Artspeak Radio with MAYA exhibition, Albrecht-Kemper, & Third Friday Art Walk KCK

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, August 17, 2022, noon – 1pm CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org
Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes Sofia Catalina Paredes Maury Executive Director and Curator of La Ruta Maya Foundation, Megan Benitz Albrecht-Kemper Exhibition Manager, artist Deanna Dikeman, Third Friday Art Walk in KCK LaCherish Thompson, and Caroline Meek.

SOFIA CATALINA PAREDES MAURY, Executive Director and Curator of La Ruta Maya Foundation
Founded on October 25, 1990 by Wilbur Garrett, retired editor of the National Geographic Magazine, La Ruta Maya Conservation Foundation is organized as a nonprofit in the United States under the laws of the State of Virginia. Since 2004 the presidency is held by Mr. Fernando Paiz, a Guatemalan businessman recognized for his support to the arts, culture and education. In 2007 starts operations in Guatemala, where is registered in the Ministry of the Interior as Fundación La Ruta Maya.

MAYA In the tropical rainforests, the Classical Maya civilization reached improbable heights and mysteriously collapsed. The bustling ancient cities in the lowlands of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras were abandoned. Yet, Maya culture has never disappeared. Their descendants still live across Central America and Maya communities have succeeded in preserving their identity, languages and traditions. Taking a cultural-ecological approach, Maya, gives a holistic image of Maya culture and shows how it has developed over time in relation to its environment—from its classical peak to the present.
Visitors can explore the awe-inspiring Maya architecture and astonishing cultural accomplishments in immersive exhibition spaces, decipher hieroglyphs, learn about the intricate Maya calendar or explore the ancient burial site of Uxul and, above all, get to know how this remarkably sophisticated civilization could built such complex cities in the middle of the jungle, why these cities were eventually abandoned and in what ways Maya culture has changed since then.

Welcome to MAYA
The exhibition shows when and the reasons why the Maya settled in the jungle and built their cities there. It also reveals how a large population could survive for hundreds of years in the jungle and why ultimately the Maya abandoned their cities and transformed their society.
Over 300 artifacts primarily date from 200 through 900 AD. Most objects have never traveled to North America. The lending institutions have one of the most important Maya collections in the world.

Welcome to a new view of the Maya people
A sophisticated civilization buried in the heart of the rainforest
Immerse yourself in the genius of the Maya – early disrupters living in cities of stone carved into the rainforest. By studying the stars they developed a calendar more accurate than any other in the world. Their discovery of the number zero opened the door for advanced mathematics. Rubber balls were essential to Maya sports centuries before the “discovery” of vulcanized rubber. And they introduced the world to chocolate. Theirs was a civilization of astronomers, mathematicians, inventors and gods.

For the first time in the United States, the mysteries of the Maya come to life. With over 300 artifacts, discover how the Maya live on today – in their inventions that continue to shape our daily lives and in the millions who carry on the Maya tradition in language and lineage. Unearth a world of gods and innovators

MAYA at Union Station
30 West Pershing Road
KCMO 816.460.2000
www.unionstation.org

MEGAN BENITZ, Registrar and Exhibitions Manager at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum and DEANNA DIKEMAN
Deanna Dikeman is a Kansas City-based artist originally from Sioux City, Iowa. Through her series, Leaving and Waving, she captures images of her parents waving goodbye from their driveway over the course of 27 years. Comprised of 90 photographs, this poignant series documents snapshots of everyday moments, weaving a story of the aging process, change over time, and the eventual loss of loved ones. Deanna Dikeman will be giving an artist talk on Tuesday, August 23rd at 6:00pm. This event is free and open to the public. It will take place in the gallery of her work.

Dikeman’s work has been exhibited across the nation and internationally. Most recently, photos from Leaving and Waving were shown at the Cortona on the Move festival in Cortona, Italy, and at Festival du Regard in Cergy, France, in 2021, and at Cortona on the Move AlUla in Saudi Arabia in 2022. She has M.S. and B.S. degrees from Purdue University. Since 1988, Deanna has had seventeen solo shows and has been included in over 150 group and two-person shows.

The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art aims to enrich the community through the collection and exhibition of visual arts by providing education, creating unique experiences, and promoting emerging artists.
Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art 2818 Frederick Avenue
Saint Joseph, Missouri 64506
Open Tues-Friday from 10 am – 4 pm
Sat& Sun1- 4pm
Phone: (816) 233-7003
www.albrecht-kemper.org
Megan Benitz, Albrecht-Kemper Exhibition Manager

CAROLINE MEEK, artist/poet and LACHERISH THOMPSON, Manager community programs at Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC) LaCherish Thompson, a Wyandotte County native. She has organized people and projects in KCK from academia to creative place making. She currently manages community programs at Community Housing of Wyandotte County (CHWC).
Caroline Meek, a poet and potter from Kansas City, Kansas. She studied English & Creative Writing at the University of Iowa, accumulated 125 houseplants, and currently teaches pottery classes at Epic Arts Clay Studio with CHWC.

The Third Friday Art Walk is a monthly event that aims to bring together the community, local artists, pop ups, and brick & mortar establishments by organizing art exhibits, performances, food, and experiences to share in together. Expect to participate in creativity, meet new people, and try at least one new thing! Expect to walk about a mile going from place to place. Wear comfortable shoes.
Art Walks take place from 5-9pm every third Friday of the month in KCK’s Art District, along 6th Street up to Minnesota Ave.

Artists, cooks, musicians, makers, inventors, storytellers, potters & place-makers…Contact LaCherish Thompson if you’re interested in performing, exhibiting work, selling hand-made goods, or otherwise participating in the Art Walk. Artists are assigned a location along the Art Walk route, either outside or inside a participating business—such as Kinship Cafe or Chicago’s!
Local businesses & community groups: We’re always looking for local businesses and community groups who want to pair up creatively with artists and provide interactive stops on the Art Walk, highlighting different aspects of our community.

Third Friday Art Walk runs from May to October, 5-9PM.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 913-229-3194
Instagram: @third_friday_artwalk
Website: www.epicartskc.org/3rd-friday-art-walk

Upcoming Third Friday Art Walk:
August 19, 2022 from 5-9PM
September 16, 2022 from 5-9PM
October 21, 2022 from 5-9PM

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