Alice Thorson

Alice Thorson

Alice Thorson is the editor of KC Studio. She has written about the visual arts for numerous publications locally and nationally.

Editor’s Letter, November/December 2019

Recent months have been a time of changes and challenges for Kansas City’s visual arts organizations. On Aug. 2, the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Erin Langhofer at First Fridays in the Crossroads Arts District was met with shock and sadness, and a decision to dial down the hectic carnival atmosphere and refocus the event on […]

Gallery Glance: Aretha Aoki & Ryan MacDonald: “Wind in the Pines” at KCAI Crossroads Gallery

Gallery Glance: Aretha Aoki & Ryan MacDonald: “Wind in the Pines” at KCAI Crossroads Gallery

Beginning in mid-October, the Center for Contemporary Practice program at the KCAI Crossroads Gallery presents husband and wife artists Ryan MacDonald, a KCAI alum, and Bowdoin College-based choreographer and performer Aretha Aoki in a residency working with students. Their visit includes two performances of the interdisciplinary dance piece “Wind in the Pines,” inspired by Aoki’s […]

Editor’s Letter, September/October 2019

Let’s not blow this. Kansas City prides itself on being an art town, so city government needs to get its act together if the art to be commissioned for the new airport will be something we can be proud of. The money is there, thanks to Kansas City’s one percent for art ordinance, which sets […]

2019 Art in the Loop Project: Make/Believe

2019 Art in the Loop Project: Make/Believe

Musician Calvin Arsenia. Dancer Jane Gotch. Spoken word artist Sheri Purpose Hall. Visual artist Ari Fish. Hip-hop master SugEasy. These are just a few of the top talents presenting outdoor installations and performances as part of this year’s Art in the Loop, organized around the theme Make/Believe. It began in June with performances by Arsenia, […]

Editor’s Letter, July/August 2019

Summer brings lots to see at Kansas City’s museums and performance venues. The Nelson-Atkins is riding high with an extraordinary gathering of works by renowned Black artists in its “30 Americans” show. Kemper Museum has launched “Lexicon,” its big 25th-anniversary show of collection highlights and recent acquisitions, all linked by an emphasis on gesture. The […]