FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Belger press contact - Mo Dickens, mdickens@belgerartscenter.org

Exploration of Belger Collection Opens in March

KANSAS CITY, MO - The Belger Arts Center will mark its 10th Anniversary with Beneath the Surface - Excavating the Belger Collection. This exhibition will attempt to give the public some perspective on the wide-ranging collection. Beneath the Surface will feature multiple works from all seven artists who comprise the foundation of the Belger Collection - Terry Allen, William Christenberry, Jasper Johns, Robert Stackhouse, Renee Stout, William T. Wiley, and Terry Winters. The exhibit will open on Friday, March 5 and will run until August 6, 2010. The galleries of the Belger Arts Center will be closed until March 5.

Evelyn Craft, Executive Director of the Belger Arts Center, says Beneath the Surface will be "one of our most ambitious exhibitions. This will be a chance for the public in Kansas City to see the depth of the collection." Ms. Craft also notes that facilities manager Al Sells and his installation crew will utilize all their skills and talents to install and display some of the larger works from the collection. The galleries will undergo a radical transformation from past exhibitions as we accommodate some hefty iron, wood and ceramic sculptures.

This exhibit will mark the beginning of the second decade of existence for the Belger Arts Center in the headquarters of the Belger Cartage Service at 2100 Walnut St. in Kansas City, MO. During the first 10 years, the Belger Arts Center hosted more than 40 exhibitions by artists from North America, Africa, Europe, Australia, and Asia. More than 60,000 visitors attended these exhibitions and performances. All seven of the core artists in the collection have been featured with solo exhibitions at the Belger, but Beneath the Surface marks the first time they have all been shown together. The first exhibit at the Belger Arts Center was William Christenberry’s The Early Years and Beyond, which opened on March 10, 2000. Since that time both Christenberry and William T. Wiley have been honored with major retrospectives at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Artworks from the Belger Collection were loaned for both of those exhibits. Works from the Belger Collection have also been displayed in more than 25 arts venues in North America and Europe in the last decade.

The galleries of the Belger Arts Center are open to the public from 10 am until 4 pm, Wednesday through Friday, and noon to 4 pm on Saturdays. On the First Friday of every month the galleries are open from 10 am until 9 pm (unless we are closed for installation). All exhibits are free. To schedule a tour for a group of 10 more people please call Gallery Assistant Mo Dickens at 816-474-3250.

                        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kansas City Ballet Announces 2010-2011 Season

A Mix of Masterworks, a World Premiere, a Kansas City Premiere,

and the Legendary Classic Giselle

KANSAS CITY, MO (February 1, 2010) — Kansas City Ballet Artistic Director William Whitener today announced the 53^rd season.  Whitener stated, “This season features the works of American choreographers and covers a plethora of styles, techniques, and genres.  Two of the ballets are new to the repertory and will be danced alongside audience favorites and the enduring classic, Giselle.”

Fall Performances

October 14-17, 2010 | Lyric Theatre | Featuring the Kansas City Symphony

Three masterworks of Balanchine – Mozartiana, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Slaughter on 10^th Avenue – plus the return of audience favorite Lark Ascending by Bruce Marks. 

The Nutcracker

December 11-24, 2010 | Music Hall | Featuring the Kansas City Symphony

Kansas City’s favorite holiday tradition continues with the presentation of Todd Bolender’s delightful family classic The Nutcracker in the beautifully restored Music Hall.  

Winter Performances 

March 10-13, 2011 | Lyric Theatre | Featuring the Kansas City Symphony

Giselle is considered the supreme achievement of the Romantic Age of Ballet.  Performed in two acts, the ballet tells a story of innocence, betrayal, madness and redemption. 

Spring Performances 

May 5-8, 2011 | Lyric Theatre

American dance is highlighted with the Kansas City Premiere of Jerome Robbins’ Moves, the World Premiere Mercy of the Elements by William Whitener, and the return of The Catherine Wheel Suite by Twyla Tharp.

newEar invites you to participate in Current Conversations with newEar

Two courses offered through the University of Missouri Kansas City's Communiversity will serve as pre-concert conversations for newEar's two remaining performances of our 17th season. newEar's mission, for the two courses, is to provide a forum for music enthusiasts to learn and converse about contemporary composers and their music while placing the music in a larger social context.

Want to know what a zheng sounds like? Come to Section A, held on Thursday, March 11, 2010 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, University Center, Alumni Room, 50th and Rockhill Road. This section will focus on a discussion around Concert 3: China Rising-Saturday, March 13, 2010.

Want to know how much of an influence a composer's mentor has on their creative process? Come to section B, held on Thursday, April 29, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Grant Hall, Room 333, 52nd and Holmes.  In section B we will focus the discussion around Concert 4: Regenerations-Saturday, May 1, 2010.

A recommended reading list will be posted on the newEar website one month prior to each class. To signup for the class, please visit the UMKC website. There is a small fee for the class but each class participant will be provided a FREE ticket to the concert being discussed. Come take part in this dynamic conversation that will aid you in your concert going experience!

Spotlight on Ingrid Stölzel

Ingrid Stölzel, President of the newEar Board of Directors is a composer whose music is being performed across the United States, Canada and Europe.  Ingrid is the winner of the 2010 NewMusic@ECU Festival Orchestra Composition Competition for her orchestral work Genius Loci-Spirit of Place (2009) and has been invited to the IC[CM] 2010 International Conference on Contemporary Music in A Coruña, Spain, where her piano trio The Road is All (2007) will be performed in April.  Her piano trio will also be featured on the NACUSA National Conference in Portland, Oregon. In addition, Ingrid will be a featured composer on the Boston New Music Initiative Concert in February of this year.

Stölzel received her doctorate in composition at the University of Missouri Conservatory of Music and Dance in Kansas City, where she studied with James Mobberley, Chen Yi and Zhou Long and holds a Master of Music in Composition from the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.

Ingrid has written for ensembles including newEar, NOISE/San Diego New Music, California E.A.R. Unit, Adaskin String Trio, Erato Chamber Orchestra, Allegresse Trio and Synchronia. She is a frequent guest composer and her music has been heard at numerous music festivals around the country including the soundOn 2008 Festival of Modern Music, 30th Sacramento State Festival of New American Music, Oregon Bach Festivals, Ernest Bloch Festivals, 2007 Women in New Music Festival, Chamber Music Conference of the East, Otterbein Contemporary Music Festival, and Indiana State Contemporary Music Festival, among others.

Tickets for the China Rising on March 13th

$20 and $8 for students with ID. For ticket information call the Central Ticket Office at 816-235-6222 or toll-free at 1-888-286-4849. newEar

Donate Now

With your continued support, we look forward to bringing even more new music to Kansas City audiences. newEar is a registered 501(c)3. Please consider making a tax-exempt contribution in any amount by clicking on our secure webpage through the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. It's quick and simple. Our EARS thank you!

Financial assistance for newEar has been provided by the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Carolyn L. Hart Memorial Trust, DST Inc., Francis Families Foundation, the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

Art Teachers Share Works

By Kellie Houx

Art educators in the North Kansas City School District opened an exhibition of their work Feb. 2 at the Gladstone Community Center, 6901 N. Holmes. For many years, according to District Visual Art Coordinator Mark Anderson, a primary goal of the district has been to seek out and hire candidates who are not only great art teachers but also great artists. “Today North Kansas City Schools employs 44 visual art educators, many of whom continue to produce a diverse range of artworks while sharing their expertise with students,” Anderson says.

Most of the art teachers attended the opening reception. Husband and wife teachers Heather and Matt Sulzen brought in three pieces of art for the display. Heather, a graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, teaches at Winnetonka High School. Matt, a graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia, teaches at Eastgate Middle School.

“We are showing artists. We put our work out there too,” Heather says. “I have had my work on exhibit too. It’s not always easy to put your work out there. However, it is something we do in my classes. When we finish projects, we critique them. Being part of an exhibit, I do open up my own work for critique.”

Heather’s works on display are titled “Till Death Do Us Part” and “My Sky Is Falling.” “It was about a month before I married when I was working on the pieces. The common theme in most of my work is nature. I majored in print making so it’s common to see a sort of mixed media approach to my work. I experiment with different materials. In my classroom, I talk with the students all the time that you can work with whatever you can find. Art doesn’t have to require expensive supplies.” As a first-year teacher, Heather says her students inspire her too. She is even working on mixed media paintings that she says are inspired by her students.

Heather’s husband, Matt, is in seventh year of teaching. “It’s important for art to be viewed. A community center is a far more accessible place than a museum or gallery. After the initial reception, many galleries are tough to get into. Here there is a chance for the community to see the art.”

Matt says the students and the community can see the pride they as teachers take in their work. His work, “Frank’s Farm,” incorporates metal and wood found on a relative’s farm. “I like when found and recycled materials come together. I also like how wood and metal represent the opposite ends. It’s the natural world taking on the industrial one.”

Matt has been building furniture, including new works for the Sulzen home. He has also worked on commissions for others. “It has been several years since I have had work in a public space,” he says. “It’s a fun space to have our work.”

The Gladstone Community Center exhibition of teacher art will entertain another artist reception March 5 for fellow Missouri art educators in conjunction with the Missouri Art Education Association annual state conference and Kansas City's First Friday Art Walk event in the Crossroads District. The MAEA, the state affiliate of the National Art Education Association, boasts a membership in excess of 600 art educators and is the fifth largest state organization in the country.

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger at the Nelson-Atkins!

Family-friendly activities including special performances by musicians, dancers and acrobats along with gallery games, art demonstrations and delicious Asian-inspired food.

All events are free. Reservations are noted where required.

PERFORMANCES

Friday, Feb. 5

Shaolin Lohan Pai Lion Dance Troupe
5 p.m., repeated 6 & 7 p.m.
Kirkwood Hall

One of the top 10 Lion Dance teams in the country performs with two lions, a dai tou fut and a professional percussion team.

Liang Patti—Acrobat Program
5:30 p.m., repeated 6:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Atkins Auditorium; Tickets required


"America's most famous Chinese acrobat," Liang Patti performs three traditional Chinese acrobatic skills dating thousands of years: Plate Spinning, Chinese YoYo and Head Balancing.

Traditional Music
5:30 p.m., repeated 6:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Sculpture Hall

Musicians from the Kansas City Chinese Music Ensemble will play and answer questions about their instruments.

Chinese YoYo
5:30 p.m., repeated 6:30 & 7:30 p.m.
Bloch Lobby

Volunteers from the Chinese School of Greater Kansas City will demonstrate Chinese YoYo skills.

Saturday, Feb. 6

Children's Dance Performance
Noon–1:30 p.m.
Atkins Auditorium
Free; tickets required.


The celebration of Chinese New Year continues with this delightful dance performance by Lily Zhang Li Taylor and her students.

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Friday, Feb. 5

Museum Cafe
4–8 p.m.

Savory Chinese food and Bo-Ling's award-winning egg rolls available for purchase. Full bar plus plum wine.

Rozzelle Court Restaurant
4–8 p.m. (open until 9 p.m.)

Enjoy delicious Asian-inspired cuisine in the festive ambiance of Rozzelle Court Restaurant. Family-friendly choices available.

Chinese Calligraphy
5:30–9 p.m.
Bloch Lobby

Volunteers from the Chinese School of Greater Kansas City will demonstrate traditional calligraphy techniques.

Chinese Painting
5–9 p.m.
Ford Learning Center

Artist and Taiwan native Valdu Hsu will demonstrate traditional brush painting techniques.

Tiger Masks
5–9 p.m.
Ford Learning Center

Children ages 4 and up create paper masks to wear and take home!

Calligraphy Decoration
5–9 p.m.
Ford Learning Center

Children transform calligraphy samples into Chinese New year decorations.

Introduction to Chinese New Year
5:30–8 p.m. at 30-minute intervals
Ford Learning Center

Volunteers from the Chinese School of Greater Kansas City will offer a brief and entertaining presentation on the customs and traditions of the Chinese New Year.

Chinese Zodiac Gallery Game
5:30–8:30 p.m.
Chinese Galleries, Nelson-Atkins Building, Level 2

There are 12 animals in the zodiac cycle and the Chinese zodiac calendar gives an animal name to each New Year. Search for animals from the Chinese zodiac in the Museum's collection.

‘Dear John’ Presents a Mixed Bag of Messages

Reviewed by Kellie Houx

OK, let’s put this on the line now. This is a mother-daughter review team with different tastes. Carol Thompson is an early 60-something retired schoolteacher with a penchant for contemporary romance novels and movies. During convalescence last year after back surgery, she listened to several Nicholas Sparks’ books on tape. And any time, “The Notebook” comes on, she is glued to the television.

I am a wife, mother and editor for Townsend Communications. I have not seen “The Notebook” all the way through, but I am a sentimental individual who does enjoy a sweet movie from time to time. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I could see some girlfriends, wives and other sorts of significant others dragging their guys to the movie theater.

Here is what my mother wrote: Sparks book has a lovely love interest, sadness and a twist of events at the end. The scenery was beautiful, the stars (Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum) were cute to look at and the love story was enjoyable. I thought the ideas on autism were unique especially in a movie of that type. It will probably make some of the audience realize how special autistic people can be. Despite the chance to preview the movie, it still was on my must-see list.”

That being said, the film adaptation of “Dear John,” Sparks’ book of the same name, represented a mixed bag of clichéd contrite romance novel elements with several pleasing snippets that work and work well for me, the daughter. 

Having read an interview with writer Sparks, the movie clicks a little more. He said the inspiration for his novel is “Casablanca.” The film, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, has her showing up with her Czech Resistance husband at the beginning of World War II. Bogart’s character ends up making a sacrifice for the two of them. Having seen “Casablanca,” I understand the intent behind the sacrifice of John.

Director Lasse Hallström is a quiet director driven to share a quirky story. He directed “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” in 1993; “Cider House Rules” in 1999; “Chocolat” in 2000; and “The Shipping News” in 2001. These are four of his films I have seen and enjoyed. They are quiet story-driven films rather than crazy special effects.

“Dear John” had some lovely images. Not giving any spoilers away, John is shot during the current conflict. As he falls, he remembers a trip to the Treasury Department as a young elementary boy and talks about how coins are minted. As he grows up, we understand that his father and he had some connection with coin collecting, but as a rebellious teen, John turns away. Mr. Tyree, played by Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins, is a creature of extreme habit. The father and son have a strained relationship, but a young Savannah, the role played by Seyfried, reignites some semblance of a better relationship. There’s even a nice turn by an adult and bearded Henry Thomas, whose character is a single father of an autistic child — again, a very relevant issue is presented to the audience. 

Of course, the other strong image that appealed to me is writing letters. John and Savannah exchange letters during his deployment and her return to college after their romance erupts during a long spring break (he’s on leave). Here is where I actually saw the romantic story arc. I remember my grandmother and grandfather telling me stories of their letter writing while he was fighting in World War II and she was working in an ammunitions plant stateside. She even wrote him a Valentine’s letter in those little candy hearts. I never knew whether the hearts survived the mailing, but the two of them always looked at each with such love when they would tell this story.

So I suppose the movie and book title works, as there finally is a real “Dear John” letter. I can only imagine that as people were able to write and correspond, there have been sweethearts separated by war and eventually the strain on the relationship severed those ties. Toward the end, there’s one minor twist, but if you are paying attention you can guess what happens. So perhaps I walked away from this film with a tepid response that has warmed up, just like the waters off the Charleston coast in the movie.

Perhaps it’s true, we are all minted by our experiences. Sometimes the edges aren’t perfect and the image isn’t centered, but we turn out OK in the end.

March 6 & 7, 2010

Saviors in the Night/Unter Bauern: Retter in der Nacht
Saturday, March 6 - 7:30 pm + Opening Reception
Director: Ludi Boeken | Narrative | France, Germany | 2009 | 95 min | English, French, German with subtitles | Subjects: Drama, History, Holocaust, Interfaith Relations

The riveting, real life drama of a Jewish family that found refuge with farmers during WWII, SAVIORS IN THE NIGHT is a powerful, humanity-affirming story in the face of barbarism. Escaping the last of the death camp deportations, the Spiegel family is offered safe hiding for nearly three years by salt-of-the-earth German peasants who reject fascism and put themselves at grave risk without hesitation.  Danger lurks constantly as SS officers, Nazi youth groups  and frightened citizens threaten to expose the refugees and their protectors. Today, the names of these courageous farmers are immortalized at the Yad Vashem memorial in Israel. Based on the memoirs of the now 97-year-old Marga Spiegel and featuring strong performances by the ensemble cast, SAVIORS IN THE NIGHT is a refreshingly unsentimental memorial to these silent heroes. 

Circumcise Me: The Comedy of Yisrael Campbell
Saturday, March 6 - 9:45 pm
Director: David Blumenfeld & Matthew Kalman
Writer: Yisrael Campbell 
Comedy, Documentary | USA | 2008 | 47 min | English
| Subjects: Conversion 

It's non-stop laughter when standup comedian Yisrael Campbell-born Chris Campbell-tells of his conversion to Judaism from Catholicism. You can't help but laugh as he relates how he had three circumcisions (it's true!). His story is a side-splitting true tale of his conversion to Reform, then Conservative then Orthodox Judaism. Yisrael, who after a stint with illegal substances, says he was born "Catholic enough to know I was going to hell," now has the pais to prove his Orthodox commitment. And, by the way, he lives in Jerusalem. Laughs galore are promised as Yisrael delivers standup comedy in this unusual story. 

Children of the Sun
Sunday, March 7 - 2:00 pm - Discussion following
Director: Ran Tal | Documentary | Israel | 2007 | 70 min | Hebrew with subtitles
| Subjects: Zionism, Kibbutz Movement, Israeli History, Personal Narrative

Children of the first kibbutzim in Israel were born in the early 20th century to youthful parents, full of hope. They have been called "Children of the Sun," because they were considered children of the "Sun of Nations" Revolution in Israel. Born into a utopia, they were destined to become "new citizens" for the common good and a life of equality. Children of the Sun features rare footage shot at the kibbutzim between 1930 and 1970, and rare recordings and conversations with family and friends. Director Ran Tal weaves an amazing tapestry that is both a very personal and very public story -- a meta-narrative about the fascinating and founding myths of the Zionist movement in the Land of Israel.

Sponsored by the Alon family in memory of Michal Alon.

Max Minsky and Me
Sunday, March 7 - 7:00 pm
Director: Anna Justice 
Narrative | Germany | 2007 | 94 min | German with subtitles
| Subject: Coming-of-age, Youth/Bat Mitzvah, German Jews, Family Life, Science, Basketball, Family Friendly Film 

Nelly Sue Edelmeister (Zoe Moore) is a skinny 13-year-old future astronomer living in Berlin with her divorcing American Jewish mother (Adriana Altaras) and German Christian father (Jan Josef Liefers). Though her mom pushes her to practice for her fast-approaching Bat Mitzvah, Nelly is more fascinated by the mysteries of the cosmos. When a school basketball championship offers her a chance to meet fellow astronomy fan and heartthrob Prince Edouard of Luxembourg, Nelly turns to Max Minsky for help. Author Holly-Jane Rahlens based the screenplay for this coming-of-age story on her novel, Prince William, Maximillian Minsky and Me, which received the German Award for Young Peoples Literature in 2003. 

FilmFest 2010

The Kansas City FilmFest: a new name for a new combined festival bringing the best of the KC Jubilee Film Festival—our long running, juried shorts fest—with KC’s oldest film festival, FilmFest KC, offering curated programming of great international and independent feature films.

Occurring annually in April (2010 dates are April 14—18), the Kansas City FilmFest is a juried festival for both shorts and features in several divisions: the Heartland Division (filmmakers from Missouri or Kansas), US / International Division and CinemaJAZZ Division (films inspired by jazz). We will also be curating special programs of international and independent films.

We are excited about our new festival creating a new tradition in downtown Kansas City in the newly renovated, historic, all-digital AMC Mainstreet Theatre. There is a growing vibrancy downtown with KC Live, the Sprint Center and an expanding residential population while blocks away is the hip, cool Crossroads Art District, a growing collection of home-grown media production companies mixed among the many art galleries. We are poised to build Kansas City FilmFest into a major regional film festival celebrating the love of movies and moviemaking.

In difficult economic times we always seek to escape, at least briefly, from our travails. Join our celebration. Get involved as a volunteer. Be inspired by the creativity of these artists.

Fred G. Andrews
President
Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee

For more information on the past 2009 KC FilmFest, please visit the dedicated Festival website, www.kcfilmfest.org.

NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact: Justin M. Shaw

816-531-7529 x 17

jshaw@unicorntheatre.org

Unicorn’s In-progress new play reading series takes on super heroes

SUPER

by Lia Romeo

February 7, 2010 at 7:30pm

January 22, 2010, (Kansas City, Missouri) — Unicorn Theatre is dedicated to new plays and the playwrights who write them.  In March, the Unicorn will co-produce with UMKC Theatre the World Premiere of Lia Romeo’s play Green Whales.  For the next In-Progress New Play Reading Series event February 7^th at 7:30pm, Romeo’s newest play Super will be read. This is just one example of how the Unicorn is fostering new voices in American Theatre, especially the voices of women.  In the spirit of the co-production of Green Whales, Super will feature students from the UMKC Theatre graduate acting program.  Justin Shaw will direct the piece.  Super had it’s first reading at the Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey in November 2009.  There are no tickets or reservations for In-Progress New Play Readings Series events.  A donation is requested at the door.  More information can be found online at www.unicorntheatre.org.

THE PLAY

Preston has been living in Curtis’ walk-in closet since his ex-girlfriend Casey threw him out.  On their way home from a night of drinking, Preston jumps in the Hudson River for a swim only to be engulfed by a green chemical wave that gives him crime fighting super powers.  Lou, aka “Danger-Man”, a homeless, beer-guzzling-super-hero in his own rite, enters the picture and takes Preston under his wing to fight crime in the city.  Will these new super powers be enough to get Casey back? 

THE PLAYWRIGHT

Lia Romeo is the playwright-in-residence at Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey.  She earned her B.A. from Princeton University and her M.F.A. in playwriting from Rutgers University.  Her play Green Whales has been developed at the Kennedy Center, Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, and New Jersey Repertory Theatre, and will receive its world premiere from the Unicorn Theatre in 2010. Her play Right Place, Right Time was a finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights’ Conference, the HotCity Theatre New Play Festival, and the Centre Stage New Play Festival, and will receive its world premiere from the Renegade Theatre Experiment in 2010.  Her short play “Yog Sothoth” was a finalist for the Heideman Award.  This and other short plays have been produced in thirteen different states and internationally.  She and her brother are co-authors of the humor book 11,002 Things to Be Miserable About (Abrams Image).

Plenum Space Gallery : 504 E. 18^th Street : Kansas City, MO 64108

01/25/2010

Contact: Hannah Mott

Cell: 816.929.5930

Email: plenumspacekc@gmail.com

 For Immediate Release

‘Third World Aesthetics’ by Jason Sierra

Growing up in El Paso, Texas, Jason Sierra began crossing borders early. Crossing back and forth between Mexico and the United States, and being Mexican-American himself, Jason learned that sometimes borders can be fixed and severe, but oftentimes they are blurry or even non-existent. Jason’s cultural hybridity has played out throughout his life as he has spent time living with people of different classes and cultures in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Germany and the Philippines. The cultures that Jason experienced in these countries, as well as the theme of blurring borders can be found in Jason’s art, poetry and music which is heavily influenced by graffiti, pop art, Mexican folk art and political comics. Jason uses different mediums of expression, working in commercial art, graphic design, illustration, poetry and music.  

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Show runs Feb.5th through Feb.26th. After Feb. 5th, viewings are by appointment only. Call Hannah Mott (816.929.5930) to schedule.