Announcing the 2024 Art in the Loop Artists and Kick Off Event on June 12

(Kansas City, Missouri) – The Art in the Loop Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 Art in the Loop visual and performing artists.

The Art in the Loop Project is a curated outdoor exhibition of temporary artworks and performance series presented in partnership with the KC Streetcar. This year marks the eleventh year for the Art in the Loop Project and includes visual artwork based on photography, painting, digitized illustrations, and performance artwork based in dance, experimental jazz, hip hop, aerial acrobatics, and more. 

This year, we asked artists to respond to the Spanish word Convivencia and express their interpretation through their artwork. Convivencia is a shared life with others that is a constant practice, effort, negotiation, and joint achievement while recognizing friction or opposing energy. We recognize that artists and creatives are familiar with navigating space, energy, and time amongst one another and within their communities.   

Artists are selected for the annual program through an online application process open to artists in the greater Kansas City area. A selection panel consisting of local artists, curators, educators, and community members reviewed over 100 applications and selected 22 visual and performing artists.

The following visual artists’ works will be displayed at KC Streetcar stops and on one KC Streetcar vehicle between June and November 2024: 

Visual Artists and Art Installations:

• Bei Hu, Our Sky Project, Kauffman Center Southbound Streetcar Stop 
• Meranda McDermott, Threads of Convivencia: Embracing Diversity through Fiber Art, River Market West KC Streetcar Stop 
  • • This progress installation will occur on the following dates:
      • June 9, 12 – 2 pm
      • July 14, 9 -11 am
      • Aug. 25, 9 – 11 am
      • Oct. 6, 12 – 2 pm
• Susan Moreno, Living Together, Union Station Streetcar Stop
  • • This progress live painting will occur on the following dates
      • June 10, 12 – 2 pm
      • June 29, 12 – 2 pm
      • July 19, 5 – 7 pm
      • Oct. 4, 5 – 7 pm

• Julia Morris, Eph 4:2, KC Streetcar Vehicle

• Maggie Newlin & Ellie Newlin, K. See. The Good, Crossroads Northbound Streetcar Stop, 

• Katrina Revenaugh, How Do You Bloom?, North Loop Southbound Streetcar Stop

• Zach Frazier & Nasir Montalvo, Welcome to Soakie’s — a {B/qKC} installation, Power & Light Northbound Streetcar Stop, 

The following performing artists will present an incredible summer revue of free performances. For fans of music, dance, and acrobatics, we are certain that there will be something engaging for everyone.

Performance Artists & Schedule:

• Kick-Off Event | June 12, 5:30 p.m. at Kansas City Public Library Central Library
  • Alber
  • Kat King
  • Viva La Tinta
  • Glenn North
• KC Streetcar Celebration & Ride | July 17, 5:30 p.m. Starting at Union Station Streetcar Stop
  • Jamogi and the Jammers
  • Amado Espinoza and Pedro Calderon
• 816 Day | August 16, 5:30 p.m., City Market
  • 45° Flamenco with Jose Faus
  • Danielle Ate the Sandwich
  • Kadesh Flow
• Oppenstein Park | September 18, 5:30 p.m., Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park
  • Gracie Caggiano
  • Grupo Folklórico Alma Tapatia
  • Musicbyskippy
• Art Walk | October 12, 2 p.m.
  • Liney Blu
• Closing Reception | November 6, 5:30 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library
  • Olivia Emert and Company
  • Fenom D. Poet
  • Sheri Purpose Hall

The Art in the Loop Foundation will hold a Kick-Off event for the 2024 Art in the Loop Project: Convivencia, on Wednesday, June 12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library. Guests will enjoy an evening of art and music as they are invited to meet the 2024 visual and performance artists. The event will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with musical performances by Alber and Kat King and an interactive art creation activation with Viva La Tinta KC occurring throughout the evening. Guests are invited to meet with visual and performing artists for a chance to learn about the work the artists are creating for this year’s project. Please join us for this event which is free and open to the public. 

The 2024 Art in the Loop Project is provided visual artistic guidance by Marissa Starke, who is serving in her second year as Visual Art Director for Art in the Loop. Marissa Starke is a non-profit executive with a distinguished, 13-year history of success in nonprofit management, corporate and community relations, and team leadership. A visionary leader with a demonstrated history of working in the fine art industry, Marissa has pioneered and led dozens of arts initiatives and programs across Missouri and Kansas, offering expertise in curation, community engagement, and arts advocacy.

The 2024 Art in the Loop Project is provided performance artistic guidance by Jade Osborne, who is serving in her second year as Performance Art Director for Art in the Loop. Jade Osborne is an international performance artist, arts activist, facilitator, mentor, and speaker. She has worked in non-profit education, served in AmeriCorps, and has been a Poet and Artist in Residence (Capoeira & Aerial Acrobatics). She was the first female Capoeira performer in the U.S. and in Hong Kong and helped pioneer aerial acrobatics in Kansas City with Voler – Thieves of Flight Performance Ensemble. 

Community, Sponsors & Supporters

Artists have played a key role in the revitalization of Downtown Kansas City over the past few decades and through programs like Art in the Loop, this will continue. In the words of renowned local artist Michael Toombs,  “Through projects like Art in the Loop, Downtown KC is becoming part of a highly visible cultural landscape that reminds us of who we are, as well as inspires us in who we are yet to become.” We have unique opportunities for your organization to connect with the community and support local artists through sponsorships and charitable donations. 

We appreciate the generous support of the KC Streetcar Authority, Henderson Engineers, JE Dunn Construction, Stinson LLP, Copaken Brooks, UMB Bank, and the Kansas City Art Institute. This project is funded in part by ArtsKC, the City of Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, with public support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, as well as corporate sponsorships and philanthropic contributions. 

For more information contact Ann Holliday, ann@downtownkc.org, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at the Downtown Council and Executive Director of the Art in the Loop Foundation.

Special recognition and gratitude are due to the Kansas City Public Library and the foresight in bringing Tommi Laitio to Kansas City! We appreciate the support and participation of all our project partners including the Downtown Council, Downtown Community Improvement Districts, KC Streetcar, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Art Institute, City Market and Union Station.

For more information about the project and the artists, visit www.artintheloop.com, www.facebook.com/artintheloop, or https://www.instagram.com/artintheloop.

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Contacts:

Art in the Loop
Ann Holliday, Program Director, ann@downtownkc.org, (c) 816-718-1355

Marissa Starke, Visual Arts Director, marissastarke@gmail.com (c) 816-519-4236

Jade Osborne, Performing Arts Director, jademuse@gmail.com

KC Streetcar

Donna Mandelbaum, Communications & Marketing Director, dmandelbaum@kcstreetcar.org,  816-877-3219