Art in the Loop is pleased to share that the Kansas City Artists Coalition has named director Ann Holliday as the Art Is Essential Honorary Auction Chair. The auction is the KCAC’s annual fundraiser, showcasing the work of hundreds of local artists. Join the live auction and event on Saturday, February 26, by purchasing tickets (Click here for Auction tickets!) and participate in the silent auction.  The auction is chaired by Donna Mandelbaum and Estuardo Garcia.

KCAC interviewed Holliday recently. Check out the video below to learn more about Art in the Loop and the KC Artists Coalition:

The Art in the Loop Foundation (AILF) is seeking visual artists to engage the community through an exhibition of public artwork along the KC Streetcar route in Downtown Kansas City from May 31 through November 31, 2022. This is our 9th annual summer public art program. Through a competitive, open-call process, AILF selects local artists to create temporary, site-specific work along and near the KC Streetcar route in Downtown Kansas City. Your artwork will be viewed by thousands of KC Streetcar riders and Downtowners daily! Selected artists will receive funds and project support to bring their artwork alive for a 6-month outdoor program.

For the 2022 Art in the Loop Project, we are looking for artists to respond to these questions and to explore their vision of sustainability. Proposed projects should reflect these questions and ideas in ways that engage and stimulate Kansas City audiences through public art installations.

This year artists may submit proposals in three categories, KC Streetcar Wrap, KC Streetcar Stop (Inside the Frame, 2-D) and KC Streetcar Stop (Outside the Frame for 3-D, installations, or social practice artwork). Read the full call for artists at https://www.artintheloop.com/opportunities/

The application requires a written description of your proposal, visual concept, and a short narrative about your goals for public engagement. Stipends will range from $600-$2,500 depending on the category. The deadline for submissions is Monday, Mach 7, 11:59 CST. Applications must be made online via the application portal.

For information about eligibility, selection process, evaluation criteria, and important dates, review the application guidelines. Applicants are also encouraged to learn about artist projects from previous years. Annual catalogs from past years’ programs can be found here.

Performance artists and musicians, stay tuned for our second call for artists in which we will have opportunities for performances along the KC Streetcar route and more.

Questions may be directed to Art in the Loop Art Director, Kyle Mullins, kylewmullins@gmail.com, or Program Director, Ann Holliday, ann@downtownkc.org.

Art in the Loop Mission:
The mission of the Art in the Loop Foundation (AILF) is to contribute to the visual identity, enrichment, and revitalization of Downtown Kansas City, create new opportunities for artistic development, and expand public interaction with new art of excellence. AILF values an equitable, diverse, and inclusive art community.

2021 ART IN THE LOOP CLOSING RECEPTION
Thursday, November 4, 2021, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
lightwell
1100 Main Street

Join with friends and colleagues as we celebrate the 2021 Art in the Loop Project: Resilient. The curated outdoor exhibition, staged in partnership with KC Streetcar, concludes with an in-person reception, illustrated review, and reflection on the year’s artwork and performances.

Art in the Loop organizers and participants will look back on the artistic works and performances featured from June to October. Guest speaker David Wayne Reed will share thoughts on the future of public art in Kansas City. Reed is an actor, writer, director, and producer from Kansas City, Missouri. He currently serves on the Municipal Arts Commission of Kansas City, Missouri and serves on the Executive Committee of the 1% for Public Art program at the new Kansas City International Airport.

The evening will begin with a presentation highlighting this year’s art installations and performances, including first-hand accounts from selected artists. The evening celebration will include a performance by The Wires, Laurel Morgan Parks (violin), and Sascha Groschang (cello). Their music is inspired by imagery found in the natural world, folk styles, and modern string techniques.

Art in the Loop is designed to make cultural experiences available to downtown residents, visitors, workers, and anyone who finds their way in downtown Kansas City. This art exhibition and performance series was financially supported by the KCMO-Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund, Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC, the KC Streetcar Authority, the Downtown Council of Kansas City, Downtown Community Improvement District and many generous corporate sponsors including Stinson, Academy Bank, Copaken Brooks, JE Dunn Construction, HNTB, McCownGordon Construction, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, Henderson Engineers, and UMB, as well as the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts, Commerce Bank Trustee, the Gem Cultural & Education Institute and the Kansas City Art Institute.

This evening reception will be in-person and face masks are required. The best way to get to the Art in the Loop closing reception is by KC Streetcar. Just hop on and ride to the Metro Center streetcar stop at 12th & Main. The entrance to lightwell is on the north side of the building near Jason’s Deli. If driving, parking is available in the garage beneath the building and is accessible from 11th Street.

 

Local artist Sheron Smith’s artwork “Together We Rise!” is now installed on the ARTwall, the 36 foot by 70 foot exhibition space on the south side of the Town Pavilion Garage in Downtown Kansas City!

Together We Rise! is inspired by all of the diverse people who are coming together around issues such as racial justice, climate control, equality for women, gay rights, gun control, and health. It is so beautiful to see people of every race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and age rallying together in support of these critical issues. The people remain resilient as they face many obstacles during the process of advancing their goals.

Together We Rise! captures the energy, passion, and emotion of these times. The background is alive with the energy of vivid swirling colors. Within the background, crowds of people are marching, and brandishing signs. The edges of the painting are dark and torn, and the strips running top to bottom also look dark and torn. This represents the dark elements that are threatening to tear our country apart. Our society is being attacked and torn apart by racism, injustice, conspiracy theories, violence, and climate destruction, as well as the threat of authoritarianism.

The foreground of Together We Rise! shows diverse people marching together. The people in the painting are a reflection of society. They represent age diversity, gender diversity, physical diversity, religious diversity, and racial diversity. The people in the foreground are holding hands because they stand in support of each other, united against the forces that threaten our society and the world.

Location

ARTwall, a super-size, billboard structure for displaying art located on the northeast corner of 13th & Grand. The ARTwall was installed by Outfront Media.

Bio

Sheron Smith is a multi-talented artist who does not limit herself to one subject or discipline. Varying subjects, cityscapes, abstracts, and sculpture are all part of her portfolio. Sheron is an educator, and self-taught, lifelong creator of art.

website: sheronsmith.com

---

The 2021 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous financial support of the KC Streetcar Authority; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC; as well as corporate sponsors including Stinson, Academy Bank, Copaken Brooks, HNTB, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction and many others. This project is also supported in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.

Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

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

# # #

Contacts:

Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Kyle Mullins, Art Director, kylewmullins@gmail.com

KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, 816-877-3219

The next 3 Art in the Loop/KC Streetcar performances will be led by female musicians and artists:

 

FlamenKcmo, Thurs. 8/5, 5-6:30pm, lightwell, 1100 Main Street

FlamenKcmo performs both traditional and cutting edge flamenco with dancer Melinda Hedgecorth, guitarist Beau Bledsoe, and singer Antonio Rojas. FlamenKcmo is a flamenco music and dance trio with members from Sevilla, Spain, and Kansas City. They will present songs and movement about resiliency through love, faith, and dedication to happiness. The joyful call of the singer, the accompanying tremolo of the guitar, and the percussive release of the dancer are all affirmations of how to unite and move forward together.

www.45gradosflamenco.com

 

Nicole Springer, Thurs., 8/12, 5-6:30 pm, lightwell building, 1100 Main St.

Kansas City’s own Nicole Springer is an award-winning, critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Nicole’s music is a heartfelt, passion-filled vocal showcase that crosses genres from gospel and pop to folk and rock. Her live performance is “lyrically personal but also nostalgic and fresh within its sound” – Blended Music

https://www.nicolespringersings.com

 

Jessica Ayala & the Arquesta del SolSoul, Mon., 8/16, 5-6:30 pm, City Market, near 3rd & Walnut.

Jessica Ayala is an Indigenous Colombian American Two-Spirit multi-discipline artist. Ayala is a spoken word poet, musician, published author, cultural worker, and former writer-in-residence at Charlotte Street Foundation. Through her band, Arquesta Del SolSoul, she creates spaces to exploring concepts of internalized oppression, decolonization, and self-love fusing Jazz, Native percussion, and Hip-Hop.

All performances are free and open to the public. Bring chairs and cool drinks to enjoy the performance!  In the case of inclement weather, the performances will take place inside lightwell, 1100 Walnut, 1st floor. Masks will be required inside.

The 2021 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous financial support of the KC Streetcar Authority; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC; as well as corporate sponsors including Stinson, Academy Bank, Copaken Brooks, HNTB, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction and many others. This project is also supported in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.

Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

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

# # #

Contacts:

Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Kyle Mullins, Art Director, kylewmullins@gmail.com

KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, 816-877-3219

As part of the 2021 Art in the Loop Project Resilient, the Kansas City Streetcar and Art in the Loop are hosting a live music series along the KC Streetcar route this summer. Music will range from folk, hip-hop, jazz, and soul to funk, country, indie, latin, and classical with original music and covers of popular songs performed by local artists!

The performances will be held every Thursday afternoon, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Specific location information will be announced on the KC Streetcar and Art in the Loop websites (www.kcstreetcar.org and www.artintheloop.com) and social media sites (@kcstreetcar, @artintheloop).

The schedule of musicians is as follows, with so much to hear and experience this summer, you won’t want to miss any of it:

Jul. 15 –  The Black Creatures at the KC Streetcar River Market West Stop (4th & Delaware)

Jul. 22 – Corey Clark at the KC Streetcar Library Stop Northbound (9th & Main, Commerce Tower)
Jul. 29 –  Amado Espinoza at KC Streetcar Metro Center Stop (12th & Main, in front of lightwell)
Aug.  5 – FlamenKcmo at KC Streetcar Metro Center Stop (12th & Main, in front of lightwell)
Aug. 12 – Nicole Springer at the KC Streetcar Metro Center Stop (12th & Main, in front of lightwell)
Aug. 16 – Jessica Ayala at the KC Streetcar River Market North Stop (3rd & Walnut, inside the City Market)
Aug.  26 – The Wires at the KC Streetcar River Market West Stop (4th & Delaware)
Sep. 2 – Kadesh Flow at the KC Streetcar River Market North Stop (3rd & Walnut, inside the City Market)

The music series was announced at the 2021 Art in the Loop Kick-Off Event on Wednesday, July 7, during which the audience enjoyed the music of Everyday Strangers as they magically blended genres and styles while challenging rhythm and the fundamental aspects of music.

Making Moves Collaboration

This year Art in the Loop is collaborating with Making Moves, a monthly dance program providing performance opportunities for local and regional dance makers. to include 2 dance performances. Reina Gray, a dancer and choreographer from Kansas City, Missouri pursuing a BFA in Dance at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.  In her work Reina seeks to elicit the simple beauties in life, as well as to emphasize imagination and awareness. She was inspired by the project theme “Resilient” to create and perform Sisyphus. With the Greek myth as her inspiration, this dance focused on how resilience is a constant pursuit in addition to the necessity of being undeterred by failure. In the words  of Gray “the dance goes somewhere but it may never arrive as is the case of an ever-growing city, and life in general.”   Click here for a video clip from the performance.

The dance series continues on August 12, 7:30 p.m (location tbd) with Brillo Performance. Brillo resides at the juncture of movement-based healing and immersive contemporary dance where transformational process and art-making intersect. Brillo is led by Katie Brennan and Oscar Trujillo.

The 2021 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous financial support of the KC Streetcar Authority; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC;  as well as corporate sponsors including Stinson, Academy Bank, Copaken Brooks, HNTB, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction and many others. This project is also supported in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.

Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.

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

# # #

Contacts:

Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Kyle Mullins, Art Director, kylewmullins@gmail.com 

KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org,  816-877-3219