adminmessiahArt is an expression of the human experience. It provokes, questions, and confronts reality. Kim Banister’s artist book “School Shootings in the U.S. 1989-2024” does just that. Laying open on the table, one can’t help but be moved by the art, medium, and message of the piece, as the emotion jumps off the pages, challenging the viewer to confront their own beliefs.
For Kim, artist books are a way to make an impact around the social issues that deeply matter to her: gun violence, the climate emergency, and women’s rights.
These books bravely shine a light on some of the most tense and important social issues of our culture. At the core of Kim’s work are themes of connection—a form of social justice in Kim’s eyes. How we connect with each other, ourselves, and the world around us. “We need connection to thrive,” she said.
This latest iteration of Kim’s creative work was built on decades of experience. Although her family moved many times during her childhood, her creative talent was celebrated throughout her school years.
In college, while still unsure of her career path, she had a professor encourage her to “major in what’s fun for you” and she never looked back. After completing her master’s at the University of Cincinnati and settling down in Boiling Springs, PA, with her husband, access to a bigger studio space allowed her to explore different techniques and scale her art. She discovered linseed oil, a material that would become very important, while she was experimenting with a process to make rice paper transparent for a project.
This began her journey to what is arguably her most iconic style. Although she’s also a talented realistic artist, her largescale loose and expressive figure drawings seem to move off the paper. She discovered that the linseed oil created dynamic movement as it crawls down the
paper, and once she added powdered pigment for color, the effect was even more intense. This style also led her evolution from single subjects to pairs.
Her creativity is sparked by a movement or emotion in her subjects, and the rest is a dynamic process of responding to the last mark made, and letting the piece develop organically. “The process dictates the result,” she shared.
When not creating art, Kim spent many years in her dream job as a gallery director at Harrisburg Area Community College and Loyola University. After retiring from the professional art world and moving to Messiah Village in 2025, she began channeling her creative energy into the smaller medium of artist books.
Each book is entirely distinct, and she lets the materials help dictate the story. By re-using scraps and torn paintings, then adding words and more imagery, each one has a unique message. “I let the materials lead,” she explained. “Every ripped edge and bit of color becomes part of the narrative.”
When her art elicits a reaction, Kim finds it rewarding and fulfilling. She said she wants it to have an impact—whether you agree with her point of view or find it challenging.
After all, isn’t that the purpose of art?
