PERSPECTIVES: Phil Dunn and She Speaks in Tongues

Phil is a self-taught artist who graduated with a degree in film and video production in the early 1990s, though he did not discover painting until much later in life. He began painting and working with resin as a form of therapy. Early in his art career, he was fortunate to contribute to several large-scale projects around Kansas City, including work for Society, The Uptown Theater, and The Fall, among others.

He is drawn to the ambiguous nature of abstraction, embracing the freedom that comes with painting organically and allowing subject matter to reveal itself through mark-making. He considers himself a “blue-collar” artist, valuing destruction as much as construction. His process often incorporates nontraditional tools—masonry trowels, putty knives, scrapers, and sandpaper—alongside brushes and palette knives. Whenever possible, he uses materials reclaimed from construction job sites where he works: scrap wood, doors, cabinetry, cardboard, and other discarded items that can be transformed into useful surfaces.

Many of his works are finished in resin, which provides a crystal-clear surface that adds magnification and clarity. The resin revives his colors, giving them the luminous appearance of wet paint. He remains open to any medium that serves the needs of a piece, working with acrylics, inks, collage, and found or repurposed objects.

He views art as a conversation—a physical manifestation of seeking connection: to the natural world, the technological world, himself, and others. His work often carries a meditative quality, revealing new dimensions through prolonged viewing. Blending abstraction and surrealism, his aesthetic is rooted in the unspoken dialogue between artist and viewer. He embraces the idea that perception is uniquely individual, malleable—and even playful.

He has been exhibiting professionally in the Kansas City area since 2019. Since June 2025, he has been a resident artist at InterUrban ArtHouse and is currently represented by Smalter Gallery.

“My work is about reclaiming agency. It is about giving voice and liberation to what was repressed and silenced.”

Described by rock journalist Sasha Geffen as “Best Feminist Rock n’ Roll Exorcism,” SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is the project of artist, singer, and performer Kate McCandless, a Chicago transplant. McCandless creates music and performances using her voice, a looping pedal, and collaborations with other musicians and artists. Armed with her body, voice, and a fierce, shamanic energy, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES often lures audiences with nostalgia—while simultaneously embracing and interrogating its comfort and authority through a dark, feminist lens. The result is jarring, haunting, and ultimately a cathartic call to healing.

Her projects include gloria, GUITAR (2013), the Björk-inspired DOMESTIKA (2020), and SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits, a series of live performances honoring albums by formative femme artists.

McCandless was born and raised in Northern California. She studied theatre, performance, and creative writing at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois, where she lived and performed as an actor, musician, and performance artist from 2002 to 2020. Since 2020, she has called Kansas City her residence and creative home, where she lives with her partner and child and works as a holistic school teacher.