Gallery V: Art is the Music of the Soul

What’s in a name or a story? When Valerie Phillips created the moniker for her art gallery, Gallery V, it brimmed with symbolism and meaning. 

“Some guests refer to it as Gallery V (vee)  or even Valerie Gallery,” laughed Valerie, the owner and curator. “The V does stand for Valerie, but it’s a very expressive Roman numeral five, indicative of my own expressive nature. The five is sentimental to me. I am one of five siblings in a very artistic and musical family. When I was five, I knew I wanted to be an artist. And lastly, five stands for the five senses through which we experience beauty in our world.”

Pronounced Gallery Five, Gallery V Fine Arts is a contemporary event-based gallery at Mission Farms in Overland Park, Kansas. In 2014, Valerie realized her dream, which emerged from a vision over two decades ago. “A powerful daydream came to me so unexpectedly, with such intensity, that I didn’t know what to do with it,” commented Valerie. “I was a graphic designer then and I had never worked in an art gallery. I recorded my visions at the time and then tucked them away.” After managing three independently owned galleries in the Kansas City area, Valerie is now entering 20 years in the art gallery industry.

With a carefully curated collection of more than 50 artists, from local to international talent, Gallery V features a wide array of artistic mediums including painting, ceramic, glass, sculpture, kinetic, wood, jewelry and handcrafted gifts. Every creation is a fine art original or limited edition. Artist shows, workshops and book signings are just a few specialties Gallery V offers to the public in addition to services of in-home art consultation, special commissions, pet portraiture and custom jewelry design. A Dye-Na-Flow fabric dyeing workshop is scheduled for the fall and plans for a glass blowing workshop are set for 2019. 

Recently the gallery hosted workshops in painting, clay, paper sculpture and fashion re-invention. “Last year, one of our signature artists from Parma, Italy, came to the gallery to paint live for a two-day event,” Valerie noted. “The lineup of my artists is quite impressive, and I’m so very proud of them. They’re all educated and talented in their abilities. Some are multi-degreed, teachers, USA Today best-selling authors, food editors, fashion designers and even the designer of the original Kansas City Royals logo.”

Valerie is proud of her gallery staff, too. Her “right and left arm,” as Valerie puts it, are Beth Cosner and Valerie’s son, Matt Phillips. Matt is creative director at the gallery and a painting major at the KCAI while studying museum exhibition design. Beth is a GIA Graduate Jeweler and Gallery V’s on-site jewelry designer. She has a design degree, with emphasis in metalsmithing. For customers, Beth can create a custom jewelry design.

Valerie’s purpose and intent are to share art with all, not just the seasoned collector. Her motto, Art is the Music of the Soul! is about the joy it can bring to everyone. “Art is an original. There’s a story, an artist’s creative process and uniqueness,” enthused Valerie. “Many of my customers say to me, ‘It’s so colorful here. It’s such a happy place.’ I want the gallery to be that place where all feel welcome and find a beautiful connection through art!” ■

Visit the gallery located at  Mission Farms, 4020 Indian Creek Parkway, Overland Park, Kansas, the website at galleryvfinearts.com or call 913 341-3483.