Maria welcomes Kansas City Zine Con, singer/songwriter/author Heather Thornton, and Bess Wallerstein Huff with the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to discuss the Future Stages Festival.
Kansas City Zine Con, an upcoming zine fest in Kansas City, aims to highlight Midwestern zine artists during a free day-long exhibition of Do-It-Yourself publishing. Independent zine makers, both local and regional, will exhibit their works for sale or trade. The conference will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2015 from 11 AM to 7 PM in the Valentine Room at the historic Uptown Theater on 3900 Broadway in Kansas City, MO. Donations are currently being accepted for conference operating expenses.
The Kansas City Zine Con will be free to the public with exhibits, workshops, guest speakers, and featured local and national artists. A youth component will be available for children and teens to exchange zines and participate in hands-on activities. Activists, artists, writers, hobbyists, philosophers, illustrators, comedians, poets, and anyone who has something to share are encouraged to create their own zines to distribute at the conference. Those interested in officially exhibiting their zines can register for table display space by completing an online application at http://www.kczinecon.org/ Donations can be made through the Indiegogo crowdsourcing campaign until July 1, 2015 at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kc-zine-con.
Kansas City needs safe spaces where people can share ideas, thoughts, and personal experiences, and zine fests are an ideal example of that. Independent publishing formats like zines allow people to share ideas beyond traditionally sanctioned media outlets. This freeing exchange can promote authenticity, creativity, critical thinking, and whimsical fun that isn’t motivated by profit, but rather, a simple desire to create and share with one another.
The 2015 Kansas City Zine Con is organized by Marc Saviano, Jessica Hogan, Amos Leager, Adam Davidson, and Stevie M.I.
For more information please visit http://www.kczinecon.org/ For general inquiries, please send an email to [email protected].
HEATHER THORNTON
I just released my new album “Working for a Living – ain’t what it used to be” in April. I think it is my best album yet! I wrote, produced, did the graphic design, and all of the recording except for the piano. The album is of a blend of pop, jazz, blues, rock, and doo wop, heavy on the background vocals.
My project for children is Heather’s Art Garden. The goal is to spread love and respect for the earth and all living things through music, literature, and art 🙂
I have written 9 books for children, although only one is fully illustrated and ready for editing, formatting, and mass production. It is called “All People are Beautiful” and is about diversity, inclusion, ambition, and how it is OK to be different.
Also coming out of Heather’s Art Garden…..MUSIC. I have formed a 6 piece band to present the original children’s music in the form of a 50 minute show. We dress up in costumes, we all have characters, and it is literally the MOST FUN I have ever had! We are currently recording our first album out of my studio called “The Earth is a Beautiful Place”. We have a double show coming up on July 19th at Lakeside Nature Center. The kids AND parents always have a terrific time and we are able to work in animal demonstrations to reinforce our theme.
www.heathersartgarden.com
www.heatherthorntonmusic.com
FUTURE STAGES FESTIVAL
Celebrating diversity in the arts, Future Stages Festival showcases youth in the performing arts. This community event will include family-friendly interactive activities and a diverse range of arts experiences for the whole family.
Future Stages Festival will be held at the Kauffman Center on Sunday, June 28, 2015 from 11:00 am–4:00 pm. The one-day festival, an extension of the Kauffman Center’s Open Doors Spotlight on Youth program, will also provide opportunities for youth and community arts organizations to perform on stage at Kauffman Center.
Future Stages Festival is open to the public and attendees are encouraged to register for free online below or by phone at 816.994.7222 to receive the latest event updates and schedule for performances and activities. All ages are welcome and programming is suggested as most suitable for families with youth ages 4-15.
For more information; call 816.994-7222 or visit kauffmancenter.org/futurestages