The Dolphin Among Us

If the walls of the Dolphin Art Gallery (1600 Liberty) could talk, they would probably say something thoughtful in hushed tones of meditative Zen reservation. The new space quietly sprawls in the old stockyards area of the West Bottoms. The gallery's sparse white walls and concrete floor make the space seem like a miniature version of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's Bloch Building. This atmosphere functions as a tabula rasa for the vigorous dialogue between works of widely varying media in the Dolphin Gallery's latest exhibition. Silk Steel Clay spotlights the work of several accomplished artists, many of whom have connections to the metropolitan area. James Brinsfield, member of the painting department at the Kansas City Art Institute, presents "Ghost Wars," oil and enamel on canvas. The archival pigmented prints, from University of Kansas alumnus Terry Evans, investigate the space of steel mills. And Art Institute grad Darcy Badiali offers stoneware in "Open Vessel I." Visit the gallery to see these and other installations, which are up through January 30. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Call 816-842-4415 for more details.— Kyle Koch
Saturdays, 12-5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: Jan. 3. Continues through Jan. 30, 2009