During High School he attended the Broadmore Technical School for a two year graphic design certificate program. It was at this time, just before graduation in 2001, that a significant fork in the road occurred. Danny had to decide whether to pursue a fine arts degree at Savannah College of Art and Design or a liberal arts degree at the University of Montana. Danny was drawn to the beautiful open spaces of Western Montana, and after a lot of soul searching he decided on the liberal arts track, believing that he could be more affecting. 

He began his studies in the fall of 2001, focusing primarily on political science. Outside of his classes he focused on poetry and short stories.  While there he resided in the dormitories and the confined spaces and utilitarian dorm life is reflected in his writing of the time.

Upon graduation in 2005 he followed his then girlfriend to Portland Oregon, but struggling to find work, moved to Los Angeles where he had been hired on as a Campaign Director and fundraiser for the DNC. Following the midterm elections that year, Danny was again looking for work. He ended up being accepted to a leadership program in the wilderness of Maricopa County AZ, building trails and living in a tent for two months. This experience was significant as it was his first experience teaching while working with the 10 person crew.

After a brief stint in Portland, he was drawn back to the midwest, to Chicago, at the invitation of his college buddies. He went to experience the second city and pursue making music as a founding member of The Trophys. After a year of music, art, studies and partying, he decided to continue his education and began applying to graduate programs. While attending classes at the Chicago Graham School he applied to and was accepted for admission to Charles University’s IEPS Masters Program in Prague Czech Republic. He moved there in 2007.

Living abroad, and again living out of a few bags, Danny’s art was focused on poetry and small paintings, most of which stayed overseas when he returned at the culmination of his two year degree. Spending time in one of the world’s most beautiful cities was formative, the low lit gothic architecture moved him and he spent his days cycling the city, exploring the neighboring country and countries, attending graduate courses and communing with fellow expats, he was in love. 

After two years, Danny returned to the United States and eventually moved to Austin Texas to explore the southern capital city. It was here that he took his first formal teaching position, instructing multiple courses in Economics, Politics, Research Methodology and other classes in the Social Sciences catalogue. He fell in love with teaching, finding a pursuit that both his father and his father’s mother had also had a calling to. It was in his blood. Creating the “ah-ha” moment for students was one of the most enriching experiences he’d had and he was hooked. He continued teaching at the Associates and Bachelors level for two years in Texas, however eventually wanted something new and, after traveling Peru for two months, he returned to KC to spend time with family.

It was back in KC that his love of acting was reignited. He began working craft services on commercial sets, got an agent and started going out for commercials and local film work. He wrote and directed a team of 20 on a short film for a local festival while continuing to work on his own bigger projects. After having limited success writing and directing, in the fall of 2017, he went on to complete his first feature length screenplay. But, after being frustrated with the tone decided to throw himself into the material, applying to work as a long haul trucker. He signed a year long contract to run flatbed freight over the road, coast to coast.

Again, he fell in love. This time with the role of flatbed operator. It was like “seeing the backbone, the guts, the truth of America” he would say. He wrote feverishly and continued running miles and seeing the country. After six months he was eligible to teach this new profession of his, to coach the life he was living, as a CDL Test Prep Instructor. He was immediately drawn back to teaching. In 2019, his first year eligible, he won trainer of the year at Prime Inc. He continues to be one of the top performers at their top flight training program.

Spending this much time in Springfield, the gateway to the Ozark mountain range, he started looking for a home to buy. Again, he fell in love. The Stoughton-Truman house on the north-side of Springfield was everything he had dreamed of in a home. It was like an art museum and a home wrapped into one. He made an offer and it was accepted.

Finally having the space to put roots down, to pile up marked canvass freely, he began to obsessively create, to fill walls. Old pieces were evolved and new pieces were created. There was a familiar battle and an evolving landscape. Exploring mediums of oil, acrylic, latex, on canvasses, wood, linen and paper, anything that would take a mark, his process expanded. 

This expansion lead him to his next/pending assignment, using the found materials of an operator on large formats with large apparatus to create images of America’s landscape. The pending series will focus on, “What it means to live as an American today?” This is the pursuit of the Spring installation, so keep an eye out!

Beyond the painting, the storytelling continues to evolve as he and his writing partner work on the screenplay that has since turned into an eight episode multiple season series. Stay tuned.

If you would like to see the pieces up close, the venue is open by appointment, simply reach out to set up a time. And as always, be safe out there drivers.