First Friday Art Walk – May 2023

Discover Art Downtown with our Artist Reception at NexLynx Gallery of Arts, Friday May 5th from 5pm to 8pm. View the artistic talents of Hi Stockwell and Michael Bradley during our First Friday Art Walk.

Come check out our double feature exhibit showcasing the amazing talents of local artists, Hi Stockwell and Michael Bradley! Hi will be displaying his beautiful oil paintings and Michael will be exhibiting his impressive etchings and clay pieces.

Hi Stockwell has always been interested in art and has lived his whole life in Northeast Kansas. He believes that supporting the arts can help communities grow and encourage diversity, as well as challenge people to accept differences. About 12 years ago, he attended a meeting in Topeka that encouraged support for the arts and began his association with visual arts in NOTO. He later moved into Studio 831 and was introduced to the ‘underpainting technique’ by Barbara Waterman-Peters. This technique involves painting a base layer to create a foundation for other layers, and it renewed his interest in painting. Hi now enjoys the underpainting process as much as adding final color to his paintings.

Michael Bradley is an artist who discovered his passion for clay during his graduate studies. With no art classes in his youth, Michael’s introduction to clay was via managing equipment purchases for the “Fine Arts Dorm” as the Graduate Assistant to the Director of Housing at KU. Intrigued, he decided to move in while he completed requirements for a teaching certificate. After undergraduate degrees in Economics and Human Relations, Michael began exploring the darkroom and clay studio and was hooked.

Following a 6-year stint teaching elementary school in Sydney, Australia, Michael returned to KU as an undergraduate Art major. Since then, he has concentrated on clay and more recently printmaking while also taking a long break to work as an arts administrator and social worker. After retirement, his art has kept him busy in the studio he shares with his partner of 30 years.

Don’t miss this chance to see the unique styles of Hi and Michael in our gallery!

Artist Image Gallery