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Artist Petah Coyne: Peacocks as Symbol of Renewal

Artist Petah Coyne talks to docents before the opening of The Big Reveal at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Mo.
photo: Laura Spencer/KCUR
Artist Petah Coyne talks to docents before the opening of The Big Reveal at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Mo.

Sculptor Petah Coyne's Untitled #1336 (Scalapino Nu Shu) is a massive installation, featuring a 14-foot-high apple tree covered in black sand, and taxidermied pheasants and peacocks. The subtitle of the work refers to Coyne's friendship with the late poet Leslie Scalapino, and n? shu - a centuries old Chinese writing technique used by women, stories told in secret writing.

By Laura Spencer

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-990023.mp3

Kansas City, Mo – For a series called "Artists in their Own Words," KCUR's Laura Spencer listened in to a docent training at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Petah Coyne's installation, Untitled #1336 (Scalapino Nu Shu) is one of several new acquisitions at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and the centerpiece of an exhibition called The Big Reveal, which runs through April 15, 2012.

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Funding for arts coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency

Kansas City is known for its style of jazz, influenced by the blues, as the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards. As one of KCUR’s arts reporters, I want people here to know a wide range of arts and culture stories from across the metropolitan area. I take listeners behind the scenes and introduce them to emerging artists and organizations, as well as keep up with established institutions. Send me an email at lauras@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @lauraspencer.
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