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Vanessa Severo’s play “Rubik" tells the story of neurodivergent teens on the cusp of a new phase of life. It’s part of Spinning Tree Theatre’s push to bring more diverse voices to the stage and create new opportunities for artists with disabilities.
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A pair of noisy upstarts are out-hustling the establishment to create a space for themselves in Kansas City's jazz scene. Plus: A Platte City man with Down syndrome has built a life with a job he loves and a place of his own to call home.
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Alana Washington knows how much trauma her middle school students in southeast Kansas City students can go through on a daily basis. She started the Save a Life Mentorship program to give students the tools they need to get through it. Plus: The Medical Arts Symphony of Kansas City community orchestra has helped Kansas City doctors and nurses reduce stress for more than 60 years.
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Artist-run spaces are a key part of the artistic ecosystem, beyond traditional galleries and museums. Around the Kansas City metro, these spaces create opportunities for emerging and less-established artists to create, showcase, and network — and often provide more than just a blank wall to foster a diverse range of creators.
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The Medical Arts Symphony of Kansas City community orchestra has given amateur musicians in the health care profession a place to perform since 1959. For the doctors, nurses, dentists, medical students, and more who take part, the music can be therapeutic.
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Seth Andrew Davis and Evan Verploegh know their music of choice will never be mainstream, so the pair have cobbled together a set of spaces where their Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society can thrive.
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A pair of exhibits at the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence are inspired by the life and death of Emmett Till, which helped launch the civil rights movement. The work of area textile artists helps connect the 1955 killing to contemporary violence against Black people.
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While Englewood Arts offers classes in drawing, ceramics, and glass blowing, it isn't your typical arts center. It's also leading the way for affordable housing in Independence.
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Each year, arts groups from across the state gather in Jefferson City to lobby Missouri lawmakers during their legislative session. For six students from the Kansas City Art Institute, the February trip to Missouri's state Capitol was a chance to leave the art supplies at home and become lobbyists.
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Every year, Kansas City artists and students head to Jefferson City for Arts Advocacy Day, a chance to remind Missouri lawmakers about their crafts and why it should be funded. Plus: A new book on the Kansas City Royals digs up forgotten stories about the team.
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Waxahatchee — also known as the musician Katie Crutchfield — got sober, moved to Kansas City and hit indie rock stardom with her last album. Now she's back with "Tigers Blood." She spoke with KCUR about the writing process, managing stage fright and her favorite burnt ends.
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The Rabbit Hole, which opened on March 12 in North Kansas City’s Iron District, is the first museum in the country to bring a century of children’s literature to life. The immersive venue transports visitors of all ages into the worlds of “Goodnight Moon,” “Last Stop on Market Street” and so much more.