reference the pigments they produce."
"My patterns were inspired by various Shibori and Batik techniques, as well as the intertwined warp and weft in weaving," Earp said.
The Warehouse is located a block from campus at 4218 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64111. The space provides KCAI students with one of the best-equipped fiber programs in the nation. The building includes a gallery, a dedicated studio for each student, and classroom space.
Close Up Look at Mural by Emily Earp ('24 Printmaking)