Filmmaker Federico Fellini said all art is autobiographical and sociologist Charles Horton Cooley said an artist can never fail; it is a success to be one. Artists are everywhere. They are often in the cube or corner office down the hall, spending the work day, crunching numbers, creating spread sheets, repairing broken program code and a myriad of other tasks.

To celebrate the creativity of their employees, DST Systems, Inc. formed Kansas City’s first corporate arts festival in 2001. Kelly Seward, director of business programs at the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City, worked at DST at the time and remembers how her co-workers treasured the opportunity to be recognized for their artistic talents. She also recalls the deep sense of corporate pride that the festival created within the employees and their families.

Joan Horan, DST’s then vice president of human resources, and DST arts festival coordinator, Robert Palmer, saw a bigger vision. They wanted to share the creativity and excitement that DST was discovering with the rest of the city. Under the leadership of Palmer, DST partnered with the Arts Council and launched Art/Work, a citywide corporate arts festival.

“Kansas City has one of the largest corporate challenges in the nation. However, not everyone is geared toward sports. We wanted to create something of that scale but for the arts,” Seward says. “When we started Art/Work in 2007, we had 11 companies competing in a visual arts exhibition at Union Station. Since then we’ve added more companies and the literary and music categories. At the request of UMB associates, we’ve even branched out to include dance this year.”

Each spring, participating companies hold their own internal arts exhibitions in the literary, visual, and performing arts, advancing their first place winners to the city-wide competition held each summer. The Kansas City arts community gets involved as well. Local museum curators, poets, gallery owners, musicians, and artists lend their expertise as jurors while organizations such as the Heart of American Shakespeare Festival, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and the American Jazz Museum offer their artistic directors for the stage performances.  

This year’s citywide competition will occur July 17  – Aug. 7 with visual and literary art on display at Union Station. Dance and music semifinals will be held at City Stage and Crosstown Station respectively. The Art/Work awards program and final performances will be at the Gem Theater on Aug. 5.

Seward says the best part of Art/Work is watching people interact with the art. “People spend time it. They read the labels. Art created by computer programmers, adminis, and accountants is so accessible because people can imagine themselves picking up a camera or paintbrush, too.” She also says that employees talk about how their working relationships change as the “work” mask is taken off.

Since 2007, Art/Work has encouraged more than 1,000 employees and CEOs take off their work mask and show their true colors. As DST Systems has set out to prove, some of Kansas City’s most creative minds can be found in those office cubes.

At Blue Cross Blue Shield’s offices on Main Street, many of the employees actively pursue their art and share it at the company show. Many of the employees have participated since the company first got involved in the Art at Work event. Crystal Harper, a test analyst in information technologies, is an avid photographer. She captures images of wildlife, architecture, landscapes and concert settings.

Harper says she initially hesitated showing her photos. She finds things that many may see as ugly and aims to make people look differently at the subject. “I want to see if I can change perceptions.” Harper is also a fan of speed, black and death metal music. She has also had the chance to photograph her favorite groups. A favorite is Finnish cellist group Apocalyptica.

“Not all of us are athletically inclined,” she says. “Those who are more artistic get to participate. Then we all see the different sides of our coworkers. It’s also great when those of us who are photographers get to share experiences. We become a community.”

Another photographer, Jason Boyer, is a software support specialist. Many of his photos come from his travels. Like Harper, he likes structures and landscapes, but he has recently started aiming to capture people in the moments when defenses are down. “I like the powerful moments. I treasure the real stuff when the camera is seemingly forgotten.”

Boyer says he fell into photography after his mother took a class to better capture images of her new grandson. He got the family notes and about five years ago, discovered he had a real knack for photography.

Tracy Kimberling, member services, helps handle enrollment and billing. She is also a stained glass artist. The house the family purchased about five years ago spurred the interest. “The woman who lived in the house before us created these stained glass pieces and a piece remained as part of the house. My mother-in-law, who used to create stained glass pieces, told me to take a class and I just loved it.”

After the class, time on the Internet and lots of books to read, Kimberling has made around 100 big pieces and more than 200 Christmas ornaments. “Summer is my most productive time.” She has entered two pieces in the company show — a jewelry box and an art piece depicting a woman’s profile. “It’s my first year to participate in the event,” she says. “I kept watching the posts and wanted to be part of this. Art brings people together. It’s a topic of conversation. It’s another great opportunity.”

Wayne Dean may be one of the best examples of a right-brain/left brain thinker. He’s an applications specialist at Blue Cross Blue Shield. He also has a master’s in art, graphic design. “I still produce work on a regular basis. I work on creating 3D collages and painting. I get to think logically for many aspects of my life, but then also abstractly with art. In addition to working here, I wish my art would be a bigger part of my life.”

Louise Nevelson, an artist known for her assemblage/found art sculptures, inspires him. Dean wanted to create a corporate art piece and put out a request for donated items from staff. However, he eventually had to walk floor to floor, desk to desk, asking for items. In the end, he had 150 items representing his co-workers. “It’s been a positive experience. My co-workers are surprised with what has been used.” His work is a large blue cross and a large blue shield.

At Kansas City Power & Light, journeyman cable splicer and network mechanic William “Pat” Wigley, won first in the 3-D category in the KCPL Art/Work exhibition for his “Hummingbird” sculpture. The next step is the citywide exhibition at Union Station. Wigley works with metal now, but a few years ago, his art was stained glass. He never showed his work; he made Christmas ornaments as gifts. “I never wanted to be part of any art show until last year. KCP & L joined the Art at Work event and I found a safe arena to show my art.” He took metal shop in high school and some advanced training in metals.

His daughter designed a tree in art class and Wigley found part of his inspiration. The rest of the inspiration came from his daily workday — cable. Wigley lays the utilitarian cable for the power and light company — a dangerous job with high voltage. He has been with KCP & L for 12 years. The rubber-sheathed cable is somewhat flexible, but in the right hands, the cable becomes a work of art, especially after the sheath is cut away to reveal the bare wires. He bends the wires with his bare hands. “Sure they can hurt. However, it’s a masculine art. The cable is utilitarian and I have made it into art.”

The piece last year ended up in the companywide silent auction. “It was a thrill to see it bid on.” He says that he is now the unofficial spokesman for the art contest. “I’ve been telling co-workers to give it a try. Some of my co-workers are surprised by my imagination and my creativity.” Wigley has visited the metal shop at KCP & L for advice. However, none of Wigley’s current pieces are welded; they are soldered. He says he may take a class to continue to refine his works.

Creating the wire pieces can be consuming for Wigley. “My wife will have to encourage me to come in for dinner. I would get lost in my own focus in the garage.” Beside his work space is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Every artist was first an amateur.” The ideas and the drive come naturally for Wigley. He doodles and creates illustrations of possible future pieces. “I can also see my retirement shaped in part by this art.” He also frequents flea markets and garage sales for old pieces of silverware. The metal theme continues as Wigley now crafts flowers, birds, insects and other natural objects.