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The world is so full of a number of things
I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.
—Robert Louis Stevenson
Imprinted in my childhood memory, this short poem came to mind as I reviewed some of Kansas City’s great cultural offerings this fall, including the final concert in newEar’s 30th Anniversary Series by pianist Charles Dickinson on contemporary piano studies at the Unitarian Universalist Church, and the Goldenberg Duo’s always inspiring fall concert, presented in several venues, of short works for violin and piano by international composers.
And then there was Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company’s moving and endlessly inventive fall program at UMKC’s White Hall.
KC theaters present an embarrassment of riches, including September’s production of the Unicorn’s “Native Gardens,” a smart and funny look at human foibles gently mixed with broader arguments about racism and stereotypes. KCRep marked a first with the casting of an Asian American actor in its fall production of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” a subject explored by Grace Suh in the current issue. (See page 42)
A highlight of the local gallery offering was the Haw Contemporary duo of Armin Mühsam, who exhibited striking new iterations of his signature pairings of architectural and natural references, and Michael Kruger, whose magical series of new landscapes in colored pencils was sold before the opening of the exhibition. Read Neil Thrun’s review of the show here.
For an invigorating mental workout, the Truman Library lectures can’t be beat. September brought new insights into the activities of the Truman administration during the Cold War from Christian F. Ostermann, an award-winning historian and director of the History and Public Policy Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Ostermann’s lecture shared findings from his new book, “Between Containment and Backtracking: The United States and Cold War Germany,” which draws on recently declassified documents from U.S., Russian archives and German.
Not to be missed: “Lessons and Carols for Today,” a special December collaboration between the renowned choral group Te Deum and Kansas City poet Natasha Ria El-Scari. The show “offers a modern twist on the Anglican tradition of interspersing biblical passages with choral and congregational singing” by incorporating El-Scari’s poems in place of traditional Bible lessons. Learn more about Libby Hanssen’s performance of the story in KC Studio’s “Special Holiday Supplement” coming out Thanksgiving week.
When you feel like you need a dose of culture to get you through the week, KC offers multiple opportunities for free music and public art at venues across the city. A delightful way to end the workday is Upcycle Piano Craft’s First Tuesdays Happy Hour at the Piano Shop, 3945 Main St., featuring top local musicians playing jazz in the store’s spacious showroom, where listeners enjoy casual seating and wine. The November 7 event features The Beach Nuts from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, www.upcyclepianocraft.com/music-community.
Other free music offerings include the Ruell Joyce Jazz Series, which features the JCCC Faculty Jazz Quintet on Nov. 7, and the Westport Center for the Arts’ Brown Bag Concert Series at Westport Presbyterian Church, 201 Westport Rd., under the able direction of flutist, soprano and choir director Lyra Pherigo. Upcoming midday performances include a harp and voice concert on November 17 and an organ concert by Elisa Bickers on December 15. For more music – and artistic – recommendations, see Steve Paul’s “Three Things” list at the end of his See Hear column, page 8.)
The current issue is full of reports on new art exhibitions in public places. They include eight vibrant installations by Kansas City artists along the Kansas City Streetcar route, courtesy of this year’s Art in the Loop, and the unveiling of two murals, a renovated historic work and a new commissioned piece from Kansas City artist Chico Sierra at Union Station. Further afield, Kansas City glass artist Tyler Kimball recently unveiled ambitious glass installations at the Olathe Public Library and Lawrence Transit Facility. (See Artistic News, page 20.)
Over the past decade, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has sought to introduce visitors to some of the giants of Latin American art, including Venezuelan artists Luis Tomasello and Jesús Rafael Soto, whose optical abstractions are on display on along the gallery promenade of the Bloch building. On November 12, the museum continues its exploration of the subject in depth with the installation in the lobby of the Bloch building of “Grand HexaNet” by Venezuelan-born artist Elias Crespin, a motorized network of ascending red aluminum tubes and descendants evoking an aerial view. dance.
Crespin’s installation coincides with the special exhibition “A Layered Presence” of works by 22 Kansas City artists with ties to Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Colombia, Uruguay and Peru . Many names will be familiar to KC Studio readers from their appearance in our pages, including Chico Sierra, Jose Faus, Jenny Mendez, Maria Vasquez Boyd, Cesar Lopez and Ruben Castillo. Watch for the exhibition review in our January/February issue.