Photograph from Walking on Eggshells Mandala by Alison Greene.

Photograph from Walking on Eggshells Mandala by Alison Greene.

The Art in the Loop Foundation is pleased to wrap up the 2016 Art in the Loop Project by sharing our video summarizing the project created by local artist and film-maker Cody Hunt, as well as videos created as extensions of artwork by Neil Goss, Alison GreeneJon Johnson, Elizabeth Stehling and Lauren Thompson with Jonathan Robertson and Tom Hipp.

Click here to view the videos, as well as the 2016 Art in the Loop Catalog and links to more information about each of the projects.

We appreciate the participation of the artists, musicians, actors, directors, choreographers, dancers, videographers and performance artists that participated in this year’s project.  The creativity, vision and skill of these artists provided a series of cultural experiences that added a new dimension to Downtown Kansas City during the project.

We also appreciate the leadership, management and support provided by the Downtown Council, Kansas City Art Institute, Municipal Art Commision of the City of Kansas City, MO, Downtown Community Improvement District, KC Streetcar Authority, Missouri Arts Council, Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, ArtsKC and many corporate sponsors.

The Art in the Loop Foundation will hold a reception to showcase videos created by five local artists as components of the 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect. The event will take place at KC Skyline Realty, 1724 Main Street, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2. Videos created by following artists will be exhibited:

Art in the Loop will also share a video, produced by Cody Hunt, summarizing the 27 art projects and performances included in this years project. Additionally, the gallery will exhibit work by Kati Toivanen and Lauren Thompson inspired by their 2016 projects: Hopscotch and Life Turning, respectively.

The 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect was a curated outdoor exhibit of temporary artwork and performances located along the KC Streetcar route and other Downtown locations from July through October. It infused the center of Downtown Kansas City with innovative and engaging temporary art that refreshed, intrigued and surprised Downtown workers, residents, and visitors. The project also created opportunities for local emerging and established artists to extend their practice into the Downtown environment with curatorial, professional and logistical support.

The 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect was made possible through the generous support of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, the KC Streetcar Authority, the KCMO-Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, the Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts, as well as many corporate sponsors.
Space for the screening and exhibit is provided by Dave Jennings, KC Skyline Realty.

Click here to download the full press release with images.

The Art in the Loop Foundation is pleased to announce 2 events that will wrap up our 2016 season of performances and artwork.

Closing Reception & Pop-Up Exhibit – Wednesday, Nov. 2

On Wednesday, November 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the public is invited to a Closing Reception and Pop-Up Exhibit at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library, located at 14 West 10th Street.  Objects and ephemera from the 2016 projects will be displayed, turning the Helzberg Auditorium into a gallery for the evening.

The program will begin at 6:30 and include 2-minute presentations from each of the artists. This will be a fast-paced energetic presentation! Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the artists and the artwork presented throughout the past months.  Beverages and appetizers will be provided.  Click here to RSVP.

Art in the Loop Screening – Friday, Dec. 2

On Friday, December 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Art in the Loop will host a 2016 Art in the Loop Screening Reception at Keller Williams Skyline office and gallery, located at 1724 Main Street.  The program will feature videos from our 2016 Art in the Loop artists including Elizabeth Stehling, Jon Johnson, Lauren Thompson, Alison Greene and Neil Goss as well as artwork by Kati Toivanen and Lauren Thompson. We will show our 2016 Art in the Loop video by Cody Hunt. Beverages and appetizers will be provided. Click  here to RSVP.

The 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect was brought to you by the Art in the Loop Foundation with the support of the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement District, City of Kansas City, Missouri, KC Streetcar Authority, Missouri Arts Council, Neighborhood Trust and Development Fund, ArtsKC and many corporate sponsors.

For more information, contact Ann Holliday, ann@downtownkc.org or (816) 979-1072.

On Friday, September 30, choreographer Lauren Thompson and sound designer Jonathan Robertson will bring their improvisational dance and sound performance, Downtown Replay, to Ilus Davis Park from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Tart-in-parkhe performance will take place on and around a temporary stage placed in the center of the water feature near the southwest corner of the park near 11th & Oak Streets.

Life and art imitate each other; this is the feedback loop that Downtown Replay explores through movement and sound. Prior to the performance,  Thompson has designed movement inspired by the architecture of the park and Robertson record on location – these movements and sounds initiate and function as the core of the piece.

During the performance, sounds will continue to be captured through microphones strategically placed around the park. The public can manipulate the sound and movement of the space they are in, while at the same time the choreographer and sound designer have predetermined part of their experience. Videographer Tom Hipp will record the performance from various angles. The video recording will be used to create an interactive projection for a later, stage performance.

This performance is free and open to the public. It the final performance of the 2016 Art in the Park and Art in the Loop projects.  Art in the Park is an effort by the City of Kansas City, Missouri to enliven public outdoor spaces with temporary art pieces and performances.  It was produced this year in coordination with the 2016 Art in the Loop Project which included temporary artworks and performance on the KC Streetcar route, in Oppenstein Park and at Prairie Logic on the Green Roof. For more information, contact Ann Holliday, 816-979-1072 or ann@downtownkc.org, or Elizabeth Bowman, elizabeth.bowman@kcmo.org.

About the Artists

Lauren Thompson is a local dancer and choreographer. She is a graduate from the University of Kansas City-Missouri with a BFA in modern dance, in addition to a collection of other degrees. Lauren’s work has been performed at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City Fringe Festival, Unicorn Theater, and with Art in the Loop.

Jonathan Robertson is an adjunct instructor of music technology at Missouri Western State University and a composer and sound designer working in Kansas City. Recent credits include composer for the theatre play Medea (directed by Joshua K. Brody) at UMKC, assistant sound designer for Kansas City Swing (dir. Ricardo Khan) at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and composer/sound designer for Immeasurable Heaven (dir. Stephanie Roberts) on Spencer Stage at UMKC, and music director for Mr. Burns, a post-electric play at the Unicorn theatre. He co-wrote and directed the plays Mannequins, Companions and The Audio Cart (Kansas City Fringe Festival 2014,  2015, and 2016).

Tom Hipp produces and directs film content in the Kansas City area and beyond. He graduated from the University of Kansas School of Journalism and got his start in TV commercials. Since then he has collaborated with a diverse group of people and clients to create television, commercials, web pieces, music videos, documentaries and more.  Tom loves Kansas City and is excited to further develop both the film production and art communities in the area.

Art on the Line – a series of 6 artworks temporarily installed on the KC Streetcar route – was highlighted in the Arts & Culture section of the Kansas City Star this weekend.  Art on the Line was one of temporary art installation and performance series produced by Art in the Loop and many partners this summer.

The artworks will remain installed through the end of this month.   Read what the artists themselves and curator, Jessica Borusky,  have to say about the pieces here:    http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article102008997.html

KC Star videographer Shelly Yang created this “ride-along” style video to give you a taste of the art!

 

Soundshapes by White Art Studio

Soundshapes by White Art Studio

Join ArtsKC on Saturday, September 17, 3:00 – 6:00 pm, for a unique event featuring a tour of Art on the Line, temporary artworks installed along the KC Streetcar route, a tour of the KC Streetcar Vehicle Maintenance Facility at Singleton Yard, and a reception hosted by the Kansas City Artists Coalition where you can enjoy over 100 pieces of work by artists who have been part of KCAC’s 40-year history.

Tickets are $40.

Register now at: www.ArtsKC.org/Encounter

Cubanisms.logoJoin us Friday, September 9, for a musical performance at the KC Streetcar River Market West Stop inspired by the current political thaw between Cuba and the United States.  From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Ensemble Iberica will present “Cubanisms”, a continuous acoustic performance of traditional Cuban “son”. The performance includes Ensemble Iberica musicians, Michael McClintock (Cuban tres), Beau Bledsoe (guitar), Jordan Shipley (bass), Brandon Draper (percussion) and Cuban national, Dálida Teresa Pupo Barrios (percussion and documentation).

Listeners/passengers will be taught traditional “coros” (repeated participatory choruses) and given percussion instruments to play such as the Cuban clave or bongos.

Ensemble Ibérica performs the music of Ibéria (Spain and Portugal) and the colonial Americas while educating the public about Iberian cultural influence. Programs explore diverse time periods, styles and locations including the Spanish baroque, Portuguese fado and Argentine tango. The Ensemble features extraordinary musicians from classical, jazz and folk traditions both locally and from around the world.

This performance is free and open to the public and is part of the 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect brought to you by the Art in the Loop Foundation with the support of the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement District, City of Kansas City, Missouri, KC Streetcar Authority, Missouri Arts Council, Neighborhood Trust and Development Fund, ArtsKC and many corporate sponsors.

 

On Friday, September 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Mnemosyne Quartet will employ the power of sound to transport Kansas City streetcar passengers beyond the boundaries of the line to favorite Kansas City destinations, such as: The Zoo, Union Station, and The Kansas Speedway. For those passengers brave enough to participate, Mnemosyne encourages the streaming of our digital content, via your handheld device.  The experience begins at the 14th street stop going north.   

Transient Harmony is a sound installation and performance that will encompass the streetcar line between 9th and 14th street. Members of the quartet will travel with passengers presenting live music, while a newly created mobile app will allow the quartet to connect with downtown tourists, workers and residents both on and off the streetcar. While live performance will occur only along the streetcar line, you will be able to experience the unification of Kansas City’s urban soundscape through the app.

In addition to electronic music, Transient Harmony will feature Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, and Baritone Saxophone performers.

To stream: Download Mixlr on your cell phone and search for MnemosyneQuartet
This performance is free and open to the public and is part of the 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect brought to you by the Art in the Loop Foundation with the support of the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement District, City of Kansas City, Missouri, KC Streetcar Authority, Missouri Arts Council, Neighborhood Trust and Development Fund, ArtsKC and many corporate sponsors.

Morel_hi_resThe rooftops of Downtown Kansas City will come alive on Tuesday evening September 20, at 6:00 pm,when composer and musician Daniel Morel presents Kansas City Calling with the Jibrish Horn Quartet and members of the University of Missouri, Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance Horn Studio.

The performance will take place at Prairie Logic, the public art installation and performance venue on the Green Roof above Cosentino’s Parking Garage, 1261 Main St, on the 6th floor.

Kansas City Calling is an evening-length musical happening that evokes both the bustling past and thriving current day of Kansas City. The program draws on original and borrowed music to represent the history of Kansas City with a wafting soundscape that builds over the course of the evening. The entire rooftop will come alive with historical sounds, virtuosic solos, displaced melodies, and an ambient hum that coalesces into the story of Kansas City told through music. The program concludes with a final concert featuring the Jibrish Horn Quartet and members of the UMKC Conservatory Horn Studio.

Daniel Morel is a Kansas City-based composer whose works are permeated with the Western sensibilities of his Colorado upbringing, drawing on influences ranging from prairie thunderstorms to classic American poetry.  Performance details and further information are available at www.danmorel.com.

This performance is free and open to the public and is part of the 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect brought to you by the Art in the Loop Foundation with the support of the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement District, City of Kansas City, Missouri, KC Streetcar Authority, Missouri Arts Council, Neighborhood Trust and Development Fund, ArtsKC and many corporate sponsors.

 

ahwisgvsgo'iLocal artist and choreographer, Maura Garcia, will present “Ahwisgvsgo’i” a dance performance on Thursday, August 25th, between 11:30 and 1:30 pm, in Oppenstein Park at 12th & Walnut St.

“ᎠᏫᏍᎬᏍᎪᎢ (Ahwisgvsgo’i)” means she/he is always planting in the Cherokee language.  Maura Garcia‘s multi-media project about indigenous planting traditions, the elements and our places in the world.  The idea for Ahwisgvsgo’i came from a desire to explore the process of growing; to strengthen our connection to the natural world and one another; to uplift Cherokee, Mattamuskeet and other southeastern Indigenous traditions; to create great art; to tell good stories.

Originally from North Carolina, Maura is an Indigenous woman (Cherokee/ Mattamuskeet) who brings her own mixed-blood southern story to all of her work. She has been the recipient of numerous honors:  Charlotte Street Foundation’s Urban Culture Projects Studio Residency Award (MO) in 2009 & 2010, a guest artist studio award from theUniversity of North Carolina’s Department of Dramatic Art (NC) in 2011 & 2012, the Jewish Community Center’s Community Arts Fellowship Grant (KS) in 2013, an ArtsKC Inspiration Grant (MO) in 2014, a 2015 Rocket Grant Project Award (KS/MO) and was selected to participate in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian 2016 Artist Leadership Program. Learn more about Maura at http://www.mauragarciadance.com/.

This performance is free and open to the public and is part of the 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect brought to you by the Art in the Loop Foundation with the support of the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement District, City of Kansas City, Missouri, KC Streetcar Authority, Missouri Arts Council, Neighborhood Trust and Development Fund, ArtsKC and many corporate sponsors.

On Friday, August 26, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Matthew Bennett will present “Then & Now” a musical performance in Ilus Davis Park, 11th & Oak St, Kansas City, MO.

“Then and Now” will feature American music from the Colonial period to the present performed on period-appropriate instruments. This unique performance will allow the audience to experience music as it was performed in early America and hear how it changed over the years.

Matthew brings a joyful dedication to his work in orchestral music, the avant­garde, music education, and historical research. He has been a member of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra, the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, and the Eutin Opera Orchestra in Germany. His solo and chamber recital work has included Juilliard’s Morse Concert Hall, NYC’s Advent Lutheran Church, and The Lied Center of Kansas. In teaching, Matthew has served as Guest Violin Professor at Pittsburg State University, Director of Chamber Music Studies at Bishop Seabury Academy, and private pupils for 11 years. In his own education, he immerses himself in music otherwise forgotten ­­ bringing the works and lives of Colonial American composers to print and to practice.

This performance is free and open to the public.  Food trucks will also be present.

Alison Greene will present “Walking on Eggshells” a  performance on Thursday, August 18, between 11:30 and 1:30, in Oppenstein Park, at 12th & Walnut in Downtown Kansas City.

“Walking on Eggshells” is a metaphor that is often used when describing a feeling of being trapped by another’s will and when our voice is silenced.  The installation and performance of Greene’s artwork flips the meaning of this metaphor and presents a perspective where walking on the eggshells, as hard and painful or slow as it may be, is the purpose; to transform an uncomfortable feeling into a liberating one of self-compassion and divine expression.

Alison Moyna Greene is a multidisciplinary artist currently living and working in Kansas City Missouri.  Alison received her Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2006 and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2003.

Food will be available for purchase from local food trucks, Cheeesy Pop’s (http://cheeesypops.com/) and Pie Hole (http://www.pieholekc.com/).

This performance is free and open to the public and is part of the 2016 Art in the Loop Project: Connect brought to you by the Art in the Loop Foundation with the support of the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement District, City of Kansas City, Missouri, KC Streetcar Authority, Missouri Arts Council, Neighborhood Trust and Development Fund, ArtsKC and many corporate sponsors.