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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.
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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).
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A Premier Orchestra, A Majestic Work, An Exquisite Hall
Conductor Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra had some big- league competition when they performed in Kansas City in 2015. The same evening as their concert, the Kansas City Royals were playing the first game of the World Series that they ultimately won. But Royals mania did not deter a sell-out crowd from packing Kauffman Center’s Helzberg Hall to hear a riveting concert of Beethoven and Mahler.
