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We are excited to announce printmaker Kreg Yingst as the featured artist of the 40^th Annual Capital One Bank Bayou City Art Festival Downtown. 

 

Both a painter and self-taught printmaker, Yingst’s work predominately evolves from an idea-based or narrative concept.  As his grandfather was a magician and his father was a mathematician, Yingst’s works merge the science of perspective with geometry and optical illusion.  Initially trained as a painter, Yingst received his bachelor’s degree from Trinity University in San Antonio and his master’s degree in painting from Eastern Illinois University.  After graduation, he taught art for 13 years and has been a full time artist for almost ten years.

 

Yingst currently lives and works in Pensacola, Florida. He recently participated in the 40^th Annual Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park in the spring as well as last year’s Downtown festival. His work can be seen at www.kregyingst.com. 

 

“It’s an honor to be chosen as the featured artist for the 40^th Anniversary of the Bayou City Art Festival Downtown.” Yingst said. “The excitement generated by the people of Houston and the surrounding areas make this festival a pure joy to participate in!”

 

Prior to each Bayou City Art Festival, a judging committee solicits artwork from five potential artists of which one is honored as the featured artist. The featured artist is then asked to produce the festival’s featured artwork, which is used to create a consistent theme across the festival’s billboards, posters, programs and T-shirts.

 

This year’s featured artwork, titled “Night and Day,” draws inspiration from Yingst’s interest in the circus and music.  Illustrating a juggler with the skyline of downtown Houston as the backdrop and featuring lyrics from “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” the piece expresses the energy and diversity of our great city.  “The juggler is a metaphor for manipulating the hours of the day,” Yingst explained. “I liked the concept of this juggling act, a balance to bring the right light to activities of the social events that congregate the area below; whether it be an art festival, parade, theater night life, or a myriad of other entertainments.  Adding the lyrics to ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’ make the art inclusive to the City of Houston and the theme song is played during the Astros’ seventh inning stretch.”

 

Carving his blockprints out of linoleum, Yingst cuts and pulls all of his prints, running them through the press multiple times for colored editions, or painting them individually.  His work can be found in numerous private and corporate collections, including Purdue University and Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art.