Celina Curry’s paintings and illustrations pull you in with their contradictions. There’s something about them that’s familiar but unexpected, sometimes critical but nostalgic. Many are in jewel tones that look lit from within but shadowed from out of view.
You’ve probably seen her work; all you have to do is look up at the right time. It’s on the ceilings of the KC Streetcar stops in the River Market. It’s splayed across the second-floor exterior wall of Jay’s Grocery and Restaurant. And since July, it has faced east on the Crossroads Artboards at 125 Southwest Boulevard. Those paintings show her parents taking photos of a waterside sunset, their view shrunk to their phone screens but our view the size of the billboards.
“I want to be able to make stuff that connects with people,” says Curry. “I don’t do a whole lot of public projects, but I’ve done a few, and I feel like that is me putting my money where my mouth is in terms of making something that everyday people can interact with and discover and add a little bit of color and fun to their life.”
Curry moved to Kansas City from Pennsylvania in 2011 and graduated from Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. She says Kansas City is more affordable than a coastal city, easier to find a place to “spread out a little bit and have room to breathe and not have to be hustling all the time.” She just finished a two-year residency with Charlotte Street, the art foundation that awarded her those billboards.
It’s always been hard for her to conceptualize her artistic future, but Curry sees Kansas City as a potential venue for her childhood fantasy: an art studio and “emporium,” she says, “where there’s lots of stuff, lots of things to look at, and you never get bored because there’s always something new to discover around a corner.”
Click here to see more of her work.
Celina’s Essentials:
HIDDEN GEM: Goofball Sk8boards in Waldo is an indoor skate park that is becoming an increasingly important hub for the DIY and queer community. Not only do they provide a safe and inclusive space for skaters of all ages, identities, and demographics, but they’re also home to the Neither/Nor Zine Distro, Big Dawg Prints, and have hosted KC Zine Con for the last two years.
ARTISTIC INSPO: I’m a big Kansas City fountain nerd. Each one has such an interesting history behind it, and thinking about the little forgotten details that connect us to the past is always inspiring to me. My favorite is the Eagle Scout Memorial at 39th and Gilham. As a bargain hunter and up-cycler, I am tickled to think that the Kansas City Eagle Scouts found a way to make do with the donated, repurposed work in order to stay in their budget!
SHOPPING SMALL: I’ve been a big fan of the River Market Antiques for years. Can’t go wrong with four endless floors of cool old stuff, plus they’re open seven days a week. A great rainy day activity! Also, the gift shop at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is so thoughtfully and tastefully curated, and it has everything: jewelry, trinkets, postcards, books, and of course, original art!
EATING LOCAL: I love everything about The Brick at 17th and McGee. It has a timeless, could-be-anywhere sort of dive-bar vibe, a shockingly diverse yet affordable and delicious menu, and a full bar. I’ve been going there for years—I even played in a band that performed there once or twice.
GET BOOZY: If I go out, I’m usually drinking a Boulevard Quirk at Missie B’s or Woody’s while catching a local drag show. But I’m still searching for the best margarita in town. I had a favorite, but they changed their recipe, so the search continues.
LOCAL MAKER: I’m in constant awe of the women who head We Open Shop, a nonprofit organization aimed at making wood and metal working accessible and inclusive. They offer a monthly open shop where anyone can sign up to receive instruction and assistance in creating whatever it is they can imagine.