2019 Art in the Loop Kick-Off Event – This Wednesday!

It’s time to get excited!

Art in the Loop is hosting its Kick-Off event this Wednesday, June 5, at 6:00 pm.

Tony Jones, photo by James Prinz

Meet the 2019 artists, listen to a speech from Tony Jones, CBE, Nerman Family President of the Kansas City Art Institute, and watch a breathtaking dance performance by Tristian Griffin and James “SugEasy” Singleton; this is an event you do not want to miss!

Join us at the Kansas City Public Library, Helzberg Auditorium, 14 W 10th St, for an evening of excitement, passion and art.

RSVP here: https://www.kclibrary.org/signature-events/kickoff-2019-art-loop-project

 

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2019 Artist Website Pages Now Available

As you may well have noticed, artwork has been springing up around the Downtown area with increasing frequency (if you need to see what I’m talking about, head over to Washington Square Park or the River Market West Streetcar stop). Speaking of “springing up,” the website pages, which give details about the aforementioned artworks—among others—are up at artintheloop.com. Take some time to learn about upcoming installations and the minds behind them, and get excited for the summer’s excitement.

Here are some works you may be seeing in the city now:

 

Endless, Alonso L Ortega

Endless is an installation that creates a playful, immersive mirage in which viewers can interact with Kansas City’s skyline. Reflective stainless steel planks will be placed strategically to give the illusion that mirrors are growing, unsupported out the ground. The mirrors allow us to perceive the city through a unique perspective, momentarily giving us the chance to create our own world in which to exist. Go check out Alonso’s piece today in Washington Square Park, on the corner of Pershing and Main St.

 

Streetcar Zen, Angie Jennings

Wanting to make photography more interactive, Angie Jennings uses augmented reality (AR) to bring her photography to life using video. Viewers will now be able to see the photographs as the photographer did: the life and breath before and after each image, usually inaccessible, can now be seen. Go see Angie’s work at the KC Streetcar River Market West stop. To access the augmented reality, download the Zappar app, zap (scan) the image, and view.

 

Tact, Ari Fish

Tact is an installation of chain link fence that surrounds a cluster of Redbud trees in Washington Square Park, referencing many sacred sites across the nation and alongside American highways. This piece focuses on the ability of art to act as a catalyst for community interaction, call to action, prayer ritual, and the idea of sacred space.  Go see Tact in Washington Square Park and bring an item of meaning or remembrance to add to the installation.

 

Stay tuned for more artworks that will be installed within the next few weeks, and continue to check our website, artintheloop.com, for updates.

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

 

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Art in the Loop Kick-Off Event: Save the Date, June 5

Once every year, Downtown Kansas City erupts with a richness and vibrancy spurred by the rush of a certain community: artists. This year, Art in the Loop is proud to welcome its lineup of 15 talented artists that have created site-specific work to be shown throughout the Downtown area this summer—along the KC Streetcar route and in Washington Square Park. To congratulate their achievements and celebrate the cultural and artistic excitement that will be infused into our city this summer, we invite everyone to come to the Kick-Off Event Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at 6:00 p.m.

The event will take place at the Kansas City Public Library, 14 W. 10th Street in the Helzberg Auditorium. During the program, Tony Jones CBE, the Nerman Family President of Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), will speak about Art in the Loop, KCAI, and the role of art in the community.

 

A crowning moment of this evening will be a dance performance by Tristian Griffin and James “SugEasy” Singleton. Griffin received his BFA in Ballet from Texas Christian University and, upon his graduation, danced for Garth Fagan Dance Company for three years. Singleton, on the other hand, has been dancing since age four and winning Hip Hop competitions since his middle school years. His love for the community and culture of Hip Hop stretches as far back as he can remember and his focus has always been to educate, motivate, and inspire people of all ages and capabilities with his passion for Hip Hop. Their performance, entitled When Two Worlds Meet, will combine elements of contemporary ballet and Hip Hop dance into a single invigorating performance.

Art in the Loop is expecting 2019 to be one of the most exciting summers for art in Kansas City and we hope you will join us for its debut. To learn more about the artists and the Art in the Loop Foundation, go to artintheloop.com. Click here to RSVP or for more information about the event (https://www.kclibrary.org/signature-events/kickoff-2019-art-loop-project).

Art in the Loop is made possible through the generous support of KC Streetcar; the City of Kansas City, Missouri; the Missouri Arts Council; ArtsKC and our corporate sponsors including Stinson; AutoAlert; Copaken Brooks; Kansas City Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund; Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts; Confluence; EPR Properties; Henderson Engineers; JE Dunn Construction; McCownGordon Construction; and Port KC. We appreciate in-kind support and guidance provided by the Downtown Council, the Downtown and River Market Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, Kansas City Public Library, and Kansas City Art Institute.

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

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