44: GLENN E. MESSER (1915-1988) KEMPER ARENA, KANSAS CITY

Glenn E. Messer (Kansas City, 1915-1988)
Untitled (Kemper Arena and Downtown Kansas City) (Circa 1975)
The acrylic on canvas is signed lower right, artist's stamp verso on the stretchers.

Glenn Messer was a Kansas City-based painter and art director whose work blended commercial art discipline with a passion for urban landscape. Born in Dysart, Iowa, he moved to Kansas City in the late 1930s after being awarded a full tuition scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute in 1939. Following World War II service in the Army Air Forces, he worked as an art director for the Gannett Outdoor Company until his retirement in 1980, and in 1951 won First Prize at the Fifth Annual National Sign Design Competition.


Messer painted primarily in acrylics, applying color with both brush and palette knife to achieve a smooth, photographic realism often mistaken for airbrush. To develop his distinctive aerial perspectives, he chartered helicopter flights over Kansas City, photographing the city's highways, bridges, and airport from above to serve as source material. His paintings captured the energy of mid-century infrastructure with bold color schemes and precise detail.
Overall framed size measures 18.75 x 36.75 inches.
Very good original untouched condition. There are no issues of major scratches, losses, repairs, in-painting or touch-up.
$300 - $500