A Life in Practice
An Artist Conversation with Joe Bussell
What keeps an artist making work over the course of decades ?
For every artist, the answer is different. It can be found in years of studio practice, lived experience, the communities we belong to, and the questions we continue asking ourselves. Those conversations are often just as valuable as the finished artwork, offering insight into the people and experiences that shape creative lives.
The second installment of the Kansas City Artists Coalition's Open to the Public Lecture Series embraced that idea through an informal conversation between Kansas City artist Joe Bussell and KCAC Board Member and artist Kevin Mellon.
Rather than a formal presentation, the evening unfolded as two practicing artists discussing the realities of sustaining a creative life. Together they explored Joe's artistic journey, the evolution of his work, the role of community, and the experiences that continue to shape his visual language.
For more than forty years, Joe Bussell has maintained a professional contemporary art practice. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Kansas and Master of Fine Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis, his career has taken him from London to studios across the Midwest. Throughout that journey, his work has continued to evolve alongside his lived experiences.
One of the most profound influences on Joe's practice came from working as a healthcare provider in an AIDS hospice during the height of the epidemic. Those experiences remain deeply embedded within his expanding queer abstract language and continue to inform work that responds thoughtfully to questions of identity, memory, loss, resilience, and social responsibility.
Kevin Mellon brought a unique perspective to the conversation. A graduate of The Kubert School, Kevin is an illustrator, writer, director, and storyboard artist whose career spans comics, animation, and television. As both a practicing artist and KCAC Board Member, Kevin's questions reflected the curiosity of a peer—creating a conversation that was engaging for artists while remaining welcoming to anyone interested in the creative process.
The evening served as a reminder that artwork never exists in isolation. Behind every body of work is a lifetime of decisions, influences, challenges, and moments of discovery. Creating space for artists to share those stories is an important part of KCAC's mission to foster dialogue, encourage learning, and strengthen our creative community.
About the Open to the Public Lecture Series
KCAC's Open to the Public Lecture Series brings together artists, educators, and cultural workers to explore how creative lives are built and sustained through diverse practices and shared dialogue. Free and open to the community, the series reflects KCAC's commitment to accessible arts education and meaningful public programming while creating opportunities for artists and audiences to learn from one another.
Interested in joining us for a future lecture? Explore upcoming programs and become part of the ongoing conversations shaping Kansas City's creative community.