Fluorescent Fridays: Creating Color Stories in Printed Layers

This presentation will focus on printed color through story and form with Kansas City Art Institute Professor Laura Crehuet Berman and Senior Printmaking Department students.  Esther Bach, Hannah Dixon, Analee Hyacinthe, and Sarah Manuel will share their BFA thesis work in relation to color, process, form, and narrative. The KCAI Printmaking Department teaches a unique course, "Color in Printmaking," developed by Laura, in which students determine and define their own color story within their artwork.

Left to Right: Analee Hyacinthe, Sarah Manuel, Laura Crehuet Berman, Esther Bach, Hannah Dixon

Presenters:

• Laura Crehuet Berman is a visual artist and a Professor in the Printmaking Department at Kansas City Art Institute, where she has taught courses in printmaking, book arts, and color since 2002. In 2024 was a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Canberra, Australia, where she furthered her research on printmaking and color.

https://www.instagram.com/bermanlaura/

https://www.lauracrehuetberman.com/

• Esther Bach is a printmaker whose work explores liminal home interiors and feelings of nostalgia and longing through the mediums of lithography and mezzotints. In her free time, she can be found craving Taco Bell and knitting things for her friends.

https://www.instagram.com/estherbachart/

• Hannah Dixon is a printmaker based in Kansas City, Missouri. Currently working towards her BFA in Printmaking and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute, her projected graduation date is Spring 2025. She uses lithography, monotype, and screen printing processes in her practice. Looking ahead, Hannah plans to attend a graduate program for printmaking.

https://www.instagram.com/hannsdot.dart/

• Analee Hyacinthe is a printmaker, painter, and book artist who creates short, gothic illustrations featuring themes of idolization, the pursuit of power, and death. Based between Kansas City, Missouri and Miami, Florida, Analee is currently pursuing a BFA in printmaking at the Kansas City Art Institute, with an expected graduation date of 2025. She works as a puppeteer under Soulbird studios, performing at venues such as 18th and Vine Art Fest (2023) and Kansas City Renaissance Faire (2023-present).

https://www.instagram.com/inky.presses/

• Sarah Manuel is an Asian American artist working in printmaking and digital processes. She explores the themes of cultural identity and adoption through images of family and pop culture. After graduating from KCAI this semester, Sarah will work as a Summer Intern at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado.

https://www.instagram.com/sy_manwell_prints/

FLUORESCENT FRIDAYS is a platform for university students from all disciplines to network with color professionals and fellow students, and to explore cutting-edge information about color’s role in our lives and applications in the world. 

Global Student Chapter: The long range goal is to build a global student chapter that positions color as a multidimensional STEAM model (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math), sharing up-to-date color research by scientists, artists, designers, industry professionals, and university students.21st century color communication requires a commitment to building bridges for sharing resources, cultivating mentors, and creating new opportunities. With up-to-date information and useful tools, students become the next generation of leaders in ever-evolving color related disciplines.