Elisabeth Kirsch

Elisabeth Kirsch

Elisabeth Kirsch is an art historian, curator and writer who has curated over 100 exhibitions of contemporary art, American Indian art and photography, locally and across the country. She writes frequently for national and local arts publications.

“Pulse,” Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

“Pulse,” Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

For figurative artists, there is no greater canvas for angst than the human body. In “Pulse,” six diverse graphic artists and painters, ranging in age from 33 to 76, and each with their own distinctive focus on the figure, wrangle with a host of topics ranging from the most intimate of concerns to those screaming […]

Arts News: New Book Looks at the Spiritual in Contemporary Art

For decades the subject of spirituality and/or religion in contemporary art has either been denied or repressed. The academy, art museums and galleries have dealt openly with sexuality and sexism, politics, racism, identity, the environment and effects of globalism, but God has been taboo. As a prominent art critic once said, “If you bring up […]

“Welcome to the Neighborhood,” La Esquina Gallery

“Welcome to the Neighborhood,” La Esquina Gallery

Is it a sign of the times that so many of the artworks in “Welcome to the Neighborhood” involve protagonists who are, in one form or another, in deep hiding? Self-preservation is one of the main themes in this exhibit by 13 Kansas City artists, curated by the Charlotte Street Foundation. The stated purpose of […]

“Faces After Suicide: Lindsey Doolittle,” Leedy-Voulkos Art Center

“Faces After Suicide: Lindsey Doolittle,” Leedy-Voulkos Art Center

Seize the Awkward. That’s the message on one of the postcards included in Lindsey Doolittle’s “Faces of Suicide” exhibit at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center. It means talking to a friend about mental health issues, even if it feels uncomfortable. Personal politics and great art don’t often mix, but Lindsey Doolittle’s small portraits of anonymous individuals […]

“SELF: New Work by Hattie Odell,” Mid-America Arts Alliance

“SELF: New Work by Hattie Odell,” Mid-America Arts Alliance

In a world of endless selfies and identity politics, Hattie Odell’s exhibit “SELF” manages to chart new territory when it comes to self-portraiture.  “Chart” is the operative word here. With the precision of a surgeon, Odell uses mathematics, in the form of conversion charts, to forge metal tools into what she calls portraits of “the […]