Art in the Loop Releases 3D Digital Model of Downtown KC

The Art in the Loop Foundation, in partnership with the Kansas City Design Center and the Downtown Council, is pleased to announce the release of an interactive, three-dimensional, model of Downtown Kansas City which features 21 sites identified by the Kansas City Design Center as strategic locations for future enhancement of Art in the Loop public art sites system.

Viewers of the digital model (which is available on the Art in the Loop website as a free web application) are invited to explore the site locations by flying through, zooming in and out of, and clicking on the sites which contain downloadable reference manuals designed to aid future artists in their proposals development.

To access the digital model, visit: https://www.artintheloop.com/digital-model/

About the Art in The Loop Vision Study

In 2015, the Kansas City Design Center (KCDC) was awarded a Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to help fund the development of the Art in the Loop Vision Plan. Working with the Art in the Loop Foundation and the Downtown Council, the KCDC developed a strategic system to identify sites for artwork with the goal of improving the connectivity and identity of Downtown Kansas City.

The project included a public input process, inventory of physical assets, survey of existing artwork, and development of criteria for a site selection process. The process also included the development of a three-dimensional digital model for Downtown Kansas City. During the process, KCDC identified 21 sites; then documented the sites and a created a reference manual for future for artists’ concept development. Three local artists, Julia Cole, Phil Shafer and Barry Anderson, acted as consultants to not only enrich the dialogue between disciplines but lend their unique expertise to the development of art sites.

The project vision was to enhance the identity of Kansas City’s Downtown core by improving walkability, authenticity, safety, and connectivity by expanding the network of Art in the Loop art sites. By developing a strategic framework of public sites for art, the project emphasizes the Greater Downtown Area Plan goals of walkability, authenticity, safety, and connectivity. These sites will generate opportunities for a variety of artists to create art for downtown’s diverse populations. This leads to a stronger community identity that binds together visitors and citizens alike with a sense of belonging.

About the Kansas City Design Center

Located in the heart of Downtown Kansas City, the Kansas City Design Center [KCDC] supports educational initiatives that help build public awareness of the factors that influence the character of the public realm. The KCDC also works to strengthen the educational experience of future design practitioners by engaging university faculty and students with real-world issues facing Kansas City’s built environment. For more information, visit www.kcdesigncenter.org

 

/by

2017 Art in the Loop Catalog – Now Available

Art in the Loop ended it’s 2017 season with our Closing Reception and Pop-Up Exhibit at the Kansas City Public Library earlier this month.  Nearly 90 people joined the participating an artists in a celebration and review of the seasons’ artworks and performances.

2017 Art in the Loop Project:  Cue! included 10 art installations and 5 generative art performances. We also added a lunchtime music series that took place Wednesdays from May through September featuring 16 local musicians and bands.  The performances took place throughout Downtown in City Market Park, at KC Streetcar stops and onboard vehicles, and at the Kansas City Public Library.

Click here to download the 2017 Art in the Loop Catalog or contact Ann Holliday, ann@downtownkc.org for a hard copy.

Art in the Loop’s success lies in the creativity of our local artists and the passion of our partners.  We greatly appreciate the generous support of KC Streetcar, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, the Missouri Arts Council, Arts KC, the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts, and our corporate sponsors including Stinson Leonard Street, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction, Port KC and UMB Financial Corporation. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KCMO-Public Works Department, KC Streetcar, the City Market, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, Folk Alliance International and The Bridge 90.9.

For more information about the project, the artists and performance schedule visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop

Audience participating in sample from Shelby Burchett’s installation “Wait Here”. Photo courtesy of KC Public Library.

Beth Byrd-Lonski closes the program with a Silly Walk. Photo courtesy of KC Public Library.

Photo courtesy KC Public Library.

Photo courtesy of KC Public Library.

Ephemera from “Fancy This” by Maria Ogedengbe and “Silly Walkways” by Beth Byrd-Lonski.

Ephemera from Run this Town by Sarah Star.

/by