Artspeak Radio with Heath Church and Vulpes Bastille

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, January 8, 2025, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes musician Heath Church and Elinore Noyes Vupes Bastille Communitcation Director, Jason Comotto, Vulpes Bastille Operation Director, and Tanith K, Gallery Athanor, Curator and owner.

HEATH CHURCH – “Sacred Talks” reflects on the fading art of deep, meaningful conversation. I wrote this song because I wanted to encourage connection in a disconnected world. You know that moment when you put yourself out there in a friendship for the first time and openup about something really personal? This song is about that moment and vulnerable, healing, conversations. I recorded this track in my home studio & doubled many of the guitars and vocals.”
Heath Church is a singer-songwriter from the Midwest whose music is best described as dreamy indie-folk. His inspirations range from folk music legends including Johnny Cash, Blaze Foley, and John Prine to more recent indie artists such as Elliott Smith, Odie Leigh, Eels, and The Japanese House. Warm acoustic guitar tracks with layered vocals and undeniably catchy lyrics are all part of Heath Church’s signature sound which has been described as “Midwestern Heartbreak”. Since he first began his journey with songwriting over a decade ago, he has released multiple EPs & singles and has played over a hundred shows. Heath Church now shares his life experiences on stages across the country.

ELINORE NOYES, Vulpes Bastille, Communications Director 
JASON COMOTTO, Vulpes Bastille, Operations Director 
TANITH K, Gallery Athanor, Curator and Owner 

Vulpes Bastille is an artist-run studio and gallery space located in the East Crossroads District of Kansas City, MO. Housed in a 100-year-old renovated dancehall, it provides emerging and local artists with affordable spaces to create and display their work. With a commitment to supporting Kansas City’s artistic community at every stage of the creative process, Vulpes Bastille hosts monthly exhibitions through an annual open call, and offers studio rentals when available.
Vulpes Bastille is an ideal venue for experimental and installation-based exhibitions, with an emphasis on giving artists full control over their shows. Exhibitions are selected through an annual open call, with priority given to students and emerging artists. As a result, Vulpes Bastille has become a creative fortress for artists of all backgrounds and career levels, sustaining a diverse community of artists over the past decade.
Wreck Room
• Fri, Jan 3, 2025 6:00 PM Fri, Jan 24, 2025 6:00 PM
• Vulpes Bastille
MAIN GALLERY An exhibition by Craig Auge, Kylie McConnell, and Devin Goebel

Symbiosis III
• Fri, Jan 3, 2025 6:00 PM Fri, Jan 24, 2025 6:00 PM
• Vulpes Bastille
SUB GALLERY An exhibition by Lily Erb

Vulpes Bastille is located at 1737 Locust St. KCMO www.vulpesbastille.com

TANITH K (they/them) is a trans, disabled abstract artist and maximalist curator living and working in their hometown of Kansas City, Missouri with a black cat named Kenzie. They are a self-taught painter, graphic designer, and gallery curator with a background in historical research and tech. Since childhood, they have been curious about the hows and the why people are as they are. What makes us tick? Where do we develop our thought processes? How can someone be simultaneously hypervisible and deliberately invisible? 
​Tanith’s art reflects upon their personal trans, queer, and disabled experiences as well as the exploration of the general Human Condition. Philosophy, history, emotions, current events, and more inform their work throughout the creative process. As famously put by everyone’s favorite green boy: “Ogres have layers,” and so do we.
​Tanith plays with organized chaos. Just like life, it is messy, fun, mind-boggling, and beautiful. Each layer builds upon the next to create a whole and no piece is complete without them. They aim to capture the struggle and joy of living authentically in a world that demands manufactured personalities and one-dimensionality. Their methods include acrylic and digital paints to create abstract works with a focus on color, texture, shape, and movement.
Since 2019, Tanith’s artwork has been featured at InterUrban ArtHouse, Lodger Arts, and The Smalter Gallery. Their art is in multiple homes across the United States and lives on three separate continents. They have collaborated with St Louis poet Waleska Font (she/her), Kansas City muralist Jared Horman (he/him), and Oklahoman abstract artist Bryan Boone (he/him). They were a guest on Open the Doors Coaching’s podcast Keep Them Coming to chaotically and lovingly discuss transness with fellow ADHDer and certified sex coach Kristen Thomas. They served on the Board and as Vice-President of local arts non-profit No Divide KC between 2020 and 2022, an organization that amplifies queer stories and voices through both visual mediums and performance. Community and collaboration inspire Tanith in all parts of their life.

Gallery Athanor is a private in-home alternative art space and curatorial project! I opened in fall 2022. It is cozy and intimate at a whopping ~200 square feet. My curatorial style is unconventionally balanced, finding unheard conversations and unique foundations between artists, their art, and each other. I love a full-grid gallery wall with a gentle touch of informal composition. I pull from my values as an art collector myself as well as my personal practice as an artist whenever I curate. I crave visual interest and maximalism delivers.
 
My goal for Gallery Athanor is to create an alternative art space that reflects casual collections and real-world art displays found in homes, as well as transform traditional barriers that often bar artists from entering into pre-determined art circles. This ambition is reflected in the gallery’s name. An athanor is a legendary if not outright mythical, alchemical furnace that is able to hold the perfect steady temperature necessary for transmutation. Through consistency, patience, and care, elements transform into something entirely different and new. 
I aim to reflect actual collector practices through a wide range of accessible pricing, styles, and mediums. I want to introduce collectors to artists they might not have met otherwise and I want to give artists an opportunity to witness their works on the walls of a house and as part of a (albeit short-lived) collection. 
​I have three (3) exhibitions a year, each with its own open call. Shows run six (6) weekends on Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4pm by appointment. I hope patrons can find space to breathe during this private moment and give themselves the time they want to experience with these temporary collections. Consider signing up for the gallery newsletter to get exhibition news delivered right into your inbox!
​Gallery Athanor is committed to working with artists at all stages of their careers whatever their skill levels or backgrounds.  Authenticity, passion, and a desire for growth are valued well over pedigree. Nothing is more punk than the destruction of hierarchies and finding the beauty in the collective. 
www.thetanith.com

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