A tribute to GF Sam Wagner

One of b.a.l.m.’s good friends and amazing artists passed away July, 5th, 2012.

We remember GF Sam Wagner. Sam has been involved in b.a.l.m. from the beginning and he will be missed greatly.
Sam was in the b.a.l.m. White Show in Lawrence, KS and San Antonio, TX, Anthropoi, Dry Bones, and the Dannon Art Project.
Sam was a wonderful person and artists. Our condolences, and much love to his wife Shelley and three children.

GF SAM WAGNER

Obituary:

GF Sam Wagner, 38, of Overland Park, KS, passed away Thurs., July 5, 2012. He was born on Jan. 26, 1974, in Springfield, MO, the son of Lynn Catherine (Brimeyer) and Galen F. Wagner. Survivors include his wife, Shelley Wagner, and three children. Other survivors include Gilbert and Leone Brimeyer, Laura and Rick Coelho and their children, and Stephanie and Jeremy Jerguson and their children. He will be missed by many other family members and friends. Sam was a dad, a husband, a son, a brother, a grandson, a cousin, an uncle, a nephew, a son-in-law, a brother-in- law, a neighbor, a friend, a soccer coach, an artist, an architect, a Jayhawk, and a Sporting KC fan. He is now a citizen of heaven. Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m., Fri., July 13, at Evangel Church, 1414 E. 103rd St., KC, MO 64131. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m., Thurs., July 12, at the church. Burial will be held in the Shawnee Mission Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to his children’s education may be made to Learning Quest. Fond memories and condolences for the family may be left at www.johnsoncountychapel.com. (Arr: D.W. Newcomer’s Sons Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, KS 66210. (913) 451-1860) http://www.dwnewcomers.com

Link to obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kansascity/obituary.aspx?n=gf-sam-wagner&pid=158471281#storylink=cpy
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Images of a few of GF Sam Wagner’s artwork:

GF Sam Wagner, Swoon (Grace Outake), Acrylic and cut paper, Dec 2011

GF Sam Wagner, Little Things I Should Have Said and Done 1 from The Little Things I Should Have Said and Done Series, 2009

GF Sam Wagner, Sam at b.a.l.m. White Show next to his paintings, “Geese” and “Discover and Enjoy”, 2009

GF Sam Wagner with “Awakening” for b.a.l.m. Dry Bones Exhibition, Oct. 2010 (Collection of Darin and Shannon White)

GF Sam Wagner, At work at b.a.l.m. Dannon Art Project, February, 20th, 2012

A few words about Sam by balm Co Founder Darin White
See more of GF Sam Wagner’s artwork here.

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If you would like to help the family in this time by sending a memorial, please write the check to Learning Quest for his children’s education fund.
Please reference GF Sam and Shelley Wagner on checks or in a note sent with checks.
Please send checks to:
LearningQuest c/o Walla Street
4745 West 136th Street
Leawood, KS 66224

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b.a.l.m. | beauty, art and life movement
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Two Person Art Show Invite and Independent Film Promo

You are invited to a two person art show opening entitled “Soil & Seed – Paintings & Prints by Shannon White” and “Material” Sculptures and Prints by Darin M. White. The show opening reception Friday, October 17th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Carnegie Art & Cultural Center will include music, food and a gallery talk with the artists. In addition to claiming the title of artist, they are also married and are each dealing in different ways with issues related to the sickness and healing of their son from neuroblastoma cancer along with other aspects that they address in their work. Come and view both artists’ work and enjoy an early evening in the quaint town of Ottawa, Kansas just 30 minutes South of Lawrence on Hwy 59 (Main St.). Turn left (East) on 5th to park. We hope to see many of you!

Detail Painting Two of Triptych Copyright 2008 Shannon White

“Foundation: Tools: Balance” Copyright Darin M. White 2008

Also, we would like to help promote a movie “And What Remains” by one b.a.l.m.’s own, Marc Havener.  Marc owns Resonate Pictures andrecently was accepted into the Heartland Film Festival and will be shown on the 18th, 22nd and 23rd of October in Indianapolis, Indiana.  The film was just recently in the Temecula International Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA with stellar reviews, and will be in the TallGrass Film Festival in Wichita, Kansas from the 26-28 of October.  Please help him promote his movie at Heartland FF by simply clicking on this link.  Please resit the urge to click on others, as the number of hits is the way that the films are rated on public interest.  Also clicking multiple times doesn’t work either.  We tried.  Thank you for supporting an independent film artist.

Confessions of a Garage, Hospital, Studio Artist

My former studio space has a new tenant!

Artist’s like to share their work with people, but sharing can take on multiple meanings in the day to day life and space an artist inhabits.  Does your garage double as your studio and share space with bicycles, cars, and household necessities like mine does?  I organize a garage sale each year to militantly protect my precious territory from ever encroaching outgrown children’s equipment that threatens my art space.  My husband has graciously offered to make me movable walls for my studio to make my space seem separate and serene.  May they expand and not contract.  My former studio, which is now inhabited by my son now doubles as a guestroom complete with bunkbeds and CARS comforters.  Guests must love children.  I have also enjoyed participating in an open studio painting class at the Lawrence Arts Center from Louis Copt to stay connected with other artists while motivating myself toward deadlines.  I must function in multiple working capacities to maintain my artistic life, but I am not willing to “let it go”.  Give it up for the right reason or for a short time, maybe, but not just let it go…  This creative life is something worth keeping and sharing.  Sharing in a variety of ways, as mentioned above.

PRAYER CHAIN papercuts by Shannon White 2008

MAHATMA CADEN leftover tempera on construction paper by Shannon White 2007

Last year my son was in the hospital for a third of the year, so I had to be satisfied with sketching in my sketchbook, using his leftover tempera paint on construction paper to paint his portrait off of his palette during hospital craft time, scavenging and drawing on the backs of slightly used disposable hospital gowns, and finally letting Henri Matisse’s and Peter Callesen’s paper cuts inspire me to make my first small scale installation work out of construction paper.  The theme and title for this installation was SIMPLE MEDIUM, and it already had its first showing.  I am still transferring the year’s small sketches into large paintings and bodies of work, into finished drawings, multiple completed series, and finally beginning to show them.  These challenges have inspired me to innovate, to expand my visual vocabulary to reflect recent experiences, to keep creating, expressing and sharing.  I have three group shows in the next few months (KS, CO & Bleeker Street, NY), work in an Oklahoma gallery, a portrait I am finishing and am hoping to have some solo shows, soon.   The past year was worth its weight in paint and relationships, shared time and space.  In tight spaces and seemingly hopeless places, vision can thrive.  The intensity of emotion, the condensation of concept, the urgency of expression can increase in these pressurized environments.  Capsules of life emerge.  Records of personal culture, inner turmoil, everyday life, the hope we hold onto surface and vitrify to be kept and read like cuneiform tablets preserved through fires.  This very difficult process is how we determine what is truly worth keeping and sharing.  May you all keep creating, living and sharing from whatever environment is available to us at the time.

FOUR FIGURES IN THE FIRE papercuts by Shannon White 2008