We are excited to have in our Gallery Space Donna Yeager charming pastels.

We are also excited about our SALE that Is Starting this afternoon. Making space for the New Merchandise that we are going to find on our Buying Trip to New York. Some old favorites will be arriving, as well as, some New Classics. 2 of them I am so excited about I can’t stand it. You will be excited also.

Keep us in mind for your Interior Design Needs.  We will be happy to design your whole house or help spruce up or consult with colors.

We keep normal hours 10 to 5 Monday through Friday and 11 to 5 on Saturday. Tonight we will be open until 9.

MLB Designs and Boutique, LLC
2020 Baltimore Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-531-3133    

Artist Peregrine Honig Unveils Creations During Aug. 12 Event

Kansas City, MO. Aug. 8, 2011–How would you like to take a ride in a gilded bird cage? Or feel like royalty being driven in a filigreed chariot? The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art commissioned artist Peregrine Honig to dress up a pair of Shuttlecarts that move Museum visitors from one end of the building to the other. The motorized carts, now called Gilded Cage and Sweet Chariot, were first introduced to Museum visitors in April, but they have now been transformed by Honig.

“It’s significant that we are employing a local artist’s creativity at the Nelson-Atkins, where creativity is celebrated every day,” said Juli·n Zugazagoitia, CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “Peregrine’s unique sensibility is ideal for this project, which injects a feeling of fun and whimsy into the Museum.”

Honig was a runner up on Bravo’s Work of Art: The Next Great Artist in 2010, the first artist reality television program. But she initially made a name for herself when a set of her prints was purchased by the Whitney Museum of American Art, establishing her as the youngest living artist to be included in the permanent collection. Honig’s sculptures, imagery and texts explore themes of sexual vulnerability, trends in disease and social hierarchies.

“Gilded Cage and Sweet Chariot pull from Mardi Gras floats,” said Honig. “The colors and material draw from circus culture, carnival rides, and commercialized interpretations of European royalty . I look forward to seeing these mobile sculptures at play with the architecture and art of the Nelson-Atkins Museum. I was honored to be given such creative freedom by Juli·n and I am excited to reveal something both beautiful and functional for the expansion.”

Honig was attracted to the Shuttlecart project because she enjoys making art that surprises people, and was also intrigued by the idea of visitors climbing into a work of art. The Shuttlecarts were made possible through the generosity of R. Crosby Kemper, Jr., a trustee of UMB Bank. Three years of funding for the carts was approved by The Carter Community Trust on Kemper’s recommendation.

“Crosby wholeheartedly embraced the idea of the Shuttlecarts and was instrumental in securing the donation that made them possible,” said Zugazagoitia. “And now Peregrine has made them fun and whimsical.”

The transformed Shuttlecarts will be revealed at “The Unveiling” in the Bloch Lobby on Friday, Aug.12 from 6–8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. A pink champagne toast will follow the christening of the fanciful Shuttlecarts. A cash bar will be available.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access and insight into its renowned collection of more than 33,500 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and new American Indian and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. The institution-wide transformation of the Nelson-Atkins has included the 165,000-square-foot Bloch Building expansion and renovation of the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.

The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45^th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, MO. Hours are Wednesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Thursday/Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, Noon–5 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free to everyone. For Museum information, phone 816.751.1ART (1278) or visit nelson-atkins.org.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
816.751.1321

Czech & Slovak Illustration & Art

First Friday Art Event, August 5th, 5:30-9:00 pm
Buttonwood Art Space, 3013 Main Street, KC MO.

Buttonwood Art Space is the only location in the Midwest that will be exhibiting this premier collection of Slovak illustrations on loan from the Slovak Republic .

The main exhibit will be the award-winning collection of illustrations by Slovak artists in The Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (1967-2009) (BIB).  These illustrations are the best children’s book illustrations published in Slovakia during the past four decades. The Embassy of the Slovak Republic, Washington, DC.  (www.mzv.sk/washington) created the exhibit and Buttonwood Art Space is the only location in the Midwest that will be featuring the artwork.

The other major highlight of the exhibit will be a series of colorful wood block prints by the Czech artist Marek Hofman. The prints depict scenes from Mozart’s operas.  The exhibit is on loan from the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  (ww.NCSML.org) Gail Naughton, President and CEO of the NCSML, will assist with the opening of the exhibit on August 5th.

Additionally, the exhibit is pleased to present the photographic works by local artist, painter and illustrator, Lynette Darling Ubel, “Rooftops of Prague,” the capitol of the Czech Republic. 

Guests at the opening will be met with salt and bread, a traditional Czech and Slovak greeting of welcome.  Complimentary appetizers and wine will be available, along with beer provided by Weston Brewing Company. The Sugar Creek Tamburitzans will perform music and others will be wearing traditional Czech and Slovak clothing.

Come help us celebrate this special exhibition!

SUMMER INVITATIONAL SHOW
Annie Helmericks-Louder, Jane Booth, Steve Gorman & Jason Pollen among others.

GARY BOWLING:  One Moment
These shows continue through August 13.

Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art
2004 Baltimore Avenue
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 221-2626

Plenum Space Gallery
504 E 18th Street
Kansas City, MO  64108

‘Internal Formations’

Solo Exhibition/Installation
Waseem Touma
Plenum Space Gallery
Aug 5^th- Aug 26^th 2011

Kansas City, MO- In August, The Plenum Space Gallery will feature new work by artist Waseem Touma, who will present an interactive installation, suspended in units, that form a continuous line throughout the gallery. The exhibition opens Friday August 5^th, 2011 and runs through Friday, August 26^th

Artists Statement on the project –‘Internal Formations’

Life in any shape or form, whether it is microscopic or cosmic, holds three characteristics: complexity, fragility, and visual beauty. It is this idea that I attempt to express in my work. More directly, this body of work comes from a spinal injury I have from a car accident in 2002. The emphasis of my work is more of an imaginary ideology of our own internal infrastructure. Although physical pain is a daily occurrence, my work is intended to have a positive influence to the viewer. Repetitive forms and shapes that come across as playful, musical, interactive, and full of energy occupy my compositions and installations. To be able to show the dynamic internal structure of life that any form may hold is my goal as an artist. A vision of expressing what I find so fascinating and want to share with the world, the beautiful evolution and interaction of life that lives in my imagination.

Biographical Information on the artist follows:

Waseem Touma was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kansas City Art Institute, in 2002, he worked in the KCAI Ceramics Department for a year. In 2003, Waseem arrived at the University of Kentucky, and graduated in 2006 with an M.F.A. in sculpture/ceramics. He was the president of the Art Graduate Student Association, (AGSA) and was a Teaching Assistant as a ceramics instructor at the University of Kentucky for two years. Waseem was also involved in the ‘Artist Residency Program’ at the University of Kentucky, Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center. He is currently residing in Kansas City, MO, where he is employed at Kansas City Art Institute as a Regional Coordinator and continues to exhibit nationally. He is also a current resident artist at the Charlotte St Foundation Urban Culture Project Studio Residency Program.

 With a Lebanese heritage, Waseem was simultaneously raised in two cultures, learning about Middle Eastern history and tradition within his household, while growing up in Sydney Australia. Cultural identity was always an issue within such an environment, and it has become an integral voice in Waseem’s artwork. This has led to his focus on what we have in common internally, rather than what makes us different on the outside, with issues exploring the internal infrastructures of life in imaginary artistic possibilities.

If you have any questions please contact Paula Rose to view by appointment: plenumspacekc@gmail.com. Or contact the artist, Waseem Touma at waseemtouma@yahoo.com or at 816-809-7680 or www.waseemtouma.com

Sunday, July 17
2:00 & 3:00 pm

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art presents a free performance of Owen/Cox Dance Group's newest work, A Tree that is a Tree is not a Tree, as part of the museum's "Family Festival: Ferment!" on Sunday, July 17. 

The ensemble will perform this new piece, inspired by Roxy Paine's "Ferment," at 2:00 and 3:00 pm on the museum's south lawn.  In the event of rain or a heat advisory, the performance will take place in Atkins Auditorium.

Dancers performing the work include ChloÈ Abel, Michael Davis, Laura Jones, Betty Kondo, Marcus Oatis, and Jennifer Owen.

The nine-piece musical ensemble features drummers Kent Burnham and Scotty McBee, bassists Jeff Harshbarger and Gerald Spaits, saxophonists Matt Otto and Rich Wheeler, percussionists Patrick Alonzo Conway and Sam Wisman, and Brad Cox on Rhodes electric piano.

Michael Davis and Marcus Oatis appear courtesy of Kansas City Ballet.

Discourse Matters
a selection of artists
June 24 - August 6, 2011

Opening reception: Friday, June 24th, 5-10pm
* Rachel Hayes
* Jason Karolak
* Shari Mendelson
* Wilbur Niewald
* Eric Sall

Join us for the Young Audiences Arts Festival
Saturday, May 21, 2011
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
 
As part of the Sprint Family Fun Series at the Power & Light District, Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA) is pleased to present this FREE family-friendly day of arts!
 
Featuring performances and workshops on two stages by KCYA Teaching Artists and our Arts Partners.
 
KC Live Stage
Anansi the Spider - Paul Mesner Puppets
Jim Cosgrove & the Hiccups
Carnival on Parade - Traditional Music Society
Uno, Dos, Tres - Mauricio Salguero
Music Around the World - Tri-Percussion
Musical selections from The Wiz - Coterie Theatre
                (Brad Shaw, Christopher Barksdale & Tosin Morohunfola)
Rags to Riches: the Music of Scott Joplin - TurpinTyme Ragsters
 
Elements Stage
Dance Workshop - KC Friends of Alvin Ailey
Ballet Workshop - Kim Shope & Community School of the Arts students
Mr. Stinky Feet
Anderson Family Band - Community School of the Arts students
Heart of America Shakespeare Festival student performance & workshop
 
Bring your kids (and the neighbors kids) to the beautiful KC Power & Light District to celebrate arts education in Kansas City!
 
Sponsored by the Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund.
 
Enroll now in our fun-filled performing and
visual arts summer camps!

Help KCYA Celebrate our 50th Anniversary!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
11 am - 3 pm
FREE!
 
Spring Dance Performance
Dancing in the Garden
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
6:30pm

Join the conversation on Facebook.

June 2011 Exhibition

Nature as Muse

Featuring: Stephanie Chubbuck, Susan Goldsmith and Bernadette Esperanza Torres
Opening reception, First Friday, June 3rd, 2011 6-9 pm
exhibition runs through June 27th, 2011