Zak Barnes is a versatile artist based out of Lawrence, Kan. Born and raised in Kansas, Barnes has strong ties to the Flint Hills, where his parents grew up. He attended the Columbus (Ohio) School of Art and Design for several years and then settled in Chase County, Kan., where he built houses and spent his leisure time painting impressionistic landscapes, en plein air, in the heart of the Flint Hills. During this time, Barnes developed studio work consisting of unique figurative paintings, featuring scenes of strong Kansas women in rural Americana settings with a twist of surrealism and a dream-like combination of subject matter and narrative. It wasn’t long before Barnes’s work was featured in several Kansas galleries. In 2004, Barnes moved to Lawrence, Kan., to live and create art full time in his rural home, adding abstract paintings and sculpture to his range of work.

Zak Barnes works primarily in oil paint, but he has incorporated many non-traditional techniques over the years. His distinct style combines elements of impressionism, surrealism, regionalism, and folk art coupled with a dynamic painting process and handling of his medium. Barnes is often regarded as an artist’s artist because of the playful way he manipulates the elements of art and principles of design. Each piece takes on a life of its own as he interacts with it throughout the painting process; the final product is a record of the evolution of the work, no matter what subject matter or medium he chooses.

Barnes has won numerous awards in plein air competitions, taught several plein air workshops, and has served as a judge in many competitions. His work has been featured in a variety of publications, and he has donated his artwork and talents to many charitable organizations and events. Zak Barnes has been represented in galleries across Kansas, and his work is included in permanent private and public art collections, including Meadowlark’s.

Artist Louis Copt was born January 29, 1949, in Emporia, Kansas. Spending time on a farm as a child and growing up near the Kansas Flint Hills had a profound effect on Copt and has translated into his passion for landscape painting.

He graduated from Emporia State University in 1971, with a degree in art. Copt began his career as a full-time artist in 1985, after returning from a summer of study at the Art Students League in New York City. He has worked with some of Kansas’ most notable artists including Jim Brothers, Robert Sudlow, Robert Green, Robert Brawley and Stan Herd.

Louis’ current work focuses on the prairie in just about every season, but particularly the annual spring burn-off in the Flint Hills. His primary medium is oil on canvas which allows him to work on a larger scale and provides the depth and color that best translates his particular vision. He is fascinated by the challenge of capturing the force of nature as the fires race across the prairie renewing the landscape for yet another season.

Through painting, Copt inspires viewers to see the landscape in ways they may not think about. By isolating images often taken for granted, viewers see the landscape in new and different ways and find new appreciation for what surrounds them.

In 2016, Louis was the featured artist in the Lawrence Arts Center’s Annual Benefit Auction. His one-person exhibition showcased a series of new works featuring contemporary paintings and cast glass sculptures of Kansas barns.

Louis’ work has been featured three times in The Artist’s Magazine, and three times he has won its award for Top Finalist in the Landscape Division. He has also been featured in American Artist Magazine. His work has also been featured in the scholarly publication American Art Review. In 2011, he was named Kansas Governor’s Artist. His work is owned by private collectors nationally, and he has executed several regional, public commissions as well as having his work included in the Kansas State University’s Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph, and the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas.

Louis has taught at the Lawrence Arts Center for over 25 years and has led travel and painting workshops to France, Spain and Italy. He occasionally teaches drawing and painting classes at the University of Kansas. Louis has served on many arts organizations boards and is active in several community service projects.