Andrew Johnson

May 1, 2025

The Freedom Affair releases a new album honoring the Southern Memphis Soul tradition

Fronted by singers Paula Saunders, Shon Ruffin and Seyko Groves, the Kansas City soul band recorded 10 new songs in the historic Royal Studios in Memphis.

September 16, 2024

Confluence | Apricot Glow: Eight musicians carve their own paths across the musical landscape of Kansas City

Tomorrow morning at a coff — ...No, wait. Not yet. For now, tonight. For now, the music itself.

July 16, 2024

Confluence: Mural collaborators John Raux and J.T. Daniels mount an August exhibition of personal works at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center

At this point in their friendship, John Raux and J.T. Daniels have stood side-by-side on scaffolding and ladders for hundreds of hours, painting murals all over Kansas City.

May 14, 2024

Confluence | Kevin Demery and Andrew Mcilvaine ‘Threshold II: Migration Patterns’

Language is never fixed. Words swirl and wander, syntax shifts and churns, etymologies intermix and marry. Meanings affix, and then loosen.

April 30, 2024

“5M: Works from a Private Collection,” United Colors Gallery

In the small room that constitutes United Colors Gallery in Kansas City, Haan and Cesar Lopez have managed to pack in a lot to explore in just one exhibition.

March 27, 2024

In Praise Of: Confluence

My question is no longer, How do I settle in this place? It has become, How do I inhabit this point of confluence?

Articles

February 6, 2024

In Praise Of: Keeping Time

It’s impossible to be a sundial, at least most mornings. Pocket devices buzz and ping. Alarms go off. The coffee maker beeps to say the pot is fresh and ready.

October 3, 2023

In Praise of Klee’s Head

It’s been more than a decade now since the Paul Klee image I’m thinking of was on display at the Nelson-Atkins.

Articles

July 24, 2023

In Praise of Okra’s Imperfections

There is no such thing as perfect okra. You can forget about it. There is only okra as it appears in various stages.

Author: Andrew Johnson