Join us for a memorial showing of the art of Gene McClain. Gene McClain was born in Salina Kansas in 1946 and earned an art education degree from the University of Kansas, where he met his future wife Linda Haney. They had three sons and he spent twenty seven years as a popular art teacher at North Kansas City High School where he was known for his humor and wild and colorful class projects. During that time he moonlighted as an artist creating dozens of murals, paintings, and sculptures but when his wife took a professorship at the University of New Mexico in 1998 he retired and began a second career as a full time artist. Gene and Linda operated a gallery, Arte de Placitas in Placitas, New Mexico and they became fixtures in the art communities of Albuquerque, Bernalillo, and Sante Fe. His work was inspired by the cultural interface of Native, Hispanic, and Anglo cultures and took on whimsical, humorous, and sometimes hyperbolic portrayals of the stereotypes of the American West and popular culture. His work was featured in magazines, books and websites and he developed a following of collectors and fans. In 2018 the couple moved to Colorado Springs to be closer to grandchildren. But rather than settle into actual retirement, Gene dove right back into his art, setting up a new studio and picking up where he left off showing his work across the state. Gene said in a recent presentation to area art students, “When I wake up in the morning, I can’t wait to start creating.” Gene McClain died on May 31st, 2025. His talent, creativity, and sense of humor live on in his work. We hope you enjoy this, his final exhibition.