On Jan. 26, “Discriminating Thieves: Nazi-Looted Art and Restitution” opened at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. It tells the stories, in fascinating detail, of four pieces that were looted by
One hundred artists. One day. Once a year. On Aug. 31, KC Zine Con (KCZC) presents its annual fest, where dozens of artists exhibit, sell and trade their self-published zines.
Last March, during the last performance of the American Choral Directors Association’s conference, the Kansas City Chorale performed the latest work by Kansas City composer Jean Belmont Ford, “Manifesto.” The
Jim Hamil, a young artist in 1961 at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, looked up from the watercolor painting on his table to see the commotion in the creative department.
“Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.” So said “Winnie the Pooh” and thanks to Molly Balloons, Kansas City is experiencing the truth of that observation. The multi-talented balloon artist,
I believe that creativity is the child of want. The emotion-rich blood of humanity’s deep need to simply belong flows through creativity’s veins. To me, this explains why America’s most impactful artistic movements were conceived in the womb of its most disenfranchised communities.
On a Thursday night in April, when many Kansas Citians were staring at electronic screens, the Belger Arts Center was aglow with in-person enthusiasm. The Belger hosted about 115 people who came at the invitation of Arts Alive KC, an organization that has revved up our town’s art vibe during the past two decades. The […]
Under conductor and artistic director Charles Bruffy, the Kansas City Chorale has established itself as an ensemble of international importance. “Artifacts: The Music of Michael McGlynn,” offers another example of its musical adventurousness. At close to seven minutes, “Jerusalem,” the seventh track on “Artifacts,” is the longest. The song, infused with Irish melody, casts a […]
Once upon a time, there weren’t many hyphenated theater artists in Kansas City. You could be an actor. Or you could be a director. Or you could be a playwright. For the most part, artists stayed in their lanes. That’s not really the case anymore. Actors direct, directors write plays and sometimes you can see somebody direct and act in a play he or she wrote.
The prolific, down-to-earth and exceptional Anne Austin Pearce, a Kansas City artist for as long as I can remember, has departed for Aliso Viego, California, to teach at Soka University, a four-year liberal arts college. Our loss is Soka’s great gain. She’s leaving behind a narrative of artistic excellence, warmth, collegiality and a 20-year teaching […]
Sometimes art comes from tough choices. Take Brian Rose’s documentary, “When I Last Saw Jesse.” The film, which won best Heartland Feature Documentary at this spring’s Kansas City FilmFest International, is a haunting look at the 2006 disappearance of UMKC student Jesse Ross.
