Local artist Sheron Smith’s artwork “Together We Rise!” is now installed on the ARTwall, the 36 foot by 70 foot exhibition space on the south side of the Town Pavilion Garage in Downtown Kansas City!
Together We Rise! is inspired by all of the diverse people who are coming together around issues such as racial justice, climate control, equality for women, gay rights, gun control, and health. It is so beautiful to see people of every race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and age rallying together in support of these critical issues. The people remain resilient as they face many obstacles during the process of advancing their goals.
Together We Rise! captures the energy, passion, and emotion of these times. The background is alive with the energy of vivid swirling colors. Within the background, crowds of people are marching, and brandishing signs. The edges of the painting are dark and torn, and the strips running top to bottom also look dark and torn. This represents the dark elements that are threatening to tear our country apart. Our society is being attacked and torn apart by racism, injustice, conspiracy theories, violence, and climate destruction, as well as the threat of authoritarianism.
The foreground of Together We Rise! shows diverse people marching together. The people in the painting are a reflection of society. They represent age diversity, gender diversity, physical diversity, religious diversity, and racial diversity. The people in the foreground are holding hands because they stand in support of each other, united against the forces that threaten our society and the world.
Location
ARTwall, a super-size, billboard structure for displaying art located on the northeast corner of 13th & Grand. The ARTwall was installed by Outfront Media.
Bio
Sheron Smith is a multi-talented artist who does not limit herself to one subject or discipline. Varying subjects, cityscapes, abstracts, and sculpture are all part of her portfolio. Sheron is an educator, and self-taught, lifelong creator of art.
website: sheronsmith.com
The 2021 Art in the Loop Project is made possible through the generous financial support of the KC Streetcar Authority; the Missouri Arts Council; Arts KC; as well as corporate sponsors including Stinson, Academy Bank, Copaken Brooks, HNTB, JE Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction and many others. This project is also supported in part by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.
Project partners include the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, and the Kansas City Art Institute.
For more information about the project and the artists, visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or twitter.com/ArtintheLoop.
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Contacts:
Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355
Kyle Mullins, Art Director, kylewmullins@gmail.com
KC Streetcar
Donna Mandelbaum, Communications Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org, 816-877-3219
FlamenKcmo performs both traditional and cutting edge flamenco with dancer Melinda Hedgecorth, guitarist Beau Bledsoe, and singer Antonio Rojas. FlamenKcmo is a flamenco music and dance trio with members from Sevilla, Spain, and Kansas City. They will present songs and movement about resiliency through love, faith, and dedication to happiness. The joyful call of the singer, the accompanying tremolo of the guitar, and the percussive release of the dancer are all affirmations of how to unite and move forward together.
Kansas City’s own Nicole Springer is an award-winning, critically acclaimed singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Nicole’s music is a heartfelt, passion-filled vocal showcase that crosses genres from gospel and pop to folk and rock. Her live performance is “lyrically personal but also nostalgic and fresh within its sound” – Blended Music