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Fatimah Tuggar, Dream Team, 2009, computer montage (inkjet on vinyl) Courtesy of BintaZarah Studios
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends of Charlotte Street Foundation, In reflecting on 2019, so much has happened in such a short time. Early in 2019, we committed to the purchase of a 20,000 square foot facility at 3333 Wyoming, with the intent of creating a fully integrated hub for Charlotte Street’s programming. This new home will host our studio residency program, two venues, a workshop, a library, a courtyard, a recording studio and documentation room, and Charlotte Street’s administrative offices and grantmaking work. We spent the year raising the capital for renovation, and were thrilled by how excited the Kansas City community was to support this project, which we were lucky enough to have catalyzed by a $5 million-dollar matching challenge from an anonymous dear friend to the organization. In August, we started construction. We worked closely with partners in the project: Hufft, Newkirk Novak Construction Partners, and Benson Method, to see that the design and outfitting of the space met the needs of artists, first and foremost. We had the privilege of seeing this idea realized—one owner/architect/construction meeting at a time. While the loudest sign of progress this year has been the hammering away at 3333 Wyoming, we have made other advances of note. The Neighborhood Artist Residency pilot evolved and from it a new Startup was born – the Blackbox on Troost, managed by Cynthia Hardeman, one of the original residents of the Neighborhood Artist Residency (NAR). We also launched 3 additional Startup Residencies at the Pendleton Artsblock in the Northeast Neighborhood; KC Public Theatre, the African American Artist Collective, and the Kansas City Society for Contemporary Photography. Capsule, our first venue committed entirely to the performing arts, saw an active season of experimental and genre-bendy music, dance community events and performances, live free theatre, and hybrid productions that lived between disciplines.
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 A progress shot of Charlotte Street’s new White Box Gallery space almost complete. Photography by Beeh Becvar.
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION
In 2019 we celebrated 10 years of Rocket Grants, having awarded over 100 project awards for experimental public art projects within an 80 mile radius of Kansas City, in partnership with the Spencer Museum of Art, and funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation for Contemporary Art. As we entered into 2020 and were greeted early in the year with a pandemic, we’ve quickly learned it’s not going to be the year of fantastic live events that we had anticipated with such eagerness. The good news is, Charlotte Street is positioned to help artists in our community weather this storm. We are serving the needs of this community as they shift, and are so grateful for all (artists, supporters, and audience members alike) who join us in that mission. Together we will make it to the other side of this, and when we do — the celebration party will be at our place. We can’t wait to see you there. With gratitude, Amy Kligman
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
HQ CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE 1/11/19
Building purchase
5/17/19 Construction contract signed with Newkirk Novak Construction
6/12/19 Ceremonial groundbreaking event occurs
Started Internal building 10/28/19 layout begins, including gallery and drywall framing
Started Roofing & sheet metal 11/11/19 installed
Started Started installing 12/16/19 windows & storefront glass
8/10/19 Pre-construction Public Picnic
8/20/19 Construction begins
Started Courtyard 10/14/19 scaping, sidewalks path and steps implemented
Photography by Beeh Becvar
Started Demolition and 8/20/19 material removal of original structures
Charlotte Street identifies the needs and fuels the evolution of an ever-changing multidisciplinary arts ecosystem, acting as its primary provocateur. Charlotte Street cultivates the contemporary, the exceptional, and the unexpected in the practice of artists working in and engaging with the Kansas City art community. Charlotte Street’s programming and grants benefit artists who express themselves along four core values that align with our vision towards a stronger arts community in Kansas City. Our four main values are risk, openness, collaboration, and excellence.
RISK
“Charlotte Street’s Startup Residency has been immensely beneficial in allowing Stray Cat Film Center to fully develop into a community driven center for cinema, performance, oddball events and so much more. In the past year Charlotte Street Foundation has allowed Stray Cat Film Center to engage in avant-garde programming featuring films with high artistic merit that might not have the largest audience pull. In particular we have benefited from the relief of large financial risk of screening important cinematic works that have a high cost of screening rights. This incredible opportunity has allowed us to engage with young artists’ exciting new ideas and bring them to life in our space without the burden of being a massive financial success. We have been able to help cultivate unique collaborative projects that otherwise would not have a venue in town to host community driven interactive art.” Jaclyn Danger, Stray Cat Film Center, 2019 Startup Resident
Dr. Clara Irazábal-Zurita leading the Artist Summit on July 6, 2019
MISSION STATEMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Staff and programming volunteers at Stray Cat Film Center, courtesy of Stray Cat Film Center
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION
OPENNESS
“The Artist Summit was a muchneeded community unifying event, demonstrating a variety of art organizers prioritizing the voice of the community to help kick-start creative solutions and activity still being explored an entire year later. The event made space to bring together individuals who may have never met before and decentralize the organizing process to keep power to the people.” Ruben Castillo, local artist and former Charlotte Street Studio Residency artist
COLLABORATION
“Charlotte Street Foundation’s Studio Residency program has been instrumental in our success over the past 2 years. The Studio Residency gave us a home to create art, and not have to worry about where we would have to rehearse each day. Through our residency we met new collaborators. We’re looking forward to collaborating with other former Studio Residents later this year to bring a brand new bilingual devised work to life. Being a studio resident has helped us learn about opportunities throughout the city, including the new 2020 Startup Residency. We are excited to have a physical hub to bring free professional theatre to everyone in Kansas City.”
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Miss Julie performance, captured by Elizabeth Bowman
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION
Kansas City Public Theatre, former 2019 Studio Residency artists, current 2020 Startup Residents
Fatimah Tuggar, 2019 Visual Artist Fellow
Store front photo of Stray Cat Film Center on Broadway Blvd, courtesy of Stray Cat Film Center / Photo of the Artist Summit on July 6, 2019 gathering at H&R Block Artspace, courtesy of Charlotte Street / Photo of Her Own Devices, a play by KC Public Theatre, courtesy of KC Public Theatre / Headshot of 2019 Visual Artist Award winner, Boi Boy, courtesy of Boi Boy
“The great thing about being a Charlotte Street Fellow is not just the unrestricted funds but also the ongoing tideless support I received. The Foundation’s resources and networks became an extension of my own. I found actors, a clay studio, space to test projectors among many other resources through the foundation and promptly too. I owe a great deal of my success last year to Charlotte Street Foundation staff and community.”
Fatimah Tuggar at work at Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence, KS. Courtesy of Fatimah Tuggar
EXCELLENCE
CHARLOTTE CHARLOTTESTREET STREETFOUNDATION FOUNDATION
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
5,475 Facebook Followers
620 artists served in 2019
1,599 Twitter Followers
$159,195 awarded to artists in 2019
3,428 Instagram Followers
14,700 sq. ft. Free space dedicated towards Studio + Startup Residents
16 Performance-based Artists-in-Residence 27 Visual-based Artists-in-Residence 11 Writers-inResidence 2096 volunteer hours accumulated in 2019
5,900 sq. ft. Free space dedicated towards visual and performative arts programs
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION
ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Gifts & Grants from Individuals 17%
Operating Income $1,126,891
$10 million
Capital Campaign Commitments as of 12/31/2019
In-Kind Support 39%
Corporate & In-Kind (gifts & pledges)
$9 million
Individual Gifts (gifts & pledges)
Foundation Grants (gifts & pledges)
$8 million
$7 million
Investment Distribution 4%
Fundraising 12%
Operating Expenses $1,163,528
$6 million
Corporate Support 1% Government Grants 5%
Foundation Grants 34%
$5 million
Grants & Awards to Artists 15%
Matching Challenge (pledge remaining)
$4 million
Management & General 20%
$3 million
$2 million
Public Programming 9%
Artist Residency Programs 44%
Notes on financials: Budget reflects cash, funds released from restriction, pledges, and in-kind revenue. Expenses include those off-set by in-kind donations.
$1 million
$0
Matching Challenge (funds received)
CHARLOTTE STREET FOUNDATION
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
“As an emerging Kansas City artist, Charlotte Street Foundation’s Studio Residency is proving to be a real gamechanger. Being granted a studio space for one year has relieved financial pressure so that I can concentrate on moving the work forward. Beyond the physical space, the Studio Residency provides networking and a level of visibility in the community I had not previously felt. I am being provided with consistent feedback through mentorship, which gives me a valuable perspective and a new focus on my work. The opportunity for collaboration between residents seems to be just around every corner. At Charlotte Street’s Studio Residency program, I have both the freedom to experiment, while gaining critical peer support, and am afforded the resources necessary to take my professional practice to the next level.”
“As a generative dance artist, access to space is crucial to the forward movement of my practice, process, and career. Throughout this past year as a second year Charlotte Street Foundation studio resident, I have experienced tremendous growth in terms of both my practice and my creative output. The opportunity to dedicate time to my research and creative exploration, outside of product-based output, has both deepened and broadened my voice and my understanding of it. The Studio Residency has allowed me to found my contemporary dance company, Cerca Trova. In 2019, I created and showed two eveninglength works with Cerca Trova working with eleven local performers and two local artist-collaborators—none of which would have been possible without my participation in the Studio Residency program. My time as a studio resident has seen the growth of my creative output, the clarifying of my artistic vision, and the expansion of my reach within Kansas City’s arts community.”
Craig Auge, 2019-20 Charlotte Street Studio Residency artist “The Charlotte Street Startup Residency provides the needed space and time for the Blackbox on Troost to connect with local artists who want to be involved in artist outreach along the Troost corridor. We have been able to expand our programming beyond Drama Time to also provide piano, dance and improv lessons. We are now able to empower the community to consider various art forms as a way of uniquely expressing their voice.” Cynthia Hardeman, 2019 Startup Residency artist at Blackbox on Troost
Kyle Mullins, 2018-20 Charlotte Street Studio Residency artist “The 2019 Visual Artist Award allowed me to make the critical investment of time in my own practice. The joy of such focus, and the ability to take risks with my art without the burden of paycheck or profit is not an experience I will forget. With Charlotte Street’s support, I was able to produce at a scale that would have been otherwise impossible. This support ensured that my part in the 2019 Visual Artist Award exhibition was my most ambitious work to date.” Megan Pobywajlo, 2019 Visual Artist Award Recipient