Author: Neil Thrun
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“Worlds Otherwise Hidden,” Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
In the grand scheme of art history, abstract art is still a new genre, but it is also old enough for reappraisals. In “Worlds Otherwise Hidden,” curated by Erin Dziedzic, the Kemper Museum’s director of curatorial affairs, three international artists are doing just that.
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Artist to Watch: Jillian Youngbird
Jillian Youngbird had a big year in 2017. Her comical sculptures of animal people, made from cardboard and covered in cut-up paint samples, were on display in Kansas City and as far away as Alaska. Youngbird’s humorous sculptures are all about environmentalism, and they attempt to make the topic approachable and interesting. Inspired by a childhood “in the Ozarks among the hillbillies” and her great-grandmother Mable, Youngbird seeks to unite her art with her Native American heritage and environmentalist beliefs.
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TowerEast: A Hotbed of Community Creativity
What isn’t an “Art District” these days? The neighborhood around 31st and Cherry, which many know as Martini Corner, has just rebranded itself TowerEast — named for the iconic, red KCPT radio tower — and the district’s art credentials are growing. In recent years, an ever-increasing number of makerspaces, artist studios, print shops and other businesses have settled in the area.
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Aspiring Inventors Gather at KCAI for Make48 Inventathon
From September 28-30, the Kansas City Art Institute will play host to the fifth Make48 Inventathon, reprising their role last year as host to the fourth Inventathon, when 17 teams crowded into the David T. Beals III Studios for Art and Technology, the school’s new high-tech digital fabrication shop. They were there to compete for a chance to star in a reality TV show and get their inventions to market.
