Still from Totemic Persona by Barry Anderson, KC Streetcar Metro Center Stop, Northbound

The next time you are waiting for the KC Streetcar, take a look at the video screens on the kiosks located at each stop. You will see rotating ads for restaurants, cultural arts and events nearby— then unexpectedly, the screen looks back at you.

The video of human eyes amid geometric designs is the work of local artist Barry Anderson. Titled Totemic Persona, the short, hyperkinetic videos digitally blends photos in rhythmic patterns. The artwork is part of Art in the Loop’s summer art series, which injects art and performances along the KC Streetcar route, City Market Park and inside the KC Public Library.

Barry Anderson photographed over a hundred Kansas City volunteers of different age, race and ethnicity, and digitally collaged their eyes into an ever-changing, pulsating design. The result is beautiful and mesmerizing.

Totemic Persona video by Barry Anderson plays regularly on KC Streetcar Kiosks.

The work is intended to serve as an emblem of our City’s cultural identity in harmony. In his artist statement, Anderson outlines his goal of creating his four videos that “show a unified, multi-ethnic and multigenerational portrait of our community.”

“The idea was to be both confronted and embraced by the eyes… I wanted to have viewers face a portrait that was about “us” rather than “them,” Anderson shared in an interview. In today’s intense political/social climate, the subtle message of celebrating diversity through shared humanity is welcomed.

At the Metro Center Northbound Streetcar stop (12th and Main), the back wall of the shelter is covered with a still-image from Anderson’s video. Two eyes suspended in a geometric design gaze out to the City, watching thoughtfully.

One may be reminded of the billboard in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, where an optometry ad depicting disembodied eyes peers down on characters who have abandoned their values. The eyes in the novel serve as a symbol for the corrosion of the American dream.

Still from Totemic Persona by Barry Anderson.

But Anderson’s eyes do not look down from above with moral authority. They look at Streetcar riders eye to eye. Whether you feel uncomfortable by the stare or comforted by the familiar gaze, the work is successful because it immediately engages the viewer’s conscience and sparks an inner dialog. Once again, Barry Anderson’s installation secures his status as one of Kansas City’s most innovative artists.

Anderson earned a MFA at Indiana University in 2002 and works as a professor of studio art at UMKC. His work has been in numerous national and international exhibitions including recent solo shows in Oklahoma, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Seoul, Korea. His work is in the public collections of the Everson Museum of Art, NY, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, MO, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in KS. The artist is represented by the Walter Maciel Gallery in Los Angeles. Totemic Persona was adapted from a public art project on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, a commission for West Hollywood’s Art on the Outside program.

Robin Trafton

Robin Trafton works as the fine art curator of Commerce Bank and director of The Box Gallery, a community exhibition space at 1000 Walnut. Previously she was director of Art in the Loop Foundation and a freelance critic for the Kansas City Star.

About the 2017 Art in the Loop Project

The 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and a performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

Join us at lunchtime on Wednesday, June 7th  to enjoy the music of A. J. Young and his band.

The performance will take place from 11:30 – 1:30 at  City Market Park, 3rd & Main St.

A. J. Young began his musical career as a rapper.  After picking up a guitar, this self-taught artist has felt most inspired as a singer-songwriter.  He has collaborated with a variety of music industry talents in his 8+ years as a performer.  A. J. is a Kansas City native who is passionate about his community as well as his music.  He is currently working with the talented drummer and guitarist Chris Taulborg and bass guitarist Andrew McCluney.

This performance is free and open to the public, and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

 

Artist Shelby Burchett will engage us in an interactive experience on Friday, June 2nd  to accompany her summer-long installation “Don’t Wait, Get Lost”.  Appearing as her alter-ego goo-witch (don’t worry, she’s not scary), she will invite the public to seek new, tactile-oriented experiences while waiting for the streetcar.  Join us for the gooey, squishy fun!

The performance will take place intermittently from 12:00 – 7:00 at the Union Station Streetcar Stop.

 

 

This performance is free and open to the public, and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

 

Join us for First Fridays and Art Starts at the Library on Friday,  June 2nd and be treated to a lively performance by Cucharada!

The performance will take place at 5:30 p.m. on the Rooftop Terrace at Kansas City Public Library Central Library14 W 10th St.  Click here to learn about the other exciting exhibits taking place at the library that evening including a pop-exhibit in Kirk Hall entitle Indisposable, showcasing photographs by people currently experiencing homelessness, http://www.kclibrary.org/signature-events/art-starts-library-3

 

Kansas City Tango ensemble Cucharada intends on being true to the aesthetic while carving out their own interpretations. Some of it is time-tested material while other selections are culled from more recent “Nuevo-Tango” acts. All of it is distilled through a conception of what just a few people can do with a broad palette at hand.  Tango dancing is permitted, and encouraged!

 

This performance is free and open to the public, and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

 

Cloud Canopy, Monica Dixon’s Art in the Loop installation, is making City Market Park (3rd & Main) more colorful through September. Her vibrant fabric sculpture aims to restore a sense of vitality to its audience and its environment, bringing presence and awareness to shared physical space.

As part of the installation, Monica invites you to join her guided meditation sessions* in City Market Park from 12:15-12:45 pm on the following dates:
June 1, 8, 22, 29
July 6, 13, 20, 27
August 3, 10
*Please bring a cushion, yoga mat or blanket to sit on grass.

Each meditation session is free and open to the public, and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

Join us at lunchtime on Wednesday, May 31st for an engaging performance from Storm & Co. from 11:30 – 1:00 at  City Market Park, 3rd & Main St.  Stop by the City Market to pick up your lunch on the way!

Storm has gained a fierce reputation as one of the most lyrical and artistic MC’s in the Kansas City area.   For this performance, she plans to showcase an excerpt from her upcoming play,  followed by a performance of songs from the soundtrack of the play.

Program:

  • Scene from Sun of the Revolution (a play written by Cynthia Hardeman and  Storm, directed by Jessica Ayala)
    Actors: Trevon Wainwright and B. Michael Long
  • Performance showcasing hip hop music (Storm and DJ Maxx Gurv)

 

This performance is free and open to the public, and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

Two of the artists included in the 2017 Art in the Loop Cue! project will be conducting group activities this week as part of their summer-long art installations- we invite you to join in the fun!

Photos by Cody Hunt.

On Thursday, May 25th from 10:00-11:00 a.m., join artist Beth Byrd-Lonski as Clarity Brown, a fun-loving clown who loves to lead people of all ages in silly walking!  Silly Walkways is directly inspired by The Monty Python Flying Circus skit: The Ministry of Silly Walks. This is a chance for everyone to have a light moment in the middle of the street (while staying safe, of course). Clarity Brown is the clown who will encourage you to get down and get back up again as you get from point A to point B. Clarity will begin the silly walk adventure at Crossroads Academy, 1015 Central St and end at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library.

 

 

 

 

Next, get on your running (or walking) shoes!  Artist Sarah Star has organized a group run, co-sponsored by Run816, set to begin at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, May 26th.  Experience Run the Town:  A Civic Trail with your fellow Kansas Citians, starting from the trailhead at The River Market West KC Streetcar stop, on Delaware between 3rd and 5th streets.  You will be guided by turn-by-turn signs along the route featuring colorful illustrations that playfully blend the rich history of our city with its exciting present. You will be cued to explore the public art and architecture in the area as well.

 

 

These performances are free and open to the public, and are part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The projects are made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

Join us at lunchtime on Wednesday, May 24th for a heart-thumping performance from Echoes of Africa from 11:30 – 1:30 at  City Market Park, 3rd & Main St.  Stop by the City Market to pick up your lunch on the way!

Echoes of Africa Drumming Ensemble draws from the ancient and yet still very contemporary folkloric musical traditions of western and southern Africa, as well as the occasional foray into the AfroLatin musical traditions of the Americas—all cultures where percussion-based music serves as a central fixture in life’s experiences.  The performance will be alive with primal rhythmic energy, as all in attendance are treated to two exciting sets of drumming-based music from Africa and the Americas.

The performance, including musicians John Currey, Sean Branagan, Corey Davis, and Dylan Bassett will consist of two exciting sets of music highlighting the rich, vibrant drumming traditions of Western Africa and Afro-Latin America.

Program (times are approximate):

11:30am – 12:20pm Set 1
12:20pm – 12:40pm Break
12:40pm – 1:30pm Set 2
**Community Drumming will wrap-up each set.

BRING YOUR CONGA, DJEMBE, SHAKER, or BELL, and join in on the music-making on ‘Cue!’, as each set wraps-up with an all-play celebration of Kansas City community drumming!

This performance is free and open to the public, and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

 

Join us at lunchtime on Wednesday, May 17th for an exciting performance by The Center State.

The performance will take place from 11:30 – 1:30 at  City Market Park, 3rd & Main St.

Part acoustic pop music, part troubadour with a silky lament, and part organic Americana, The Center State perform a confident mix of folk music that is agony filled in places and catchy in others, sometimes within the span of a single song. The trio and sometimes quintet of musicians are as eccentric as the music they play. The quirky Davidson couple plays upright bass and violin, and shares vocals with the songwriter of the group, Jeremy Sharp.

The Center State first full-length album, Close Enough To Miss – self recorded in St. Joseph Missouri with final mix engineer James Felver- is out now on iTunes, Spotify, and most other digital platforms.

This performance is free and open to the public, and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

The Downtown Council is pleased to partner with Art in the Loop and the Historic Garment District Group to present two free concert series in Downtown Kansas City starting next week!

ART IN THE LOOP MUSIC SERIES

The Art in the Loop 2017 Music Series will take place between 11: 30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays throughout the summer. The first six performances will be in City Market Park, then performances will move to KC Streetcar and finally to the KC Public Library Central Library. Earlier this year over 100 musicians applied to participate in the series.  A panel of community members and musicians selected a diverse group of high-quality musicians to bring Downtown spaces to life.

While listening to the music you can also enjoy temporary artwork installed at these locations. In case of rain, performances will be moved into the City Market. Visit www.artintheloop.com for a full calendar of performances and information about the artwork.

City Market Park Performances, 3rd & Main Street:

The Center State, May 17  11:30-1:30
Echoes of Africa, May 24  11:30-1:30
Storm & Co., May 31 11:30-1:30
A. J. Young, June 7 11:30-1:30
Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle, June 14  11:30-1:30
Jerad Tomasino, June 21  11:30-1:30

 

 

The music series is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project: Cue! which includes Art in the Park, Art on the Line and Art at the Library. It is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

THIMBLE THURSDAYS

The Historic Garment District presents Thimble Thursdays in Garment District Park (one block west of 8th & Broadway).  Enjoy live music on Thursdays from 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. including:

  • May 18, Kaw Mountain Band, Acoustic Americana
  • May 25, Pink Royal, Experimental Groove Pop
  • June 01, Little Maggie, Roots/Folk Music with a Down-Home Feel
  • June 08, Into the Sun, Traditional Irish & American Flute & Fiddle
  • June 15, The Rhythmia, Ragtime, Old-time Fiddle Tunes
  • June 22, Damon Becker, Rock and Classic Drums/Percussion

Rainout concerts will be held on June 29 and/or July 6.

The rooftops of Downtown Kansas City will come alive on Thursday evening May 4, at 7:00 pm, when composer and musician Daniel Morel presents Kansas City Calling

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 our Midwestern metropolis. The program features the music of Daniel Morel and draws on original and borrowed music to represent the city’s history. Musicians wander the rooftop park of Prairie Logic with ambient hums, antiphonal calls, and spoken texts to build a soundscape wafting over the skyline.

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, co-presented by Art/Sounds is free and open to the public and is part of the 2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! The project is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.
For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.

The Gentle Lady by Joe Munson Studios and Hermanos Design

 

Join Copaken Brooks & 3D Development as they unveil The Gentle Lady at Corrigan Station. View, for the first time, the commissioned sculpture by Joe Munson Studios and Hermanos Design. The Unveiling Ceremony will start at 4:00 p.m. with special remarks followed by a surprise performance and sculpture unveiling.

Corrigan Station developers, Copaken Brooks and 3D Development, join the Art in the Loop Foundation (AILF) to congratulate Joe Munson, the artist selected to create a permanent artwork for the Corrigan Station parking garage.

The commissioned sculpture, The Gentle Lady, comprises a 50-foot floating wing that is suspended from the garage and flies – rising, falling and rolling in response to the wind.

Learn more about Corrigan Station and The Gentle Lady at http://www.corriganstation.com/news.

Event Parking

Parking is available on the upper level/rooftop of the Corrigan Station garage (19th & Walnut). Please note, there will be street closure at9th & Walnut to accommodate the event. The garage is best accessed from 19th & Grand, or you can take the KC Streetcar which stops at 19th & Main.