Spark the Arts in Young Hearts, a luncheon benefitting Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA), will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2022 at the Madrid Theater. The luncheon will highlight the important role the arts play in the lives of young people, and provides crucial funding support for KCYA arts education programs all across the city.
Honorary Co-Chairs Laura Ziegler Davis and Sarah Ziegler Prince will host an inspiring and entertaining program, featuring performances by students and teaching artists and celebrating those in the community who embody the KCYA mission to engage all youth in the arts, promote creativity, and inspire success in education.
In addition to delightful performances, they are very pleased to present three awards to honor individual commitments to the arts.
Scott Francis will be honored with the Trudy Award for his outstanding support and volunteer efforts on behalf of the arts and arts education. The Trudy Award, in honor of Trudy Ziegler, (the mother of our Honorary Co-Chairs) was specifically created to remember Trudy and her long-time service as a volunteer for Kansas City Young Audiences. Scott Francis is a well deserving recipient. For the past 30 years, Scott has been a family Director of the Francis Family Foundation, which has contributed to both the artistic and educational life of Kansas City. In addition to Kansas City Young Audiences, Scott has served on the boards of the Kemper Museum, the Nelson-Atkins Museum, the Kansas City Ballet, and Friends of Chamber Music. He has served as a member of the Kansas City Artists Coalition, Municipal Arts Commission and as a director and volunteer for the Kansas City Community Kitchen. He currently serves as a Director on the Boards of the Kansas City Chorale, and the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.
KCYA will present the Lighton Prize for Teaching Artist Excellence to John Mulvey. John has been teaching on the KCYA roster for more than 30 years. John’s Improvisation classes at the CSA and his Thinking on Your Feet workshops have been incredibly popular over these many years. We are all well aware that this popularity stems from John’s unique ability to engage with everyone he meets, using humor to connect with even the most hesitant participant.
KCYA will also present the Distinguished Educator Award to Anita Able, Library Media Specialist at McKinley Elementary in Kansas City, KS School District. Anita has long championed arts education programs for her students. She has facilitated hundreds of experiences for the students at McKinley as part of the districts Arts Partners plan. Beyond that though, Anita has partnered with KCYA to develop and test new arts integration residencies covering subject matter from STEM to literacy, including multiple Interactive Storytelling programs from John Mulvey, this year’s Lighton Prize recipient.
We hope you will join us in celebration of the arts and the transformational spark the arts ignite in young people! Sponsorships for the Spark the Arts in Young Hearts Luncheon are available now. Individual tickets will be available in October. Learn more here.
Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA), a non-profit organization, has been at the forefront of arts education since 1961. During its 61-year history, KCYA has used the arts to expand the minds of more than 6 million children in the Kansas City area. As an affiliate of the nationwide Young Audiences Arts for Learning network, KCYA is part of one of the largest arts education organizations in the country.
