Category: Articles

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December 31, 2015

Dual Personality

As a student in the early 1970s at the Kansas City Art Institute, Jerry Eisterhold found himself pondering wine in addition to graphic design. It was a brief phase, yet one that foretold the future. “I thought it would be a cool thing to be a wine aficionado,” Eisterhold remembers.
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December 29, 2015

How Pop Culture Paves the Way to the Classics

One writer’s path to Swan Lake… It was 1981. I got a Walkman and three new cassette tapes for Christmas: Working Class Dog, Super Trouper,..
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December 15, 2015

“Venus Rising” Contains More Than a Female Body

One of the gems of the Nelson-Atkins’ American painting collection is Raphaelle Peale’s Venus Rising from the Sea—A Deception. Often acknowledged as the artist’s most important work, it was a natural choice for inclusion in the exhibit, “Audubon to Warhol: The Art of American Still Life,” now at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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December 9, 2015

A Nutcracker Reminiscence

While Kansas City Ballet’s new production is renowned New York designer Holly Hynes’ first full-scale Nutcracker costume design, it isn’t really her first experience creating..
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November 30, 2015

Potential Pitfalls Keep Devon Carney on His Toes

Alas, sometimes things go wrong at the ballet. Tutus can tear wide open. Lights can fail at a critical moment. Scenic backdrops can get hung up and not appear before an audience’s waiting eyes. And dancers, bless them, might even miss an entrance – which makes it difficult to stage a proper twinkle-toes spectacle in the first place.
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November 23, 2015

Last Glance: Seeking Change and Transformation

The closing of Grand Arts, the cutting-edge project space founded 20 years ago by Margaret Silva and Sean Kelley, sets some talented people in play. Foremost among them is artistic director Stacy Switzer, the gallery’s intellectual driver for the past 11 years. Since 2013, when Grand Arts announced its plan to close, Switzer has been weighing her options.
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November 20, 2015

Susan Schmelzer on Arts Policy: Honk If You Support the Arts!

Susan Schmelzer is a community activist who has served in leadership roles on several boards, currently including the Executive Committee of Missourians Citizens for the Arts, which advocates for state arts funding. Her devotion to the arts began as a vocal music major, while her professional background spans careers in higher education and nonprofit consulting.
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November 18, 2015

Artist to Watch: Frank Oakley III

Over the past few years Kansas City audiences have thrilled to Frank Oakley III’s notable performances in Jitney at the Metropolitan Ensemble, Blacktop Sky at the Unicorn, Rosa Parks at the Coterie, The Freedom Riders at UMKC and at the Shakespeare Festival.
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November 16, 2015

Artist Pages: Holly Hynes, The New “Nutcracker”

“How do I get into the mind of a child and the spirit of a children’s illustrated book?” That’s what renowned costume designer Holly Hynes..
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