Title of Exhibition: Art House 310 First Friday – Taylor McQueary & Yulla Faun Vega
Description:
Opening Reception | First Friday September 5th, 2025 | 6-10 p.m.
This event is free to attend and open to the public. Show hangs through September 21st, 2025. Art House 310 is located at 310 S. Laura. Two blocks SE of Douglas & Washington in downtown Wichita.
TAYLOR MCQUEARY
Artist Bio: TayFiveStudio is the creative expression of Taylor McQueary, an artist and high school art teacher from Wichita, Kansas.
Taylor embarked on her creative journey at the University of Kansas, initially delving into the realm of industrial design. However, her passion for the fine arts led her to refocus her studies. She pursued a Master’s degree in education at Wichita State University, specializing in art education, which equipped her with the tools to inspire young minds. In 2019, Taylor began her professional career as an art teacher, where she has been able to continue her own creative explorations while nurturing the artistic talents of her students.
As an educator, Taylor firmly believes in the reciprocal nature of learning, valuing the insights and inspirations that her students offer. Encouraged by her students to exhibit her work beyond the classroom, she was motivated to establish TayFive Studio as a platform for her artistic endeavors.
Taylor’s artwork has been displayed in various art exhibitions, attracting praise for its vibrant energy, visual impact, and use of color. Her dedication to her craft is evident in each carefully crafted piece, capturing the essence of her artistic vision. Through her expressive and dynamic artworks, Taylor aims to captivate audiences and spark meaningful connections through the power of visual art.
Artist Statement: Most of my current work is inspired by the interaction of opposing elements, specifically shape and color. I find great inspiration in the unique perspective of flowers portrayed by Georgia O’Keeffe. Her ability to capture the essence of the flower has greatly influenced my artistic approach.
In my paintings, I aim to create harmony between the soft, organic qualities of the flower and the structured lines. I believe that color plays a vital role in achieving this balance, as it has the power to bring these elements together and enhance their dynamic interaction. My goal is to harness the expressive potential of color to create a visually captivating experience for the viewer.
When it comes to my artistic process, I tend to rely on intuition and emotion rather than extensive planning. The selection of the main colors for the background is usually the starting point for each painting. Recently, I have been exploring different compositions with lines, using my background in design to guide the sizing and ratios of each line. I am meticulous in my approach, ensuring that each line interacts harmoniously with the others.
When choosing the colors for each line, I seek out bright hues that will create a striking contrast against the background. This deliberate use of color adds depth and dimension to my work, further emphasizing the interplay between shape and color.
For me, the value of being an artist lies in the joy and fulfillment I find in the creative process itself. Each painting reflects the culmination of my knowledge, skills, and experiences, as I continue to grow and develop within my craft. I view my artworks as a tangible representation of my artistic journey and a testament to the dedication and passion I bring to my work.
Through my art, I aim to evoke emotions, stimulate thought, and invite viewers to immerse themselves in a captivating visual experience. By embracing the interplay of shape and color, I strive to create artworks that transcend the boundaries of traditional representation, capturing the essence of the subject in a unique and expressive manner.
See more of Taylor’s work on Instagram: @tayfivestudio
YULLA FAUN VEGA
Flight Safety and How Not to Drown has as much to do with navigating a collapsing economy as it does sustaining a solid place to live. It relates to the struggles of existing paycheck to paycheck, house to house, or couch to couch for those living on the edge of collapse.
Flight Safety is in reference to fleeing one situation to the next, in hopes the new circumstance is better. Many of the artworks use personally developed symbol from the artist’s own previous situations and struggles. Flight became synonymous with fleeing a deteriorating home space to another, to another, to another… and so on. The scissor tail flycatcher, the Oklahoma state bird, has transformed into a symbol of hope for the future, an escape and refuge in another place outside of Kansas.
How Not to Drown is the idea and dream of being okay, despite the looming fear of full homelessness or becoming forgotten. It’s the thought of “maybe another place is better”. Sometimes, seemingly, the unknown or the ‘ocean’. The ocean being full of the unknown, and yet we remain hopeful this space is better than the last, that it’s the oasis that’s been advertised.
Transitional homelessness is the central idea of these works. It doesn’t mean fully homeless, but it does mean lacking a place to settle and call home. Upon conversing with many people in this situation, the question arises – is this a problem creatives face in particular?
In order to help each other navigate these situations it is more important than ever to develop small communities and networks in which people mutually support and check in on each other while we all learn to ask for help – sometimes over and over.
About the Artist: Jessica Vega was born in Wellington, Kansas and had always wanted to become an artist. She navigated a lonely childhood, due to selective mutism. This, in turn, made her develop a high sense of creativity. As an adult she accidentally married into a cult – this ended in divorce as she escaped with a baby to Wichita in the pursuit of working as an artist and exploring life more fully. She worked for years as a portrait artist, then in organ donation, then as an aerialist. After studying at the Kansas City Art Institute and Cowley College she went on to go through the Artist Inc program and is a certified project manager. She now works as an artist, a teacher at Mark Arts, and a project manager for a local community events. Recently she has changed her name to Yulla Faun Vega.
