Up-and-coming KC painter Olivia Barbosa answers The Pitch Questionnaire
Our January magazine cover designer introduces her work to the city.
Olivia Barbosa tackles yet another canvas. // Courtesy the artist
Olivia Barbosa is an up-and-coming artist in the KC area, who just completed work on the cover for our January issue of The Pitch magazine. To learn more about her and her work, take a gander at her answers to The Pitch Questionnaire:
Instagram: @Olivesartworks
Website: Here’s my linktree.
Hometown: Olathe
Current neighborhood: Johnson County
What does your “perfect day” look like?
Waking up to a million dollars.
What’s your comfort movie?
The Hunger Games series.
The Python Pit from inside Zonkers. // Courtesy Barbosa
Are you more of an extrovert or an introvert?
Probably introvert.
The Great Mall of the Great Plains. // Courtesy Barbosa
How did you first start making art?
I started coloring in preschool and never stopped. I come from a long line of creative people on both sides of my family.
What has your journey looked like?
It’s been a lot of trial and error, but it’s my passion so I’d fail thousands of times if I have to haha. I went to KU for 2 years & then COVID hit! I finished out the semester but never went back. Oops. But I now work at Pinot’s Palette as a painting instructor and I try to pursue my own art endeavors on the side. I am also one of ten members of CHEEKS Studio in Pendleton Heights—a collective of artists working out of a studio space provided by the Charlotte Street Foundation and it is the best thing ever.
What was your first reaction when you were invited to do a Pitch cover?
“HELL YEAH.”
What was your thesis for this cover? What were you trying to convey and how did you do it?
“Kansas City Under Construction” and “Alice in Wonderland” were two brainstorming ideas that really stuck out to me. I wanted Kansas City to be visually recognizable to Kansas Citians but I also wanted to create recognizable feelings that come from living in KC. Frustration from the construction & potholes, admiration for the landmarks and skyline, and that curious feeling of watching your “small hometown” begin the process of becoming something grand for the rest of the world, while Kansas Citians have known of its qualities since the day we were born.
January 2024 cover for The Pitch. // Courtesy Barbosa
What does Kansas City need more of?
Affordable housing for all. Check out KC Tenants work if you want to help out.
Courtesy Barbosa
What are some of your other favorite works you’ve made over the last few years?
“There’s No(pe) Place Like Home” is an homage to the classic Wizard of Oz and Jordan Peele’s most recent film, NOPE, which also had a few references to Oz & I loooved it. I started it in 2022, took a year off, and just finished it in September. I just had to put the two together.
“The Great Mall of the Great Plains” was located in Olathe and was probably the best place ever. If you know, you know. And I also created “The Python Pit” which was a rollercoaster inside Zonkers (formerly known as Jeepers) which was inside the great mall. Both of these pieces hold a special place in my heart.
“Journey to the Center of the Earth” is an acrylic painting from 2022 referencing the book & also the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the sometimes fatal efforts that they go through to source cobalt and other precious minerals for the benefit of multiple first world countries. Companies like Tesla are using these people’s lives for capital gain. I wanted to make something to highlight that.
What motivates you to keep creating art?
It keeps me sane. It lets me express things that I cannot always express so clearly with words. It allows me to use my voice for those who may not be able to use their own voice. Art is one of the oldest forms of human storytelling. I like showing people that they are capable of creating magic too.
There’s No(pe) Place Like Home. // Courtesy Barbosa
Who inspires you?
Right now it’s the people of Palestine.
What do you do when you’re not making art?
Work, sleep, fold laundry.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Make more bad art. Make art about things that make you happy, sad, angry, confused. Make more art from real life and not just reference photos! Don’t take the ability to tap into something so wonderful for granted… many people are not as lucky to have been able to find such a love.
Journey to the Center of the Earth. // Courtesy Barbosa
