UMKC’s weekly arts, culture and sports 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 give UMKC a vibrant campus life, and make UMKC an arts and culture powerhouse. The influence of UMKC-based and UMKC-trained alumni extends well beyond the campus’ edge, so their activities are listed here as well.
Featured Event: UMKC men’s basketball vs. Rockhurst
New coach. New conference. New arena. And best of all, a whole new attitude.
UMKC men’s basketball is starting a new era in 2013 under new head coach Kareem Richardson. And we’re tipping off in grand style with a special exhibition game Nov. 1 to start the season.
The game starts at 7 p.m., but the fun starts much earlier. Fans will gather at Johnny’s Tavern on Grand Boulevard in the Power and Light District at 4 p.m. for the pre-party. Students get free pizza with student ID, while other fans can enjoy half-price appetizers. At 6:15, the UMKC Cheerleaders will lead a short (four-block) parade from Johnny’s to the newly refurbished, historic Municipal Auditorium for the game against our neighborhood friend and rival, Rockhurst University.
Once inside, fans will enjoy a true Division One college basketball experience, including a new video scoreboard, new seating and lighting, and a new UMKC Pep Band from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Fans are asked to wear black or dark clothing for a special arena “blackout” prior to the introduction of the team.
Special ticket prices are available for faculty and staff, both for this game as well as season tickets. Tickets for the Rockhurst game, and all upcoming Roo athletic events, are available here.
Coming off a national championship season as an assistant coach at Louisville last year, Richardson has captured the imagination of the campus, the community, returning players and new recruits.
Richardson accepted the UMKC post in March, and has since signed a five-man recruiting class, solidified his coaching staff and done a whirlwind of public appearances around the Kansas City area.
“The team we put on the floor will be tough, well-disciplined, and high-character men who do it the right way. And we will play an exciting style,” Richardson said. That style will be fast and defense-oriented, he said, featuring multiple full-court-press techniques similar to the Louisville style.
Municipal Auditorium, considered by some as “America’s best arena in which to watch basketball” and site of more NCAA Final Fours than any other arena, is once again the home of UMKC men’s basketball. UMKC men’s basketball will be playing the bulk of its home games at the historic venue in 2013-14, with a new and improved look to the arena. The $5 million renovation includes new video boards, LED scorer’s table, sound system, lighting, seating in the lower level and electrical upgrades.
The team begins play this year in the Western Athletic Conference. The WAC, with a 50-year history of intercollegiate competition, is the sixth-oldest among the nation’s 11 Division I-A conferences. In men’s basketball, the WAC has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Tournament in 24 of the past 29 seasons. The WAC champions in men’s and women’s basketball receive automatic bids to the NCAA tournament.
By making the move, UMKC athletic teams will gain exposure in several new major media markets, including Chicago, Seattle and Phoenix. In addition, players will spend less time traveling, with more trips by air rather than by bus. And UMKC’s agreement with the WAC includes bringing the WAC men’s basketball tournament to Kansas City for two consecutive years.
Other conference members include California State University-Bakersfield, Chicago State University, Grand Canyon University, University of Idaho, New Mexico State University, Seattle University, University of Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley University
What: UMKC men’s basketball vs. Rockhurst.
Where: UMKC’s Volker Campus, Swinney Recreation Center, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:05 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1.
Get more details.
Friday, Nov. 1 – Thursday, Nov. 7
What: Craig Prentiss, professor of Religious Studies at Rockhurst University, presents: “Staging Faith: Religion and Early 20th Century African American Theatre.”
Where: Cockefair Hall 215, 5100 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Gallery of Art will present two concurrent exhibitions featuring the work of painter Joey Borovicka and photographers Cheryl Childress and Lawrence Robinson.
Where: UMKC Gallery of Art, 5100 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, Mo.
When: The exhibition will run through Nov. 1.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: Fall Dance Concert with the Conservatory Wind Symphony.
Where: White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov.1; 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2.
Get more details.
What: A master class with Gerard Pagano, bass trombonist for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. This master class is sponsored by the UMKC Trombone Society and funded by the UMKC Conservatory Student Association.
Where: James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, Room 125, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 5-7 p.m., Monday, Nov. 4.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: Jazz Combos. Students of all degree levels perform jazz standards and arrangements in combos.
Where: Grant Recital Hall, 5227 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 4.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: A master class with Brian Del Signore. Del Signore, principal percussionist of the Houston Symphony, presents his Digital Tools Clinic to help musicians use audio and video software to hone their performing skills.
Where: James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, Room 323, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 6.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: Celebration of “Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker,” by Chuck Haddix. The celebration of the new book will feature live musical performances by Bobby Watson and Friends.
Where: Jeannette Nichols Forum, Miller Nichols Learning Center, 800 E 51st St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 6.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: Film Screening: “Living in Oblivion.” This is a film series sponsored by the UMKC Department of Communications that showcases the challenges, triumphs, and failures behind the scenes of filmmaking.
Where: Tivoli Cinemas, 4050 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 7.
Free for UMKC students, faculty, and staff. All others $5. Get more details.
What: UMKC women’s soccer vs. Bakersfield.
Where: UMKC’s Volker Campus, Durwood Soccer Stadium, Kansas City, Mo
When: 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1.
Get more details.
What: UMKC men’s soccer vs. San Jose State.
Where: UMKC’s Volker Campus, Durwood Soccer Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1.
Get more details.
What: UMKC women’s basketball vs. Rockhurst.
Where: UMKC’s Volker Campus, Swinney Recreation Center, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2.
Get more details.
What: UMKC volleyball vs. Utah Valley.
Where: UMKC’s Volker Campus, Swinney Recreation Center, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2.
Get more details.
What: UMKC men’s soccer vs. Seattle.
Where: UMKC’s Volker Campus, Durwood Soccer Stadium, Kansas City, Mo
When: 11 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 3.
Get more details.
What: UMKC women’s soccer vs. Utah Valley.
Where: UMKC’s Volker Campus, Durwood Soccer Stadium, Kansas City, Mo
When: 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 3.
Get more details.
What: The Sonance Media Exhibition and Interdisciplinary Event Series will present digital media, performance, and installation-based work every week in November and the first week of December. Spanning diverse disciplines such as dance, sound, video and installation, Sonance is the first of its kind at the UMKC Gallery of Art. The first event in the series will be “MIRO: generate. Degenerate,” a multimedia dance performance using only sustainable energy. All sound, media, and light will be powered by the physical actions of the performers.
Where: Gallery of Art, Fine Arts Building, 5100 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 5.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: The Sonance Media Exhibition and Interdisciplinary Event Series will present digital media, performance, and installation-based work every week in November and the first week of December. Spanning diverse disciplines such as dance, sound, video and installation, Sonance is the first of its kind at the UMKC Gallery of Art. The second event in the series will be “Visual Reverberations: Local artist Robert Howsare in Conversation with Assistant Professor Cristina Albu.
Where: Gallery of Art, Fine Arts Building, 5100 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 3 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 7.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: Exhibition by UMKC Studio Art adjunct faculty, Dylan Mortimer. His exhibition, “Illuminate” will be on display at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.
Where: Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, 12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, Kan.
When: Now through Feb. 9.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: “The Fox on the Fairway,” starring three-time Academy Award nominee Dyan Cannon. This chaotic comedy takes audiences on a hilarious romp that pulls the rug out from underneath the stuffy denizens of a private country club.
Where: The New Theatre Restaurant, 9299 Foster, Overland Park, Kan.
When: Now through Nov. 3.
UMKC Connection: Co-owners Dennis Hennessy and Richard Carrothers are both UMKC graduates and both were presented in 2012 with honorary doctorates by the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences.
Get more details.
What: The Kansas City Repertory Theatre presents “The Foreigner,” a play about a man named Charlie Baker who needs to get away, and his friend Froggy knows just the place – his favorite fishing lodge in rural Georgia.
Where: Spencer Theatre, 4949 Cherry St, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Through Nov. 3.
Get more details.