This Friday (June 15) marks the opening of the 8th Annual Avenue of the Arts, an exhibition of temporary public artwork along Central Street in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The artists in this year's event range from professors at the University of Kansas to children's bookstore owners. KCUR's Laura Spencer reports. By Laura Spencer
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Kansas City, MO – This year's Avenue of the Arts artists include: Alison Luoma, JD McGuire, John Hachmeister, David Ford, A. Bitterman (Pete Cowdin) and Deborah Pettid, and Larry Thomas.
An opening reception takes place Friday, June 15, 4 - 6 pm at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th Street, Kansas City, Mo. This event will be preceded by a special gallery talk at 3 p.m. featuring internationally-renowned artist Jun Kaneko. Kaneko will be reviewing his recently installed Water Plaza sculptures and mural at the Kansas City Grand Ballroom south plaza, located at 16th Street and Wyandotte Avenue.
"Avenue of the Arts 2007" is the eighth annual summer exhibition of temporary public artwork. A selection panel commissioned seven Kansas City regional artists (including one artist team) to create temporary, site-specific art installations between 9th and 14th Streets along Central Street in downtown Kansas City. The exhibition is slated to open on the third Friday in June and runs through September 2007.
The Avenue of the Arts Foundation (360 Architecture, DST Systems, Inc.) presents the annual event in partnership with the City of Kansas City Municipal Art Commission and the Downtown Council.