A
Artist to Watch: Vanessa Thomas
Lawrence-based singer Vanessa Thomas works as a vocal coach, accompanist, church music director, and full-time single mom to her four children, all while regularly performing nationally with Grammy Award-winning maestro Doc Severinsen. Vocally, she is known for her seamless four-octave range and her unusual musical versatility.
E
Emperors, Scholars and Temples: Tastemakers of China’s Ming and Qing Dynasties
Brilliant porcelains, temples in mist-shrouded landscapes, a scholar in his studio, elegant ladies decked out in fine silks — these are some of the images conjured up by the Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1911) dynasties, the period when the arts of China reached full maturity. The primary driving forces behind this artistic creativity were three distinct yet interconnected cultural milieus: the imperial court, the scholar or literati class and Buddhism.
L
Lights, Camera, Hixon!
Just a four-minute walk from Kansas City’s old First National Bank at Baltimore and 10th Streets —now the home of the downtown Central Library — some of the biggest names in American entertainment once made their way to a small photography studio and a man they trusted to cast them in just the right light. Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor. Fanny Brice and a local ingénue named Billie Cassin (who’d eventually become Joan Crawford).
