On Friday, I spent my evening at Bates Mortgage Group in the Crossroads District of Kansas City. They just moved into their space a few months ago, and it has a really modern, urban, engaging vibe that fits in perfectly with its surrounding neighborhood of art galleries and hip restaurants and eateries.
Adriana Bates, who I will blog about in more detail down the road, is the owner of Bates Mortgage Group. I’ve been taking photos for her team and her family for several months now, and when she asked if I could photograph the art and the office now that it is all put-together, I was excited to do so. In addition to this, she said I could put out some prints for the show, which was not something I’ve done before, so I chose some of my 4 favorite nature prints and did large wall-art-sized prints mounted on styrene. (You can see them in my Etsy shop here.)
The featured artist for this FIRST First Friday was Chris Teasley. He is a local KC artist who creates large paintings on wood that take up space but don’t overwhelm or crowd the room. His work would likely be considered “paintings” in the more traditional sense, but because the wood on which he paints is just as much part of the art as it is the medium on which it is painted, it almost feels like sculpture or an installation piece.
I arrived a little before 5pm on Friday to set up my easels that would hold my prints and get my camera ready for our first guests. Adriana was putting the final touches of perfection on the place, and we were both excited.
At first, people trickled in - friends of Adriana’s, some of my family, and some of Adriana’s colleagues in the industry. Then, Chris, the artist, showed up, and around the same time, we opened the door wide to let in the beautiful weather and entice passersby to enter the building, which they did. People networked, laughed, shared some drinks, and made connections, which I think is just what Adriana had in mind when she planned that night.
It was a really fun and easygoing social event, and I think that in the future, if you find yourself in the Crossroads on First Fridays, you should definitely stop by to have a glass of wine and see what Adriana is up to now.