Artist Salon

Artist Salon Spotlight: Meet Stasi Bobo-Ligon!

By: Emma Stuart

This is the start of a segment of blogs highlighting local artists that will be involved in the Artist’s Salon, sponsored by the Women’s Center at the InterUrban ArtHouse on April 1, 6-7 p.m. This posting is about local artist Stasi Bobo-Ligon. Staci is a local to Kansas City and studied at UMKC before moving to Chicago. In Chicago she attended the Art Institute of Chicago where she developed her art as a contemporary artist. While studying there she received highly sought after, Art House Studio Gallery’s Artist-in-Residence position. While maintaining her residency her art practice thrived and allowed her to create an expansive portfolio. She is currently showing work at the InterUrban ArtHouse. To get to know our featured speakers we asked them some questions about themselves and their work.

Q: What is your preferred medium of creativity?

“My preferred medium of creativity is mixed media. I like to mix painting, with collage and assemblage work.”

Q: What is your interest in participating in the Artist’s Salon?

“I am always interested in exchanging information, feedback and ideas about what inspires and motivates creatives. I’m especially excited about this Artist Salon because I have the opportunity to talk with a diverse group of women about what motivated and inspired us to create for this show—I’m looking forward to hearing about and learning from their experiences! Also, I’m excited to be part of an art program hosted by UMKC’s Women’s Center because I’m an alum of the university.”

Q: What is a source of inspiration for your work?

“Because I currently have a full time job taking up most of my time, often, a primary source of my work is an emotional reaction or response to a moment. Like for example, the inspiration for my work in the Her Art/Their Art show was/is my reaction to various women rapper’s braggadocious and vulgar lyrics in their songs, as well as my reaction to last year’s Grammy performance by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion while rapping their collab, ‘WAP’.”

Q: Are there any projects you are currently working on that you are excited about?

“I’m excited about the Her Art/Their Art show because of the diversity of perspectives being shared artistically.”

Q: How do you see the intersection of art and gender in your own work? And how has this empowered you, or others?

“The intersection exists because I deliberately see and interpret the world through an identity that is first Black and then cisgender female. That empowers me because my art helps me share a perspective that can be left up to interpretation by the receiver.”

If you are interested learning more about Stasi and her work, she has a profile on The Art House Gallery linked here. And if you want to hear what Stasi has to say on the intersection of art and gender join us at the InterUrban ArtHouse on April 14, 6-7 p.m. for our discussion-, “Gender, Art, and Power”.

 

Artist Salon Spotlight: Meet Brittany Noriega!

By: Emma Stuart

This is the continuation of a segment of blog highlighting local artists that will be involved in the Artist’s Salon, sponsored by the Women’s Center at the InterUrban ArtHouse on April 14, 6-7 p.m. This segment is about local artist Brittany Noriega. Brittany is a graphite and mixed media artist who is greatly motivated by emotional experience. She is very interested in the study of psychology and sociology and explores their impacts on the individual through her work. Her works have an ethereal air that echo the emotive state individuals feel when they are experiencing times of change, struggle, and revival. She often tells a narrative with her highly detailed work that focuses on the overcoming and healing of trauma. Her work is currently being shown at the InterUrban ArtHouse in the “Her Art/Their Art Exhibition”. To get to know our featured speakers we asked them some questions about themselves and their work.

Q: What is your preferred medium of creativity?

“My personal artwork is mostly visual art, usually graphite. I am also the creator of Core. Magazine, a local arts zine. I enjoy showing off how beautiful, creative, and diverse our arts community is, as well as telling artists’ stories.”

Q: What is your interest in participating in the Artist’s Salon? 

“I think that having discussions about what moves us, especially as women, is really important. My artwork is centered in personal stories of abuse, trauma, and overcoming challenges. Speaking about these topics opens up doors to give other women space to heal, or rejoice, or just connect.”

Q: What is a source of inspiration for your work?

“As mentioned above, my work is centered in storytelling, mostly things that I have experienced in my life. My goal is to create a spark that starts a conversation about what women go through every day⁠—the good and the bad. I am consistently inspired by the amazing women in my life, family and friends.”

Q: Are there any projects you are currently working on that you are excited about? 

“I was recently awarded a one-year residency with InterUrban Arthouse for their Centerpieces for Social Justice program. I will be creating a centerpiece for the Her Art/Their Art exhibition next year.”

Q: How do you see the intersection of art and gender in your own work? And how has this empowered you, or others?

“I started drawing about my own life in 2016, as a way to move through the things I have experienced and to heal. I let the process lead me and it has become much more than I ever anticipated. Finding new ways to have hard conversations about trauma has led to some really amazing opportunities. It has been very empowering and healing, but the most important thing to me now is opening up so that other women feel like they can, too.”

If you are interested in learning more about Brittany’s work, you can visit her website here. Her Instagram handle is @bmnoriega, and her work currently being displayed at the InterUrban ArtHouse. If you are interested in hearing her stance on the intersection of art and gender join us at our discussion, “Artist Salon: Gender, Art, Power”.  The event will take place at the InterUrban ArtHouse on April 14, from 6-7 p.m.

Artist Salon Spotlight: Meet Joy Zimmerman!

By: Emma Stuart

This segment is a continuation of the segment of blogs highlighting local artists that will be involved in the Artist’s Salon, sponsored by the Women’s Center at the InterUrban ArtHouse on April 14th.

This posting is all about  local singer songwriter Joy Zimmerman. She recently debuted a song called “Women Who Walk on Water” with an event at the InterUrban ArtHouse, accompanied by an exhibit. This exhibit is dedicated to important women throughout history, who are highlighted through a portrait gallery in the InterUrban ArtHouse gallery space and are mentioned in Joy’s song. To get to know our featured speakers we asked them some questions about themselves and their work.

Q: What is your preferred medium of creativity?

“I’m a singer/songwriter and presenter.”

Q: What is your interest in participating in the Artist’s Salon?

“I think this panel will be a fascinating discussion, and I look forward to hearing

the perspectives and insights of the other panelists.”

Q: What is a source of inspiration for your work?

“I love writing and sharing songs about the scope of life experience. Reflecting on artists whose songs have been meaningful to me, I dive into the joys and struggles of my own life to spur ideas.”

Q:Are there any projects you are currently working on that you are excited about?

“I’m currently participating in the Artist INC program, working on new collaborations, practicing for upcoming gigs, arranging small tours, writing new songs for a forthcoming album, and looking forward to attending several conferences and a songwriting retreat.”

Q: How do you see the intersection of art and gender in your own work? And how has this empowered you, or others?

“Women are vastly underrepresented in the music industry, so I feel stronglyabout representing the female voice and perspective in songwriting, performing, recording, and producing. It was gratifying to write a song highlighting courageous women past and present and curate a hall of portraits and a concert to celebrate their impact.”

You can find Joy’s music on streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube Music and Pandora. To learn more about Joy and her work visit her website, and if you are interested in hearing Joy’s take on the intersection of art and gender join us at the InterUrban ArtHouse on April 14th for our Artist’s discussion.

Artist Salon Spotlight: Meet Natasha Ria El-Scari!

 

By: Emma Stuart

This segment is a continuation of the segment of blogs highlighting local artists that will be involved in the Artist’s Salon, sponsored by the Women’s Center at the InterUrban ArtHouse on April 1th at 6-7 p.m. Natasha Ria El-Scari will be one of the featured speakers at the event.

Natasha is a Kansas City local with many talents. She is a published poet and writer with 5 published written works. Her most well-known being “Mama Sutra: Love and Lovemaking Advice to my Son”, which is all about the conversations on lovemaking that she has had with her son. This is a non-fiction work those contrasts some of her other fiction work including “Growing Up Sina” and “The Only Other”. To get to know our featured speakers, we asked them some questions about themselves and their work.  Here’s what Natasha had to share with us: 

Q: What is your preferred medium of creativity?

“Poetry and specifically spoken word.”

Q: What is your interest in participating in the Artist’s Salon?

“ I am always elated to connect with other women artists in community. This event will be one of those beautiful times.”

Q: What is a source of inspiration for your work?

“The source of my inspiration is to create from the most authentic voice I can. That voice is that of a womanist, a woman, an African American, a mother and a lover.”

Q: Are there any projects you are currently working on that you are excited about?

“Currently, I am making attempts at completing my 6th book, Steelife. Each day it seems further away. I have another secret project in preparation now and I get giddy thinking of it. As an editor and manuscript developer I do admit that other’s work sometimes precedes mine. That is often the struggle of writers/artists who also teach and work in their field of passion. ”

Q: How do you see the intersection of art and gender in your own work? And how has this empowered you, or others? 

“I believe that my art as it intersects with gender completely empowers my intended audience, women, and girls but also the men who seek to and need to understand their perspective. There is something special about art and humor that allows people to see their oppression for what it is and to see their participation in others oppression. ” 

 If you are interested in learning more about Natasha’s work you can visit her website www.natasharia.com, which has information about her books, art, coaching services, and more. And if you want to hear more about what Natasha has to say about the intersection about art and gender join us at The InterUrban ArtHouse on April 14, 6-7 p.m. for our discussion- “Gender, Art, Power”.

Art on the Rise

Curators-ExhibitKansas City is filled with such vibrancy and beauty. It is notorious for its art scene. This March, The Women’s Center has events planned to shed light on some talented artists. We will be hosting events such as The 50 Women Exhibit, which is a groundbreaking art exhibit featuring the works of 50 diverse women artist from around the world and the contributions they are making to the ceramic arts. Makers Curate/Curators Make Exhibit, highlights the challenges and the creative parallels between curating and artistic production, and features work from those curating the 50 Women Exhibit. Six distinguished people in all fields of artistic production came together with a shared concept: to demonstrate that whether making or curating, their work is visionary. The Artist Salon will be a discussion of the status of women in the art world. While, Roos in the City will be a guided tour of the art exibit, 50 Women: A Celebration of Women’s Contributions to Ceramics in the Changing Gallery. 3-19-16 Roos in the City-01The admission, transportation and lunch will be included.

When you think of great masters in art, you most likely have a male artist that comes to mind. It is of the utmost importance to elevate these fantastic female artist into the public eye; to display art that demands to be seen, and to recognize, celebrate, and promote awareness of the multicultural realities of women’s lives – particularly across race, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, class, age, and ability. This is exactly what we aim to do through these events, and through the Women’s Center’s Her Art Project. The Her Art Project strives to support the achievements of female artists of all disciplines. Focusing on advocacy, education, and support, the Her Art Project takes action to ensure that women are included, recognized, and celebrated for their artistic contributions. 50-Women-exhibit-SCALAArtist-Salon-SCALA