Posted on Jun 3, 2022
This Kansas City artist will paddle — and paint — down 2,000 miles of the Missouri River
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Steve Snell will spend this summer paddling from the Missouri River's headwaters in Three Forks, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri. Along the way, he’ll create paintings and videos that tell the story of his adventures on the Mighty Mo.
Steve Snell calls himself an adventure artist. His summer-long trip on the Missouri River, he says, will be his biggest adventure yet.
“There's a certain kind of romantic ideal in my head of ‘This is going to be beautiful. It's amazing. It's this dream of a lifetime,’” Snell says.
“But I also know there's going to be moments— and probably plenty of them — where I'm very uncomfortable and tired and lonely and would love to just be back at home with my family,” says Snell, who teaches in the foundation department at the Kansas City Art Institute but is on sabbatical until January.
Steve Snell calls himself an adventure artist. His summer-long trip on the Missouri River, he says, will be his biggest adventure yet.
“There's a certain kind of romantic ideal in my head of ‘This is going to be beautiful. It's amazing. It's this dream of a lifetime,’” Snell says.
“But I also know there's going to be moments— and probably plenty of them — where I'm very uncomfortable and tired and lonely and would love to just be back at home with my family,” says Snell, who teaches in the foundation department at the Kansas City Art Institute but is on sabbatical until January.
This Kansas City artist will paddle — and paint — down 2,000 miles of the Missouri River
Posted from kcur.orgPosted in these groups: 
Art
Kansas City
Art Kansas City
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Rivers often play a role in Snell’s adventures. Five years ago, inspired by explorers Lewis and Clark, he launched a cardboard replica of a keelboat on the Missouri River. And he once spent an afternoon wearing a coonskin cap, paddling a wooden boat shaped like a couch. He's been doing these kinds of adventures as part of his art practice for about 12 years, but this will be his longest solo trip.
The Missouri is North America’s longest river. Along the way Snell will paint watercolors of what he sees.
“I want to create a daily practice of waking up, eating breakfast and making a painting, packing up my boat, getting on the river, finding camp, make a painting, go to bed. And just daily, you know, paint,” he says.
"I don't know what it is about water other than it's a line," Snell adds. "What's around the next bend? I don't know. Yes, I might have a map and have a have an idea of of where I can dock or whatever it might be. You're going to it, but it's almost coming to you."
His work is inspired by American mythology, history and popular culture."...
..."Rivers often play a role in Snell’s adventures. Five years ago, inspired by explorers Lewis and Clark, he launched a cardboard replica of a keelboat on the Missouri River. And he once spent an afternoon wearing a coonskin cap, paddling a wooden boat shaped like a couch. He's been doing these kinds of adventures as part of his art practice for about 12 years, but this will be his longest solo trip.
The Missouri is North America’s longest river. Along the way Snell will paint watercolors of what he sees.
“I want to create a daily practice of waking up, eating breakfast and making a painting, packing up my boat, getting on the river, finding camp, make a painting, go to bed. And just daily, you know, paint,” he says.
"I don't know what it is about water other than it's a line," Snell adds. "What's around the next bend? I don't know. Yes, I might have a map and have a have an idea of of where I can dock or whatever it might be. You're going to it, but it's almost coming to you."
His work is inspired by American mythology, history and popular culture."...
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