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Theater in Kansas City's Jazz District Selected as "Our Town" Recipient

Downtown Council of Kansas City's Bill Dietrich and Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City's Harlan Brownlee outside the Boone Theater at 18th and Highland, Kansas City, Mo.
photo: Laura Spencer/KCUR
Downtown Council of Kansas City's Bill Dietrich and Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City's Harlan Brownlee outside the Boone Theater at 18th and Highland, Kansas City, Mo.

The National Endowment for the Arts on Tuesday announced its first round of "Our Town" funding - $6.5 million in grants to strengthen the arts through public-private partnerships. In Missouri, one initiative was selected: the restoration of the historic Boone Theater in the 18th and Vine Jazz District.

By Laura Spencer

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-977388.mp3

Kansas City, Mo. – The National Endowment for the Arts will pay $200,000 towards the restoration of an old venue in Kansas City's 18th and Vine Jazz District.

The historic Boone Theater was named for Missouri composer and pianist "Blind" Boone whose music bridged folk and ragtime. And Boone is credited with developing a walking bass line that led the way to the hard-swinging style of Kansas City jazz.

KCUR's Laura Spencer recently met with the Downtown Council of Kansas City's Bill Dietrich and Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City's Harlan Brownlee outside the long vacant theater. Future plans anticipate the building could become the new home for the now Memphis-based Folk Alliance International, but the NEA's "Our Town" grant will be used during the planning phase.

Harlan Brownlee says NEA Chair Rocco Landesman's visit in December generated a lot of energy and excitement about exploring new ideas.

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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