About
“It was tall grass that made man stand up; to be on all fours, to crouch in a six-foot-high world of thick cellulose, is to be blind and vulnerable.
People may prefer the obvious beauty of mountains and seacoasts, but we are bipedal because of savannah; we are human because of tallgrass.”
- William Least Heat-Moon PrairyErth
My work is rooted in the prairie ecosystem and engages with the complexities of place through an ever-expanding library of lived experiences. The tallgrass prairie is called the most altered landscape on the planet, and yet grasslands also tell incredible stories of human history. I believe that the re-establishment of native landscapes can offer hope for the future of life in the Great Plains, and I work to contribute to the growing body of knowledge and research seeking hopeful solutions to issues of climate crisis and rural depopulation in the places I call home.
In the studio, I make mixed media drawings and paintings that resist static views of landscape, inviting the viewer to engage and self-navigate. Ultimately, I want my work to inspire others to become more land literate of their own places.
Kelly Yarbrough (b. Plano, TX) is an artist based in Manhattan, Kansas. Her practice is rooted in an ecosystem that includes mixed media drawing, arts administration and creating meaningful opportunities for humans to engage with their environment. She enjoys unexpected collaborations, transdisciplinary conversations, and continual learning. Kelly holds an MFA from Kansas State University, and founded the Tallgrass Artist Residency in 2016. She is a Regional Field Representative and Art & Environment specialist for the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, a peer facilitator for Artist INC, a Konza Prairie docent, a TEDx Austin College presenter, and a 2023 PLAYA Wildfire + Water resident.
Represented by Prairiebrooke Gallery
7900 Santa Fe Drive
Overland Park, KS 66204
Email: prairy(dot)kelly(at)gmail.com