Grant Kniffen’s colorful paintings at the Renaud Spirit Center take inspiration and style from popular American illustrators

Colorful landscapes, Western themes, and barn dances are among the paintings by artist Grant Kniffen that are currently on display through January 3 in O’Fallon’s Cultural Arts Gallery at the Renaud Spirit Center (RSC), 2650 Tri Sports Circle, O’Fallon, Missouri 63368.

Kniffen’s artwork is inspired by regional themes, American history, and landscapes both rural and wild. But he owes his compelling use of vibrant color, line, and a penchant for storytelling to childhood influences.    

“I started off, like many kids, wanting to be a comic book artist,” he said. “That evolved into a great love of the illustrators of the ‘Golden Age,’ especially N.C. Wyeth, who gave visual life to the imagination in the same way special effects do in the movies of today. I also had a great love of the American West that was stoked by the many westerns I watched as a kid. Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington were chief among influential Western artists. Finally, the regional work of Missouri’s own Thomas Hart Benton has been influential in my work. In addition to Benton’s subjects, his use of strong color, contrast, and dynamic composition still resonates with me today.”

Currently, Kniffen enjoys taking non-traditional approaches to his favorite themes by using multiple views, expressive color, and combinations of realism and abstraction in the same painting.

Kniffen, who lives in Dardenne Prairie, recently retired from a 29-year teaching career at Parkway North High School in Saint Louis County. He earned a B.S.E. in Art from Truman State University in 1984 and a Masters in Studio Art from Lindenwood University in 1989. In 1995, Grant was selected “Secondary School Art Teacher of the Year” by the Missouri Art Education Association. And the Parkway School District named him the “High School Teacher of the Year” for the 1996–1997 school year. In addition to the exhibit on display at the Renaud Spirit Center, examples of his artwork can be seen on his website, www.kniffenart.com.

O’Fallon’s Cultural Arts Gallery admission is free and the exhibit is available for viewing during regular business hours at the RSC, which are: 5:15 a.m. -10 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 5:15 a.m.-9 p.m. on Fridays, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, call 636-474-2732 or visit www.renaudspiritcenter.com.