In This Issue

ArtsKC At Work Festival

ArtsKC Encounter Recap

Town Halls Hosted for Regional Cultural Plan

Staff Picks: Andrea Robinson

Upcoming ArtsKC Events

ArtsKC At Work Music Semi-Finals

Aug 5th at 7:00 PM

Guests of all ages are welcome at this free event!

For more information, please visit
artskc.org/artwork

ArtsKC 360°

Aug 5th and 13th at 12:00 PM

Join us for a complimentary lunch tour and be inspired by the stories of how ArtsKC is connecting, supporting and transforming the arts in our community!

ArtsKC At Work - Finals and Awards

Aug 9th at 7:00 PM

Guests of all ages are welcome at this free event!

For more information, please visit

artskc.org/artwork

Johnson County Town Hall Discussion on a Regional Plan for the Arts

Aug 12th at 6:00 PM

We want to hear from Johnson County residents on how they envision a
vibrant cultural arts scene! Please RSVP by contacting Kathleen Daily at daily@artskc.org or 816-994-9225.

Jackson County Town Hall Discussion on a Regional Plan for the Arts

Aug 14th at 6:30 PM

We want to hear from Jackson County residents on how they envision a
vibrant cultural arts scene! Please RSVP by contacting Kathleen Daily at daily@artskc.org or 816-994-9225.

Stay Connected

August 2014

Arts{INSIGHT}

Unleashing the Power of the Arts

Tuesday evening, ArtsKC conducted the first of several Town Hall meetings that will occur across the region to gather information and ideas for the One ArtsKC Regional Cultural Plan. The meeting was fun and interesting and there were lots of good ideas generated and discussed. As I listened, it became crystal clear to me that the strength of this plan is contingent on the level of engagement and input we receive from all of you. That's right, there is no wizard in the background deciding what the plan will or won't be. This is your opportunity to help us create something that has never existed before. It's a unique opportunity and we need your thoughts and ideas. We need to hear from a broad range of diverse communities. We want you represented so that your handprint can be a part of the plan. So please come to a Town Hall meeting and if you can't attend, you can still participate in two ways. One is through the OneArtsKC MindMixer website, a virtual town hall meeting space or through our online survey.

If you have been around as long as I have, you know that the arts have blossomed in ways many of us never imagined even ten years ago. This is our time for the arts in the Kansas City region and we need to make the most of it. Please join us in creating the next plan for making the arts more rewarding, meaningful, and significant for all of us across the region.

Connect with me on Twitter!

Photo credit: Tom Styrkowicz, 53Tom.com

Friday, January 30th, 2015

Starlight Theatre

Considered one of Kansas City's most inspiring business events of the year, the ArtsKC Awards Luncheon is attended by more than 500 leaders in the business, civic, and arts communities. Please join ArtsKC and our 2015 Event Chairs, Niki Lee Donawa and Merrily Jackson, as we celebrate Kansas City companies and individuals for their exemplary leadership in the arts.

Call for Featured Artists and Performers

Deadline: August 13th, 2014

For more information, please visit artskc.org/artskcawards.

Call for Nominations

Deadline: September 10th, 2014

The nomination process is easy! Complete the application online or download a PDF application for email submission.

Questions? Contact Kelly Seward, Business Programs Director at seward@artskc.org.

The ArtsKC At Work Experience

For some people, August in Kansas City means back-to-school, excessive humidity, and lying by the pool. But for ArtsKC's Business Programs Director, Kelly Seward, it means ArtsKC At Work is in full swing. Until the program culminates on August 9th with the Finals and Awards ceremony, there is much work to be completed.

"There have been so many favorite moments," Kelly said. "It's hard to select just one. Having my inbox flooded with participants' emails is like Christmas... Second to that is walking into Union Station and seeing the exhibition full of people. They take the People's Choice voting very seriously, especially the kids, and walk through the exhibition over and over, analyzing the work. It's always fun to ask what they picked and why."

This year, there are 415 artists, writers, musicians, dancers, and filmmakers from businesses in the Kansas City region. To view and vote on their visual, literary, or film entries, visit artskcartwork.org. For more information about upcoming ArtsKC At Work events, please visit artskc.org/artwork.

Truman Medical Centers:

Incorporating art and wellness

TMC's Center for Healing Arts presents outstanding visual, performance, and communicative art to promote healing and uplift the spirit of all who enter Truman Medical Centers. Their Healing Arts program incorporates visual, performance, and other art forms throughout the hospital as a means of learning, expression, and healing for patients, visitors, and employees. To learn more about the Healing Arts program, visit TMC's website.

Truman Medical Centers participates in the ArtsKC Awards, ArtsKC At Work, ArtsKC Now Showing, and the ArtsKC Fund. Additionally, Truman Medical Centers' Niki Lee Donawa and Merrily Jackson proudly serve as the ArtsKC Awards Committee Chairs.

TMC Hospital Hill has a few special touches that help connect their patients and visitors to the arts. Guided and audio tours are available to help visitors engage with the art that hangs around the hospital's patient areas. Additionally, on First Fridays every month, live music is featured in the lobby.

Truman Medical Centers show their support for the Kansas City arts community by being generous donors to the ArtsKC Fund and displaying the work of local artists through ArtsKC's Now Showing program. They believe that the arts can be beneficial to everybody, in health or illness, and are passionate about sharing the healing power of the arts with every person who walks in their doors.

Town Halls In Full Swing

The first town hall meeting to discuss the first ever regional plan for the arts in the Greater Kansas City area was held Tuesday, July 29 at the Platte County South Community Center.

One ArtsKC-Regional Cultural Plan is a plan designed to identify the needs of arts and culture in the five county region, the existing resources, and create a plan for change that encourages collaboration and cooperation among the community. We are starting to lead the charge by researching and collecting information from each county, starting with the people.

We kicked off the tour of community conversations in Platte County. Participants were challenged with questions like, "What is needed to improve support of arts education in our schools?" and "How can arts contribute to the revitalization of neighborhoods? Improve the quality of life in your community?"

If you would like to attend a town hall meeting in your community, please contact Kathleen Daily at daily@artskc.org or 816-994-9225. Information on upcoming town hall meetings can be found at artskc.org/townhalls.

Staff Picks - Andrea Robinson, Development Director

Why passion matters.

I recently attended the first meeting for our ArtsKC Fund Advisory Council - a newly formed group devoted to helping ArtsKC raise the profile, visibility and financial support for the vibrant arts community. A hot day in July, 35 people attended to share their input, ideas, expertise and most of all, passion for what they do.

We're fortunate to live in a city with such great philanthropy and deep appreciation for the arts. There are amazing institutions across the city that make investments in the future of our stages and museums, and donors that make such meaningful gifts to introduce new art into our lives. I assure you that the talented and passionate people on the ArtsKC Fund Advisory Council do not take for granted the community support for their work.

If you don't know an "insider" at your favorite arts organization, I challenge you to get to know someone who works in the arts. Perhaps someone at the ticket office, the gallery manager, the artistic director, a development associate, an artist, or even the summer intern. One characteristic you will find in all of them is a deep rooted passion for their work. This passion is what keeps the lights on, the doors open, the music playing and the brushes painting.

I wanted to thank each and every staff member, volunteer, donor, board member, friend and leader we have in our robust arts community. Your passion is a true art form.

Photo credit: Tom Styrkowicz, 53Tom.com

ArtsKC - Regional Arts Council | 816-221-1777 | www.artskc.org

106 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108.