Large-scale lit art installation debuts at Town Center Plaza and Town Center Crossing

6 things to know about the color-casting exhibit on view now

1. True North Outdoor and Collisions In Art: the teams responsible for the art installation debuting this month at Leawood’s Town Center. Collisions In Art functions as a bridge to connect artists with people who may not normally have access or the expertise in art curation.

    

   “It’s important to us to create ease in the purchase, leasing and enjoyment of art in our clients homes, offices and event spaces.” – Michael Jones, co-founder of Collisions In Art and owner of True North Outdoor and KC Landscapes & Pools.

    

   The Collisions In Art duo, co-founded by Michael Jones and Todd Weiner, each have strong individual track records as evidenced by Todd Weiner, of Todd Weiner Gallery. Weiner was formerly in the business of commercial holiday lighting for some of the top retailers in America. Weiner has produced over 75 art exhibits in Kansas City and always has the inside scoop on curating art to fit individual client needs.

    

   Michael Jones, a multipreneur offers an abundance of knowledge in the world of outdoor design and installation. Currently, Jones is owner of True North Outdoor, specializing in commercial snow, ice, landscape maintenance and landscape construction. As well as the current owner of KC Landscapes & Pools, a company specializing in the design and installation of high-end residential outdoor spaces. 

    

    

2. A willing participant in bold and value-adding projects: the Town Center team has strong ambitions and successes in bringing outside-the-box events, projects and dynamic tenancy to the lifestyle centers. The opportunity to take a chance on a bold and rare public art display of this magnitude was a no brainer.

    

   “This light exhibit is a collaboration that highlights our effort to be innovative in delivering value and enjoyment to our community. We are proud to support local business leaders and artists who strive to create unique and beautiful landscapes in Leawood. Together we are pleased to offer a holiday display with a new perspective. – Jacqueline Shrum, General Manager of Town Center Plaza | Crossing.

    

3. Enter Martin Cail: the KC native artist and private preparator has an equally impressive working resume which includes employment in institutions like, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and displays at Open Spaces exhibition, to name a few.

    

   Cail owns two commercial spaces near Swope Park; he has dedicated the spaces, which include an outdoor courtyard garden, to the production and pursuit of art.

   The adopter of the term that is now known at Town Center to be color-casting, has earned a BFA and MFA in sculpture and most recently developed an interest in working with light.

    

   In Spring 2021, Cail began working with light on a small scale in his studios and garden when he got the call for the Town Center project from the Collisions In Art team.

    

    

4. What to know and notice: The True North operations team, lead by Bob Scott and assisted by Kyle Scott have been instrumental in the installation of the non-custom lights and alongside Collisions In Art direction and Martin Cail’s custom lighting and vision.

    

   Cail says, “I’ve always turned to simplicity, it’s powerful, it’s emotional.” If thinking about the project as a canvas, the flood lights are used as a primer and can be noticed on the Town Center Plaza towers. According to Cail, the flood lights are a universal laydown of lights so there aren’t bare spots. The brushstroke highlights are conveyed through the custom foam lights, light bars and pex arches.

    

   “I want people to have an experience…if you look at this project, the objects themselves are simple. The difficulty is in getting it to a place of simplicity. I keep refining, and refining to get it down to its essence. I set the challenge for myself to make art that touches on universal things, like love and the sublime. Things that everyone, every demographic, and every era feel”. – Martin Cail.

    

5. The first dance: Cail says, “I’m a very process-based artist, while some artists are more conceptual. For me, the path is in the process. It’s in the discovery. It’s a triple tango between my will, the materials, and results offered forth by the universe.” When reflecting on color-casting from its beginning in Cail’s garden to today, Cail says the large-scale Town Center has been a “matrix of logistics, engaging and fun”. This is the initial response to an artist-based vision with light on architecture for the Collisions In Art team.

    

   “We hope to continue using color-casting and light capture to bedazzle holiday enthusiasts starting in Kansas City and then branching outward to other art friendly regions and areas.” -Todd Weiner, co-owner of Collisions In Art.

    

    

6. When to see the exhibit: This winter, whether holiday shopping door-to-door with retailers, driving the parking lots or dining at your favorite Town Center restaurant after dusk, the color-casting exhibit can be viewed on all major architectural structures throughout Town Center Plaza and Town Center Crossing (located in the NW and SE corners of 119 Street and Roe Avenue in Leawood, KS).