A new collection of art is now on display in the Johnson County Administration Building, through the county’s partnership with InterUrban ArtHouse on a rotating art exhibition.

This is the Administration Building’s seventh collection of art since the rotating exhibition began in Sept. 2024. The exhibition features artwork by Bryce Holt, a self-taught artist from Kansas City. For most of his life, art was a hobby, but five years ago, Holt made the decision to become an artist full time.

As a narrative artist, Holt mixes visual art and storytelling through his acrylic paintings. He likens his style – a mix of the bright colors of pop art with older etching-style linework – to artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Albrecht Dürer.

“The bright colors I use really emphasize the black linework, which is the part of creation I like most. I use the black in my paintings to really make the color pop,” Holt said.

The acrylic paintings in this exhibition range in size from his normal 48” x 36” pieces to larger 78” x 48” canvasses. Each piece tells a standalone story, with “I Will Carry Her Flame,” “Hole Punch,” “She Left in the Rain,” “Bumper Sticker” and “Year Three” among the 11 pieces on display.

“For me, story always comes first in the creation process. No paint touches the canvas until I know the story I want to tell – and I have no shortage of those. In the end, I want the visual and written components to give the viewer a deeper experience with my art,” Holt said.

Inviting viewers to become a part of his storytelling, Holt wants people to “see the universality of the human experience” within his paintings. He hopes that, with the variety of works in this exhibition, viewers can find at least one painting that speaks to them on a personal level.

“I want us all to realize we are storytelling every single day,” Holt said. “We need to remember that we’re all telling a story about who we are in our work life, our personal life, and we’re writing the story of what comes next.”

If you’d like to view Holt’s artwork, the Administration Building is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also view public art at several Library branches, also through a partnership with InterUrban ArtHouse.