Artspeak Radio + Whim Productions, Blair Schulman, & Matt Dehaemers

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes one of the original co-host of Artspeak Radio and art writer, Blair Schulman, artist Matt Dehaemers, and Kevin King & Abigail Birkett with Whim Productions.

BLAIR SCHULMAN Midwest Agenda Launches Fundraising Campaign to Boost Social Media Presence and Support Regional Arts Midwest Agenda, the leading community service website dedicated to promoting art and artists in the Midwest, announces the launch of its first-ever fundraising campaign,”Marketing Midwest Agenda.” Founder Blair Schulman seeks sponsors to achieve a $6,000 fundraising goal to enhance the platform’s social media presence on TikTok and Instagram. Since its inception in 2021, Midwest Agenda has been a valuable resource for regional artists, galleries, and arts organizations. Now, with the Marketing Midwest Agenda campaign, the platform aims to expand its reach, connect with new audiences, and further promote the rich arts and culture of the Midwest.

Key Points of the Campaign:
1. Fundraising Goal: Midwest Agenda seeks to raise $6,000 through its Marketing Midwest Agenda campaign. The funds will boost the platform’s social media presence and support regional arts initiatives.
2. Tax-Deductible Support: In collaboration with a non-profit fiscal agent, contributions to Marketing Midwest Agenda are tax-deductible. The platform has partnered with Fractured Atlas, a renowned non-profit arts service organization, to ensure that sponsors can benefit from tax advantages.
3. Enhancing Social Media Presence: The campaign aims to amplify Midwest Agenda’s visibility on TikTok and Instagram, creating a more engaging and dynamic platform for regional artists, galleries, and arts organizations.
4. Content Quality and Collaboration: Partnerships are sought to invest in content production and professional collaborations. Sponsors will have the opportunity to receive exclusive updates and access to Midwest Agenda’s actively engaged community.
5. Founder’s Commitment: Blair Schulman, the founder of Midwest Agenda, dedicates substantial time to curate and promote regional art. Daily efforts include seeking regional art spaces, managing listings, staying informed about crucial regional art stories, and publishing daily Art News stories along with TikTok videos and Instagram reels.
6. Dedication to Supporting the Midwest Arts: Midwest Agenda, created by Blair Schulman, an experienced art writer, remains committed to directly promoting
and supporting local artwork, artists, arts organizations, and galleries in the Midwest.

Schulman expressed enthusiasm about the Marketing Midwest Agenda campaign, stating,”Our goal is to not only elevate the platform’s social media presence but also to strengthen our support for the vibrant arts community in the Midwest. We invite sponsors to join us in this exciting journey and become integral to our mission.”
Marketing Midwest Agenda is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Marketing Midwest Agenda must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” and are tax-deductible.
Midwest Agenda is a unique community service platform founded in 2021 by Blair Schulman. Focused on promoting and supporting local artwork, artists, galleries, and arts organizations in the Midwest, the platform serves as a hub for connecting the regional arts community.
Blair Schulman 816-533-6417
[email protected]
Platform website: Midwest Agenda
Instagram: midwestagenda
TikTok: midwestagenda Personal website: Blair Schulman

MATTHEW DEHAEMERS The “Parade of Hearts” (TheParadeofHearts.com) today revealed the first Heart (of 101 total) for 2024 at Union Station. The special heart is entitled Pathway to Healing by artist Matt Dehaemers. One side will feature Deheamers original painting and the other, an interactive art feature for the public where Kansas Citians are invited to add handwritten, positive messages on small heart decals. When complete, the heart – including the public notes – will be clear coated and placed with the other hearts across Kansas City.
“As we were preparing for another season, we saw the need to express our love for the community and to those affected by recent events,” says Jenn Nussbeck, Executive Director for Parade of Hearts.

“Parade of Hearts is an art experience with the goal of uniting our region and making it stronger. We commissioned this special heart as an act of healing and positivity. To bring people together with myriad messages of hope both from and to our community.”
Public participation is encouraged and appreciated. The Pathway to Healing Heart is open for public participation today 3/6 from 10am to 5:30pm, Wednesday from 10 am – 5:30 pm and Thursday 3/7 from 10am – 12:30pm

“Unlike a maze that is full of dead ends and confusion, a labyrinth is an active meditation trusting that the path will not mislead you. This heart has one continuous linear path that finds its way around the KC eventually ends at the heart in the center. Whether tracing your finger along the path on this heart or walking one on the floor, it is an opportunity to reflect, take stock in ourselves and in this case our community. With that in mind, the ability to contribute a word, small phrase or simple drawing is an opportunity for us all to share our encouragement and hope. We come together seeking solutions while we cope with the losses in our community. There is an inner connectedness shared by us all as represented by the small hearts radiating out from the center orange heart. The connectedness of all these decal hearts brings to life the emotion and hopeful thoughts of our community. They are testament to our ability reflect on our community as we walk a hope-filled labyrinth, a pathway to healing. The poem that surrounds the heart is from the book Labyrinth Heart by Naiad. It speaks to how we are not alone on the path. We are walking arm and arm together, dedicating ourselves to find a better tomorrow.”
The 2024 Parade of Hearts will officially kick off on Saturday, April 13 th from 10am to 4pm at The American Royal when all 101 hearts will be on display for a single day before they are dispersed throughout the region. This kickoff event will be open for the public to view all hearts, meet artists, and include fun activities for all ages. Tickets for the preview will be on sale in mid-March. $10 adults. $5 for kids. Children 2 & under will be free.
The final 101 locations for the 2024 hearts have been selected to showcase the unique and varied cities and neighborhoods that make up the greater Kansas City area. All hearts will be publicly accessible and details for each heart and heart artist, as well as the areas in which they’ve been placed will be available at TheParadeOfHearts.com.
The mission for the Parade of Hearts is to unite our region through an incredible public art experience. Original artwork based on the KC Heart will be placed around the region and promoted as a tourism activity. The goal is to set a national example of unification, truly showing the country we are the heartland with a common purpose of making our communities strong. Embracing Kansas City’s place as the “heart of America,” the event will energize the local economy, boost tourism, revitalize retail and service sectors, and raise funds for those in need.

In addition, Dehaemer has an upcoming project, “I was just awarded the Johnson County Art and Natural Resources residency by the Johnson County Parks and Rec. to start at the beginning of April. I also continue to develop Compass Prairie and Art Farm. I grow cut flowers for public cutting and farmers markets. I also invest my time in taking care of a 10 acre remnant prairie on our Douglas county farm. Working toward further opportunities that mix art with the natural environment.
Matt received his BFA from Creighton University and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin. His national public art commissions include the recent work Confluence of Place and Time for Casper, Wyoming as well as Patterns of Energy commissioned by the Missouri Department of Transportation. Matt is embarking on a new body of personal work inaugurated with the sculptural work Descendants. Dehaemers has also continued to produce unique issue focused installations for various art center such as Project Reclamation for the Leedy-Voulkos Arts Center, Watered Down for the Creighton University Lied Center and (402)Disconnect/Reconnect for the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art among others. He has been awarded the Kansas Arts Commission Fellowship Award, the Joan Mitchell Fellowship, four Public Art Network Recognitions, an NAACP Community Contribution Award as well as numerous residencies. www.matthewdehaemers.com

KEVIN KING-ABIGAIL BIRKETT of Whim Productions present, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, March 1-17. Set in 1979, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove tells the story of seven women gathering in Bluefish Cove, a fictional lesbian colony on the northeast coast. The expected tranquility is upended when Eva, a recently divorced straight woman arrives.

Whim Productions creates challenging and evocative queer theater. We’re dedicated to producing works written by LGBTQ+ writers with narratives that center queer characters. We strive to share the diversity of queer lives with Kansas City audiences and enable LGBTQ+ theater artists to tell their own stories.

Whim performs at Whim Space, 415 Prospect, KCMO www.whimproductions.org

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