R
Room for All
A batch of kittens found their way into the Lawrence Arts Center this fall, and Ben Ahlvers wasn’t sure what to think about it. Ahlvers is exhibitions program director at Lawrence Arts Center. The kittens were an added feature to “Affectionate Indifference,” a recent group show of artists celebrating our feline companions.
C
Concert to Come: Victoria Botero presents ‘The Music of Susan Kander’
“The Music of Susan Kander” celebrates the work of the Kansas City native, including the world premiere of “Eavesdropping,” based on poetry by Michelle Boisseau, and the Kansas City premiere of “*dwb* (driving while black),” featuring soprano Roberta Gumbel.
H
Honors: Maria Ioudenitch
Violinist Maria Ioudenitch first played with the Kansas City Symphony when she was just 16 years old, as winner of the 2012 Young Artist Competition. To this day, she remembers it as one of her fondest musical moments, performing Aram Khachaturian’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra.
V
Veg with Netflix . . . or Get Out and Get Smarter
Cinematic adventure, intrigue, tragedy, romance — and a bit of classic Brando to boot. You won’t find it streaming on Netflix or Hulu, at least not with the kind of expertly curated context and additional live commentary available for free at a variety of winter film series and screenings scheduled at area museums and cultural institutions.
A
At Home With Napoleon
A synergy of image, color and sound greets the viewer to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s special exhibition, “Napoleon: Power and Splendor.” Replicating the ruler’s so-called “Imperial Household” are flooring designs recreated from authentic carpets. Walking from gallery to gallery, against backdrops of rich teal blue, burnished burgundy and forest green you encounter dozens of paintings, sketches, mosaics, architectural drawings and panoramas by Napoleon’s court painters.
A
An Inclusive Picture of American Modernism
Bruce Hartman, an accomplished local museum director and collector, is helping Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, expand the canon of American art history. Hartman’s recent loans of exceptional, if little known, 20th-century Native American works from his personal collection have given Crystal Bridges’ Modern permanent collection galleries a refreshed look while showing the way forward for a more inclusive, nuanced picture of American Modernism.
A
Artist to Watch: Kelly Birch
Kelly Birch, mezzo-soprano, is one of the 2018-2019 Lyric Opera of Kansas City Resident Artists. She recently performed as Kate Pinkerton in the Lyric’s production of “Madama Butterfly” and multiple roles in the Explorations Series’ “High Fidelity Opera.” In February, she’ll appear in the Exploration Series’ “Mack the Knife is the Man I Love.”