By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Artist Trece Hart must bide her time to create her art.
A rare eye condition, Fuch's corneal dystrophy, means she is only able to see well enough to create her art in the later part of the day as her eyes slowly start to go from a bright white to clear.
"Sometimes it's like having the wrong glasses on when it starts to clear up and then it clears up," she said.
The genetic disease is only solved through an expensive transplant, which Hart said she is not ready to undertake.
Despite this handicap, which has forced her to sell her car and give up driving, Hart, 62, continues to paint.
Hart said the condition has not affected the content of her art, but she said it is frustrating.
"The frustration to me is not being able to do the thing that I want to do whenever I want," she said. "I get up at 5 o'clock in the morning, and I want to get in there and start painting, but I have to wait. That it the hard part — waiting."
Her new exhibit "Floral Pandemonium," a series created in 2020 while under quarantine, is now on display at Professor's Classic Sandwich Shop in Hays. The exhibit will continue through the end of February.
"I have an older son who was very worried about the corona virus, and he said, 'Mom, stay home,' " Hart said. "That was what I did when I stayed home."
She said she wanted to create something that would be easily affordable by the every day person, so she used 4-by-4-inch canvasses for her paintings. The pieces are collages with prints and painting.
Hart used knowledge she gleaned from working at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City to create archival-quality artwork.
The pieces in the exhibit are $20 each, and can be reserved by contacting Amy Jensen at Professor's or calling Hart at 816-548-8110.
"My late sister and I always liked bouquets, always liked flowers in the house and gardens. That's what I was after," Hart said.
Hart said she was excited to show at Professor's as she has been coming to the restaurant for years.
Hart moved back to Hays a year ago from Kansas City, after her retirement.
Hart grew up in Victoria and attended Fort Hays State University in the 1970s where she was mentored by notable artists, including Frank Nichols, Skip Harwick and Kathleen Kuchar.
She then received a scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute, where she finished her studies, receiving a BSA in printmaking and painting.
Hart operated her own studio for years in the Kansas City area, working in fine art and commercial art, as well as teaching.
When Hart wasn't creating art, she worked in social services as an administrator for services for people who had developmental or intellectual disabilities.
She worked for five years for Resources for Human Development, which had an art studio for individuals who had disabilities. The agency curated shows for the individuals and sold their artwork.
She was also a member of the Kansas City Artist Coalition and advocated for fine art and artists.
"It is very different when you get a piece of fine art and live with it for a year or two and it's on your wall. It happens with almost any image, but it is different than buying something at Walmart or Hobby Lobby," Hart said.
The pandemic has been hard on fine artists, she said.
"When I had the opportunity to show here, I said, 'Let's go,' " she said.
Hart said she would eventually like to become affiliated with the Hays Arts Council and have more shows in Hays. She hopes that could include art of a more serious tone that she produced within the last couple of years after her sister died.
She has also written a book, "Artificum," which is a work of fiction aimed at helping teachers teach art to children. Hart is hoping to have the book published this year, but she is looking for a publisher.