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: A Night of Poetry
Spoken word artists Azure Antionette and Mayda del Valle will perform “A Night of Poetry” at the University of Missouri-Kansas City at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26 in Pierson Auditorium, Atterbury Student Success Center. A reception will take place at 5:30 p.m.
Listed in O Magazine as one of 20 on “O’s First-Ever Power List,”Antionette describes herself as a poet, spoken word artist, freelance photographer and youth and arts advocate. In November 2012, she was named a global ambassador of 10×10, a global campaign dedicated to the education of girls. Azure is actively involved in the promotion of 10×10’s feature film, “Girl Rising,” which will be released this month.
del Valle is a poet, spoken word artist, writer and performer and has been described by the Chicago Sun Times as having “a way with words.” Also listed as one of Forbes magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women, del Valle was the winner of the 2011 National Poetry Slam Individual Champion and has performed at the White House.
On March 27, Azure and del Valle also will speak at the UMKC High School Connection, an annual half-day workshop for more than 200 high school girls of color.
What: Women of Color Leadership Conference Presents: A Night of Poetry.
Where: UMKC Pierson Auditorium, 5000 Holmes, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Tuesday, March 26, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.
Friday, March 22 – Thursday, March 28
What: “Santa Muerte” is a new exhibition concentrating on the dramatic increase in violence 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 St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Through April 5.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: A senior recital with Teri Quinn, composer; Russell Thorpe, alto sax/bass clarinet; Caleb Madison, tenor; Sarah Beth Mundy, narrator; Mark Lauer, bassoon; Samuel Fifield, piano; Michael Miller, bass clarinet; James Westbrook, bass clarinet; Michael O’Brien, flute; Joshua Wise, cello; C. Bradley Van Wick, Rhodes piano; and Sarah Cantrell, percussion.
Where: White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Friday, March 22, 7:30 p.m.
It’s free. 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: Conservatory Connections: Soma Athanaton (Eternal Body). Composer/performer Brad Van Wick joins visual artists Chris Daharsh and Alli Litwicki for a multi-media performance inspired by Medieval monks, their cloister, and their ideas.
Where: Medieval Cloister, gallery P7, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Saturday, March 23, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
It’s free. Get more details.
What: Senior Recital with Brandon Scott Russell, tenor and Lee D. Thompson, piano.
Where: St. John’s United Methodist Church, 6900 Ward Pkwy, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Sunday, March 24, 5 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 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 St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Through April 6.
UMKC Connection: The KC Rep is UMKC’s professional theatre in-residence.
Get more details.