Deep Ellum’s Kettle Art Gallery sometimes acts like a beacon, attracting artists from across the Dallas-Fort Worth community and beyond. Take, for example, Saturday’s first exhibition with the long-standing Art Club of McKinney.
Club President Kathryn Ikle had heard about Kettle Art since moving to Texas in 2019, but only had the opportunity to visit the location a few months ago.
“When I moved, I was looking for an art scene, and it was just before COVID. I had heard about the Kettle Art Gallery, but never had the chance to visit because of COVID,” Ikle says. “After COVID, I got involved in the art scene and was busy with a lot of things. A few months ago, I actually drove downtown and visited.”
Frank Campagna, the founder of Kettle Art, says Ikle visited him, his wife and the gallery’s marketing director, Paula Harris. They hit it off, and Ikle found a new place to showcase her club’s many works of art.
Courtesy of the Art Club of McKinney
Courtesy of the Art Club of McKinney
“(Harris) was looking for new artists,” Ikle says. “So we decided to work together.”
The meeting, which lasted five years, resulted in the club’s “No Limits” exhibition. The club and gallery will hold an opening reception on Saturday during the Deep Ellum Wine Walk from 4 to 7 p.m.
“She came by one day, looked around and liked the gallery,” says Campagna. “We happened to have a free space. So we thought, OK, let’s see what you have.”
The Art Club of McKinney is celebrating its 110th anniversary on November 10, making it the oldest art club in the state. It has collected 50 works of art by 25 artists for its “No Limits” gallery.
As the title suggests, there are no limits to the type, style and even medium of the works in the McKinney Art Club’s collection.
“I was looking for a little more imaginative artwork for the downtown audience, if that makes sense,” Ikle says. “I was looking for different media, themes and perspectives, and also trying to bring together artists with different personalities and different backgrounds.”
One of the most striking pieces in No Limits is not a painting. It is not even a sculpture or a photograph. It is a dress – a wedding dress, to be precise.
Multifaceted artist Celeste Seitz contributed to the Art Club of McKinney exhibition with a mixed media piece called “Ain’t No Wifey.” It’s a wedding dress that looks like it’s been jazzed up with graffiti to look a bit more punky, and showcases her love and natural talent for street and protest art that evokes strong emotions.
“She creates many different statements in her artwork,” says Ikle.
Other works in Kettle Art’s new gallery include a print called “Koi Journey” by Ikle, a vibrant work of abstract color and form called “Looking Down from Above” by Jean Turner, and an abstract geometric work called “Renewed by Green” by Myryn Elizabeth Clark.
The Art Club of McKinney may be the oldest art collective in the state, but these and other works clearly show how active, vibrant and inspired they still are. The group educates its community on the importance and impact of artistic expression. Still, Ikle says their goal is to “encourage and inspire younger generations” of new and exciting artists as well.
Courtesy of the Art Club of McKinney
“We really focus on nurturing new artists and helping them with their personal and professional development,” says Ikle.
Kettle Art is a perfect fit for the Art Club of McKinney. Campagna and Harris have been seeking out work from new artists from all over the world since opening their popular Deep Ellum gallery. Both are still working to spotlight new talent and help them launch new and exciting careers.
“They’re different than a lot of other galleries,” Ikle says. “On their website they actually say they’re interested in supporting artists, and a lot of people say that, but when you come in and talk to Paula and Frank, just by the way they talk to you, they tell you that they’re actually interested in partnerships, collaborations, and promoting the arts. They’re interested in the artists and they’re interested in artists. They’re open to ideas, which is not the case at all with some galleries. Kettle is interested in trying different things and attracting a wide audience.”
The Kettle Art Gallery is located in Deep Ellum at 2650-B Main Street. For more information, click here.
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