Midwestern Meanderings by JT Daniels

Kansas City muralist J.T. Daniels weaves characters and phrases together in his work. His piece “Midwestern Meanderings” reflects this commitment to combination: driving thirty minutes in any direction from Kansas City allows you to experience vastly different environments and people. Urban, rural, and suburban areas mix seamlessly in Daniels’s work, along with vibrant people who reflect the diversity of the Kansas City metro.

Artist JT Daniels grew up in Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas. His father’s family was from the city, and his mother’s family was from the country, so Daniels got to know all sorts of landscapes and people on his trips to visit his relatives. His work painting public murals also requires him to travel often, and the shared experiences he witnesses are important to Daniels’ art practice now, where he integrates stylized colors and characters into designs which are both inclusive and representational.

Daniels sees the message of “Midwestern Meanderings,” his piece for the KCI Airport, as portraying the individuals and landscapes that make up Kansas City. His years of painting public murals has led him to believe that every place has industrial, suburban, and urban areas like this piece. He spent many years dreaming about ways to help his hometown in Wyandotte County flourish, and Daniels’ idea that “we deserve beautiful things, too” has inspired him to beautify not only his own neighborhood, but other communities in KC.

“Whenever I see a blank wall…I see an opportunity to communicate,” is the driving force and motto behind Daniels’ work. He believes his large-scale public murals allow him to create unifying narratives that reflect the individuality and brilliance of each community he represents.

About/Contact JT Daniels, JT Daniels - Artist Website. Accessed July 17th, 2024. https://www.jtdanielsart.com/about/contact.

JT Daniels - Midwestern Meanderings, KCI Public Art. Accessed July 17th, 2024. https://flykc.com/public-art.