Artspeak Radio May Edition

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, noon – 1pm CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes artists Cydney Ross, Alix Daniel, Miller Bogart and Jonathan Vargas with Bogart Gallery, artist Carlos Quintana, and Damon Armstrong Founder and Executive Artistic Director of The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City.

“Restoring Refuge” by Cydney Ross and Alix Daniel
Installation occurring at Kill Creek Park in May 2023 – along with a companion exhibit at the Arts & Heritage Center!
Cydney Ross and Alix Daniel are the artists in residence for the Art and Natural Resource Residency with Johnson County Park & Recreation District. The residency includes an immersive experience with the JCPRD Natural Resources Team at Kill Creek Park, the creation of an ephemeral public art piece, and an artist-led community engagement project on May 6th, 2023.
Snaking its way across the prairie, “Restoring Refuge” speaks to celebrating and protecting our prairies. As artists and naturalists, we consider what it means to be displaced from home. We also want you to think about what refuge means for wildlife and people alike. Inspiration comes from ongoing visits to Kill Creek Park with natural resource staff and guest conservationists. Hibernaculum, which house overwintering wildlife, and stacked stone structures are only a couple references in this installation.
Alternating cedar poles and dry plant material, the elongated structure stretches across the prairie. Native seeds, clay, and soil are used for small sculptures and details. Windows allow visitors to view prairie-inspired sculptures made during the community engagement workshop.
This sculpture will experience all types of weather, prescribed burns, and break down. Over time, the sown seed installation will contribute to prairie restoration efforts. Our hope is that we all consider our impact on natural areas and how we can better steward the land. A companion exhibit will be on display at Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center in May 2023.
Join Us on May 6th at Kill Creek Park!
Public Art on the Prairie and Guided Nature Walk with Alix Daniel and Cydney Ross
Saturday, May 6th at Kill Creek Park, 11670 Homestead Lane, Olathe, KS 66061
Collaborative Seed Sculpture Workshop: 10am-12pm; limit 20 people; family-friendly workshop. Free! Learn about Kill Creek prairie restoration and collaborate on a public art installation with artist and naturalist duo, Cydney Ross and Alix Daniel! Using natural materials such as clay, stems, wood, cordage, and native prairie seeds, participants will make seed sculptures that contribute to this ephemeral, public art installation. Participants should wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothes that they don’t mind getting a little dirty! The use of reusable water bottles, sunscreen, bug spray, hat, and sunglasses are recommended.
Guided Nature Walk: 1-3pm; limit 15 people, ages 12 and up. Free! Spark your curiosity for the prairie with an enthusiastic conversation about art, native plants, and more with artist and naturalist duo, Cydney Ross and Alix Daniel! Join them for a leisurely nature walk through Kill Creek Prairie and learn more about ongoing prairie restoration efforts. We will view their recently installed public art piece and explore what is blooming across the prairie. Participants should wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothes and sturdy walking/hiking footwear. The use of reusable water bottles, sunscreen, bug spray, hat, and sunglasses are strongly encouraged
• Cydney Ross (she/her) was raised throughout the Greater Kansas City area, and has set down roots in Kansas City, Missouri with cat, Max. She earned a BFA in ceramics from Kansas City Art Institute in 2013 and maintains a fine arts practice in ceramics and mixed media in the Crossroads Arts District. Cydney has always had a naturalist spirit, with her earliest memories hiking, floating Missouri rivers, camping with her family, and gardening with her mom. Her endless curiosity, stewardship for the earth, and background in the arts encourages her to enthusiastically inspire folks to connect with nature. She proudly leads LGBTQ+ inclusive nature programs throughout the Kansas City area and is a self-proclaimed “native plant nerd.” Cydney is a native landscape specialist at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City, a Certified Interpretive Guide, and a Missouri Master Naturalist with the Osage Trails Chapter.
• Alix Daniel (she/her) grew up on the tallgrass prairies of Kansas in a family of gardeners and teachers. She loves sharing her knowledge of native plants with the public in her role as Native Landscape Specialist at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City. In her position she combines her decade of landscaping experience with her love of nature. Her favorite flower (this year) is spider lily (Hymenocallis virginiana).

MILLER BOGART, CARLOS QUINTANA, JONATHAN VARGAS
Located in the heart of the United States, the city of Kansas City becomes the ideal host for an exhibition featuring the vibrant and engaging art of the globally-renowned Cuban artist Carlos Quintana. Titled “In the Middle,” this exhibition invites viewers to become immersed in the universe of Quintana’s artwork and mind, where his masterful brushwork and intense use of color transport the viewer to the very center of his creative universe.
Throughout his long and illustrious career, Quintana has continued to refine his artistic language, developing a unique style that speaks to his own personal experience as a Cuban artist living and working within the global art world. His work is characterized by the fusion of figurative and abstract elements, which are seamlessly blended to create a highly dynamic and visually arresting style.
At its core, “In the Middle” is a celebration of Quintana’s extraordinary vision and his unique ability to create art that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience the full breadth of Quintana’s artistic language in the Midwest.
According to the artist – considered by many to be a self-taught master – now, in his fifties, he still studies drawing, painting, and perspective. He once said:
“Paint in your youth so you won’t have to when you’re older”
Maybe this helps to comprehend his reluctance to fit in or catalog himself and exemplifies our difficulties in compiling this text. Places, dates, times, and locations are not easily recorded for you the reader. Perhaps, this is because the art of Carlos Quintana supersedes all these things and stands alone. His paintings are of the past and future, of any time or place, and an amalgamation of the vast cultural, historical, and religious knowledge the artist incorporates into his works.
We do know that there are too many important moments in his career, collections, museums, and exhibitions for them all not to be mentioned. However, we will mention a select few. Exhibitions include at art institutions such as the Venice Biennale, Vatican Museum, National Arts Club, Panama Museum of Contemporary Art, and National Museum of Fine Arts Havana. His works are also held in the Museu Colecao Berado in Lisbon, Rubin Museum of Art in New York, The Gilbert Brownstone Foundation in Paris, and the Gary Nader Collection in Miami, among others.
Simply stated his artwork has been present from the early 1990s at the most important art fairs in Europe, the United States, Asia, and Latin America, and his works have been shown at important galleries and contemporary art centers around the world.Carlos Quintana is an extraordinarily active artist, and his story has not yet come to an end.
Gallery Bogart in the West Bottoms at 1400 Union Avenue KCMO www.gallerybogart.com

DAMON ARMSTRONG- The Black Repertory Theater of Kansas City is accepting registration for Young Actor’s Summer Conservatory, ages 6-19
Young Actor’s Summer Conservatory 2023-YASC is a 4-week theatre intensive run by The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City, a professional non-profit 501(c)3 theatre based in Jackson County, MO. Under the direction of Damron Russel Armstrong, students will be trained by theatre professionals in drama, dance, music, stagecraft, and African American theatre history. The program culminates in a fully-staged production. Students must be available for the duration of the program. The conservatory runs Monday through Friday from 1 to 6 pm beginning June 5 through the show date of July 1. A limited number of scholarships are available to qualifying students.
Disney’s The Jungle Book will be in-person performance at the Gem Theater, June 5 – July 1. Gem Theater is located at 1615 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO
Get in touch 816–832–1269
PO Box 410294 Kansas City, MO 64141 www.brtkc.org
Mission statement
The mission of The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City is to educate and inspire our community by presenting and promoting appreciation for African-American culture through our stories.
Vision statement
The vision of The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City is a united community embracing stories of the African-American experience.
Damron Russel Armstrong is a producer/director/actor who spent his formative years right here in Kansas City. He has worked on most of the stages Kansas City has to offer. He’s been a familiar fixture at Unicorn Theatre, The Coterie Theatre, Theatre for Young America, The American Heartland Theatre, The Living Room Theatre, Chestnut Fine Arts Center, New Theatre Restaurant, and Kansas City Actors Theatre.
After graduating from Ruskin High School, Damron sought to further his education in New York, where he received the best education of life. The practical application of that knowledge is working on the professional stage. He has performed nationally in A Raisin in the Sun (Arizona Theatre Co.); The Full Monty (Show Palace, FL); Children of Eden (Papermill Playhouse NJ); and Dreamgirls (The Palace, NH) – just to name a few. As a director, his credits also range from local to international, including Three Guy Naked from the Waist Down…A Comedy (TANSTAAFL, KC); Assassins (The Barn, KS); and Red Hot and Jazz (Piza Festival, Guatemala).
Embarking on this new adventure in his career as Executive Artistic Director of The Black Repertory Theatre is met with joy and excitement. The idea of giving back to his community is the reason for this journey. “I hope you will join us on this adventure!”
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