Best Artist

After receiving her MFA in printmaking and showing her work at nationally acclaimed galleries, Adriane Herman -- former head of printmaking at the Kansas City Art Institute -- went on to complete two courses in cake decoration. Herman explains this choice by pointing out, "When asked how one can justify art to a hungry man, Tom Stoppard replied, 'Make it edible.'" Printmaking is about the urge to disseminate images to as many viewers as possible; that's why it's a genre of choice for socially conscious artists. What makes Herman's approach to art so exciting is not, however, that the results are tasty and great for birthdays. It's that Herman doesn't limit herself when selecting materials, forums for display or subject matter. Her position at the Kansas City Art Institute, which she held for five years before her recent move to Maine, allowed her to encourage a generation of local artists to take that same leap. Kansas City is blessed with a huge pool of playful young artists, and it's no coincidence that many of them took Herman's exhibition class. Herman has contributed to our visual landscape in a way that remains unparalleled.