Local Artist Spotlight: Tad Carpenter

Even if you’ve only lived in Kansas City for a short time, you probably know that our fine city is one of the most creative cities in the United States. In fact, the Kansas City Area Development Council (one of my favorite area professional organizations – hi, friends!) has a fabulous new campaign called America’s Creative Crossroads which features some of the very best people on the KC creative, arts, technology, food, music, and entrepreneurship scene – including an urban farmer (and mom!), an up-and-coming jazz musician, several amazing chefs (including one of my favorites!), and of course, a whole lot of artists, including this one who hails from my home state of Iowa but like me, has made her home in KC.

If you still aren’t convinced that KC is one of the biggest and best creative metropolitan areas in the country, first: you’re sadly mistaken, and second: check this out – according to a national study of the thirty largest metropolitan areas in the country, Kansas City has the …

  • 4th largest concentration of graphic designers
  • 6th largest concentration of commercial/industrial designers
  • 7th largest concentration of visual artists
  • 12th largest concentration of architects

How do you like them apples?! (Stats via). I am also fortunate that through my profession and through some of my previous volunteer work, I am very closely linked with the creative community here in KC.

Given all these facts and my love for and involvement in KC’s creative community, I don’t know why I am still surprised when I find KC artists mentioned in national media or popping up in my news feed. One such surprise happened just the other day. I was browsing Amazon in search of some new educational books for my daughter, and up popped up a local KC artist, Tad Carpenter.

Let me first say that I don’t know Tad personally, but I wish I did. I don’t know why you would be reading a blog for moms, Tad, but if you are, hi! I think you’re amazing and inspiring, and I just ordered practically every single one of your children’s books for my daughter! 🙂 Also, your Instagram feed is awesome.

Ladies, prepare to be amazed by some art – in children’s book form – by one of our very own local artists!

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I ordered all of these books (even though Halloween and Christmas are still months away), but I’m most excited to receive my copies of the I Say, You Say books. Two of the books, Opposites and Animal Sounds, came out in 2012 while the other two, Colors and Feelings, were just released in January, 2014. I can’t wait to read all four of these to my daughter, as she’s just starting to memorize her colors and is currently obsessed with pointing “up!” She also loves to turn pages and lift flaps, so I’m excited to see what she thinks of her new books!

In addition to Tad’s fantastic books, there are also a wide range of prints (many that would be great to decorate kids bedrooms or playrooms!), cards, journals, posters and even a board game and a plush pal available in his shop. Enjoy!

Note: Tad did not pay me or give me any freebies to write this post. I’m just a mama who is passionate about art and artists in KC and wanted to share a little bit about one of my favorites!

Erin Roebuck
Hi, friends! I’m Erin and I've called Kansas City home for over nine years. I am the girl who always thought I’d have kids by the time I turned twenty-five and swore I’d never meet my husband in a bar. I moved to KC right after college and lived it up for several years as a single, working woman for a wee little greeting card company here in town. Not only did I not have kids according to my self-imposed timeline, I ended up meeting my now-husband Eric at O'Dowd's on the Plaza! I have lived all over the metro and have explored the city as a single gal, a married woman, and now as a mama to my daughter, Lilly (born October 2012) and Baby #2 (due June 2015). This city has something for everyone—artists, musicians, farmers, athletes, technologists, families, innovators, and more—which is why I love it! I now live in western Shawnee, KS where my husband and I tend to a 500 square foot vegetable garden, host barbecues on our deck, cheer for the Chiefs, and pray for the day when Glacé or BRGR open locations that are closer than thirty minutes away.