CONTACT: Melissa Beltrame, Chief Marketing Officer
Jenny Kincaid Julian, Kincaid PR, (816) 550.4382
KANSAS CITY, MO) August 2020 As longtime supporters of the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) and its Sponsored Studio Program, Lead Bank is excited to announce the 2022/23 Lead Emerging Artist Prize (LEAP) recipients, a program Lead Bank created as a benefit to the community. The 2022-2023 LEAP awards were recently given to the following four KCAI art students: Lynn Hopkins; Foundation, Untitled Painting, Shane McCullough; Illustration, Still in This, Sophia Koch-Holdsworth; Foundation, Botanical Illustration, and Juliet Raven Miller; Ceramics, Nestled in Between. Recognizing the diverse talents each student holds, from imaginative sculpting and captivating photography to the exploration of mainstream topics through fabric, each student has shown his or her expertise through hands-on expression. Their work can be viewed here on the Lead Bank website.
"We are thrilled to welcome another group of talented artists to Lead Bank. Each year, the artist’s exhibit are very well received by the community. It is a privilege for the Bank to be able to display and enjoy such a fantastic treat each quarter," said Josh Rowland, CEO of Lead Bank. Each award winner received a $500 scholarship and the nominating KCAI department will receive $200. The community is invited to view their art at the Crossroads location from now until June 2023.
- Juliet Raven Miller: August - September
- Lynn Hopkins: October - December
- Sophia Koch-Holdsworth: January – March 2023
- Shane McCullough: April – June 2023
Students were nominated by KCAI faculty and chosen based on academic achievement. They have current works on display and those who demonstrate a focused commitment to their contemporary art practice. The selection committee chose four works out of 27 finalists based on faculty recommendations.
“We have continued to support the Kansas City Art Institute and its programs because it’s just one more way that we can engage with our community. Working with young artists who have diverse backgrounds and a different perspective of the world around us, especially our community, is refreshing. They give us hope for the future and we’re very excited to support their creative talents,” Josh added. For the past five years, the Bank has hosted several artists for First Fridays, displayed artwork in their Crossroads branch, and hosted the annual Road Roller printmaking event each year put on by the KCAI Printmaking Studio’s students.
About Lead Bank
Chartered as Garden City Bank in 1928 and re-founded in 2010 as Lead Bank, Lead Bank is a community bank that excels in traditional banking services, BaaS (Banking as a Service), and payments solutions. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, but serving clients digitally throughout the United States, Lead Bank is a recognized progressive financial institution. For more information, call (816) 220.8600 or visit http://www.lead.bank.
About Kansas City Art Institute
Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a college of art and design awarding a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 13 majors. Founded in 1885, it is Kansas City’s oldest arts institution. KCAI’s mission is to prepare gifted students to transform the world creatively through art and design. Learn more at www.kcai.edu or follow us on Twitter: @KCArtInstitute, on Facebook, and Instagram @KCArtInstitute.