UMKC’s weekly arts and culture roundup

Every week, the University of Missouri-Kansas City offers an array of on-campus activities. It’s nothing new. UMKC has a long legacy of hosting countless culturally enriching events. These activities are part of what has made UMKC an arts and culture powerhouse. The influence of UMKC-based and UMKC-trained artists extends well beyond the campus’ edge, so their activities are listed here as well.

 Featured Event: Santa Muerte Exhibition

Located near El Paso, Texas, the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez has experienced a dramatic increase in violence over the past 20 years as a result of the ongoing drug war, political instability, and widespread poverty.

The worship of Santa Muerte, a skeletal female saint derived from a combination of Mesoamerican and Spanish Catholic traditions and beliefs, has been on the rise. Her followers are diverse, but typically have one thing in common: their daily lives are marked by death.

The Santa Muerte exhibition features the work of artists from both Mexico and Texas who address the plight of Ciudad Juarez using a variety of media: Miguel Aragon, Citlali Cruz, Nabil Gonzalez, Yvianna “Zakniteh” Hernandez, Diane Kahlo, Marcela Nungaray, Andres Payan, and Luis Safa.

The exhibition places an emphasis on femicide, the rivalries between political factions and drug cartels, and the changing landscape and cultural identity of urban Ciudad Juarez. Santa Muerte brings these seemingly distant issues into focus and serves as an unsettling reminder of the fragile and disposable nature of human life in the face of a larger conflict.

What: “Santa Muerte” is a new exhibition concentrating on the dramatic increase in violence that has taken place over the past two decades in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez. An insatiable drug war, volatile political status, and widespread poverty have morphed the city into a hellish breeding ground for murder and femicide, consequently reshaping urban cultural identity. Artists from both Mexico and Texas offer their perspectives on the current situation.
Where: Fine Arts Building, room 203, 5015 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Through April 5.
It’s free. Get more details.

Friday, March 8 – Thursday, March 14

What: UMKC Theatre Presents “Eat This! KC Chews on the Politics of Food.”
Where: Studio 116, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Saturday, March 2- Sunday, March 10.
Tickets: Single ticket prices are: Adult, $15; Senior (60+), $10; Non-UMKC Student, $10; UMKC Faculty/Staff, $10; UMKC Student, $6. Industry Night is Monday, March 4, tickets are $10.  For tickets, call the Central Ticket Office at (816) 235-6222 or purchase online at www.umkctheatre.org (additional fees apply with online ticket purchase).
Get more details.

What: “Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945”
Where: Dean’s Gallery, Miller Nichols Library, 800 East 51st St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Through April 10.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: Bach’s Lunch. Bring a sack lunch to this event, featuring Bach’s cantata Gott der Herr ist Sonn und Schild, BWV 79, conducted by Gabriel Lewis-O’Connor; and the cantata Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen, BWV 65, conducted by David Figuracion.
Where: Grant Hall, Room 122, 5227 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Friday, March 8, 12 p.m.
It’s free . Get more details.

What: Senior recital with Emelie Pfaff, horn. Also featuring Kelly Hackleman, piano; Jena Wight, flugelhorn and trumpet; Grant Smiley, cornet and trumpet; David Dimmit, trombone and euphonium; and Joe Presson, tuba.
Where: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 15409 NW 72nd Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Saturday, March 9, 7:30 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.

What:  Conservatory Connections: Kevin Oldham Tribute, featuring Karen Kushner. This new series expands the partnership with the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance’s Academy and features the talents of their award-winning faculty. Set in the dramatic, light-filled space of Lens 2, these intimate performances include music inspired by works in the museum’s collections.
Where: Lens 2 Event Room, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Sunday, March 10, 6:30 p.m.
Get more details.

What: Trombone Ensemble, Directed by JoDee Davis.
Where:  Central United Methodist Church, 5114 Oak Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Monday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: Jazz Combos: Jazz students perform in combos.
Where: Grant Recital Hall, 5227 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Tuesday, March 12, 2013, 7:30pm
It’s free. Get more details.

What: ArtSounds: A Day in the Park. A Day in the Park is a multimedia project involving poetry, music, and video art. The piece is a collaboration between New York based artists and Kansas City performers. “A Day in the Park,” describes a day at Zuccotti Park during the “Occupy Wall Street” protests. Dina Von Zweck’s poetry vividly captures the mood of the protests and depicts a poetic vision of the site and the people who were present.
Where: Epperson Auditorium, Kansas City Art Institute, 4415 Warwick Blvd, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Tuesday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: Doctoral recital with David Dimmit, euphonium, and Nabil Pettit, piano; Grant Smiley and Jena Wight, trumpets; Emelie Pfaff, horn; and Joseph Presson, tuba.
Where: Grant Recital Hall, 5227 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Thursday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: Doctoral recital: Toku Kawata, piano.
Where: Diastole, 2501 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Thursday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: Spring Opera: Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Marciem Bazell and conducted by Robert Bode.
Where: White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street
Kansas City, Mo.
When: Thursday, March 14, 7:30 p.m.
Get more details.

What: The Kansas City Repertory Theatre presents: Carousel. The Rep’s Associate Artistic Director Kyle Hatley and The Living Room, one of Kansas City’s most imaginative small theater companies, are bringing their beautifully re-envisioned production of Carousel to Spencer Theatre for a second production, complete with “in-the round” seating. Carousel tells a universal story of love, longing, and doing our utmost for the people we care about, even if it leads to difficult choices with tragic outcomes.
Where: Spencer Theatre, Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street
Kansas City, MO 6411
When: Through March 31.
Get more details.

What: Design Speaks Series – Landajob with Kathryn Lorensen and Rebecca Schwartz. This is part of the Art Department’s 2012-2013 Visiting Artist & Scholar Lecture Series.
Where: UMKC’s Department of Art & Art History, 204 Fine Arts Building, 5015 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Monday, March 11, 4 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: Design Speaks Series — Julie Cortés. Cortés is a successful freelance copywriter and proofreader, having worked with ad agencies, corporations, design studios, small businesses and more.
Where: UMKC’s Department of Art & Art History, 204 Fine Arts Building, 5015 Holmes Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Wednesday, March 13, 4 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.

What: “On Golden Pond” is a poignant comedy about the seasons of life and the bond that can develop between the very young and the very old.
Where: The New Theatre Restaurant, 9299 Foster, Overland Park, Kan.
When: Through March 31.
UMKC Connection: Co-owners Dennis Hennessy and Richard Carrothers are both UMKC graduates and both were presented this year with honorary doctorates by the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences.
Get more details.

What: The Coterie Theatre presents “Tell-Tale Electric Poe 2013.” One act and one musician perform Edgar Allen Poe stories and poems with musical lines.
Where: 2450 Grand Blvd., Suite 144, Kansas City, Mo.
When: February 23 – March 10.
UMKC Connection: Two UMKC graduate theatre students founded the Coterie.
Get more details.

What: CineWomen: A Refreshing Showcase of Women in Film. Join us in celebration of Women’s History Month for a film screening, panel discussion, and networking with some of Kansas City’s leading women filmmakers and up and coming student filmmakers. A Q&A session and reception will follow the screening.
Where: Screenland Theatre, Crossroads, 1656 Washington St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Thursday, March 14, 6 – 9 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.