Articles Archives - Page 2 of 191

Articles

At 50, BkMk Press Faces Uncertain Future

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Kansas City’s BkMk Press, one of Kansas City’s few book publishers and second oldest only to Andrews McMeel. Over the course of that

Nelson-Atkins Conservation Department Shines in New Exhibit

Among the many exhibitions upended by the pandemic, a stellar show of recently conserved objects in the collection of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was put on hold when the

Now’s the Time to Take the Jazz Museum to the Next Level

Rashida Phillips arrived in Kansas City in January 2020, expressly chosen to set things right at the American Jazz Museum, which has proven to be a wobbly anchor of the

A Rebel Pioneer of Female Self-Portraiture

19th-century photographic representations of women tend to reflect societal constraints — subservience, commodification, piousness and maternalism. But for Virginia Oldoini, the Countess de Castiglione, challenging norms became her life’s work.

‘By Design’ Magazine: Leading ‘The Good Fight’ for Black Creatives

The current issue of “By Design” magazine is entitled “The Good Fight,” but it didn’t start out that way. “By Design,” which was launched in 2018, showcases Black creatives. Issue

March 10, 2021
0

Renovating the MET

So here’s a question: What does a theater company do during a pandemic? Some produce “virtual” shows. Others stage outdoor productions. One thing they don’t do is stage plays and musicals for full houses. In the case of Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre, artistic director and co-founder Karen Paisley decided it was an ideal time to renovate.

Jim Barcus Read More

March 8, 2021
1

‘I Can’t Describe How Lucky I Feel’

He likes to call it his “little music show.” Even so, Robert Moore’s “Sonic Spectrum,” a show as admirably accessible to the masses as it remains intensely personal to its creator/host, has spanned more than 19 years at three successive Kansas City radio stations, including the show’s latest incarnation from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturdays on 90.9 the Bridge. 

Brian McTavish Read More

March 3, 2021
0

Artist to Watch: Clarissa Knighten

Sometimes, art serves as a living metaphor for the life of the artist, a physical embodiment of his or her life story. “Lady in Satin,” the last album released by Billie Holiday during her lifetime, contains an exhilaratingly painful rendition of “You’ve Changed.”

Harold Smith Read More

March 2, 2021
0

A Consummate Cultural Provocateur

In an era of political paranoia, propaganda and literal armed uprisings, never has it been so essential for the people to have an ally in the arts. And in Kansas City, the people are fortunate to have a champion in artist Don Wilkison.

Matthew Thompson Read More

March 1, 2021
0

Kansas City Artist Explores Gender Fluidity of Mexico’s Muxe Culture in New Documentary

The legend of the Muxe says that the saint flying around the earth dropping seeds of gender was supposed to distribute men, women and Muxes equally. However, the bag ripped over the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Juchitán de Zaragoza, spilling out all the Muxes in that one spot — on the narrow piece of land between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean.

Emily Spradling Read More

February 24, 2021
5

‘What I Went Through is Life Changing’

Bob Reeder, a well-traveled folk singer known for his penchant for Irish ballads and limericks, has a story to tell. Bob, you see, has been to the other side and back. For going on four decades, Reeder has been a weekend fixture at O’Malley’s Pub in Weston, the picturesque river town north of Kansas City.

Robert Trussell Read More