When Paul Dorrell assesses the artistic landscape in Johnson County, he describes a place that has achieved some cultural maturity. A place that no longer "equates prosperity with sophistication."
In short, everything it was not in 1982, when he left.
Now, Dorrell, back in Prairie Village and the owner of Leopold Gallery in Brookside, finds himself in a changed place.
Johnson County has grown serious about protecting its artistic resources.
Evidence of that may be found in the artists and work now being commissioned and acquired for Overland Park's $142 million convention center and hotel complex east of Metcalf Avenue and south of Interstate 435.
Of the 52 or so artists tapped to produce work for display at the center, only tow hail from outside Kansas or Missouri. Fifteen are from Johnson County.
Of course, it's easier (and cheaper) to use local artists than turning to London, New York or San Francisco for a public art commission.
But Dorrell, admittedly in the business of pushing regional artists, says Kansas City has long progressed past the point where looking inward for art is a shallow journey.
The arts are a cornerstone of any civilized society, says Dorrell. We've got outstanding artists here. They just need a little recognition. And cultivation.
And if nothing else, the convention center will be a grand exposure for local artists.
The convention center, due to be completed by the end of 2002, is expected to eventually parade some 283,500 people through annually.
Dorrell, as arts consultant for Overland Park's project, will have had a hand in picking most of what they will be looking at.
And the focus has been regionalism largely because it can be, he says.
We believe it's important to allow the world to come to Overland Park to enjoy and experience the high quality of artistic talent we have, says Kenneth Rashid, chairman of the committee involved in selecting the works for the center.
This section of the country is almost a trade secret, says Julie Bilyea, Overland Park arts coordinator. There are so many talented people.
Dorrell may have scored his biggest hit by commissioning Lawrence sculptor Jim Brothers for the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va.
But his biggest contribution for Johnson County artists should be felt when the convention center opens.
(The D-Day Memorial) has affected all my artists, some of whom are receiving national and international inquiries from collectors, Dorrell says. I'm sure when the Overland Park Convention Center opens, it will have a similar impact.
Brothers, who crafted statues for the D-Day Memorial and has since been hired to do a 10-foot Eisenhower sculpture for the Capitol Building in Washington, is one of the artists on Overland Park's list.
Four large landscape murals by Kansas City-native Phil Starke will be adorning the concourse.
Dierk VanKeppel, of Merriam, will prepare a blown-glass chandelier for the convention center's entryway.
Arlie Regier, of Overland Park, will have a 12-foot stainless steel sculpture displayed.
Little of the work commissioned will strain the eye of the casual passer-by. But the maturity of the work should make a welcome addition to a county still perceived by some as a cultural void.
It's no longer the Wonder Bread community people like to believe it is, Dorrell says.