IN Kansas City August 2024

CERAMICIST

LINDA LIGHTON’S

ART-FILLED STUDIO AND HOME

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

THE SPIRIT OF SAILING

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The New York-based composer from Kansas City discusses the inspiration for her music, the role of race in her career, and why she’s a Midwest girl at heart.

IT’S

Neutral hues and luxe finishes dominate in a newly built Mission Hills home.

Nine

IT’S

In Kansas City’s Rockhill neighborhood, a stately Tudor has been transformed into an artful haven. 56 IN CONVERSATION WITH SHELLEY WASHINGTON

The 2024-2025 season is here, and we’re making it easy to sample everything Kansas City has to offer in the arts this fall and winter with a go-to guide to finding it all.

On the cover Ceramicist Linda Lighton’s spacious Midtown studio is filled with her works as she prepares for a 2025 retrospective at the Nerman Museum. Photo by Aaron Leimkuehler

Time Flies

When You’re Having Fun

My very first paying job, between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college, was at Rockwell Collins, an avionics technology company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I was tasked with crimping the wire ends of miniature resistors and transistors, snipping the wires and soldering the components on a circuit board. They issued me a special set of tiny tools to perform these tasks. Whatever those boards were used for and where they ended up, I have no idea. What I do remember is how tedious and impossibly slow each day was. We were allowed a lunch break and a short break in the afternoon. A huge clock hung on one wall, visible to all, which seemed to tick … click … click … click … as if time were submerged in Jello and was slogging along in the morass. Days passed until lunchtime arrived, and more days until we could finally clock out and go home. Every week dragged on for months. Never before or since have I felt trapped in such a time warp. One good thing did come of it. It did redouble my desire to continue my education.

Fast forward a few decades.

A small group of dedicated magazine lovers, including me, decide to launch a magazine. It’s 2018, not the worst year for it. Certainly not as bad as the pandemic years to come. Had we known about that, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have started at all.

Everyone involved wants it to be a breakthrough publication in Kansas City. And because it’s 2018, we wanted a vibrant, stand-alone website and social media presence as well. Unlike any other magazine, we wanted this to be an inspirational look at the best of what our town has to offer. The stories and people of importance to us. The art we want to see and hear. The homes we live in. What we wear, how we entertain, where we eat, and what we love. We wanted it to be a magazine filled with exquisite photography and thought-provoking words. We decided that “local” would be our mantra.

Impossibly, that was six years ago. It really, truly, seems like the day before yesterday. And with this small, dedicated team, we feel that we’ve created a magazine and online presence that, in large part, fulfills the dreams we had then.

Though without you, dear reader, we wouldn’t be here. You’ve let us know what you’ve liked and, well, what not so much. You’ve supported our loyal advertisers, sometimes even tearing pages out of the magazine or snapping a photo on your phone to let them know exactly what it is you’re looking for. In particular, you’ve inspired us to strive to produce the best magazine and online content we’re capable of creating.

And we are still—very much—having fun.

Vol. 7 | No. 8

AUGUST 2024

Editor In Chief Zim Loy

Digital Editor Evan Pagano

Art Director Alice Govert Bryan

Contributing Writers

Judith Fertig, Merrily Jackson, Cindy Hoedel, Damian Lair, Patricia O’Dell, Jenny Vergara

Contributing Photographers

Corie English, Estuardo Garcia, Kenny Johnson, Aaron Leimkuehler, Nate Sheets, Peter Yankowsky

Publisher Michelle Jolles

Media Director Brittany Coale

Senior Media Consultants

Katie Delzer, Nicole Kube, Krista Markley, Josie Rawlings Intern Annie Woodson

Newsstand Consultant

Joe J. Luca, JK Associates 816-213-4101, jkassoc .net

Editorial Questions: zloy@inkansascity.com

Advertising Questions: bcoale@inkansascity.com

Distribution Questions: mjolles@inkansascity.com

Magazine Subscriptions:

Mail: IN Kansas City Subscriptions PO Box 292374, Kettering, OH 45429 Phone: 888-881-5861

Email: SUBS@inkansascity.com

Subscribe Online: inkansascity.com/subscribe

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ENTER TO WIN

Art at arm’s reach. is month, we’re partnering with furniture gallery Seville Home to bring functional art into your living space. is faux bois eo accent table sells for $706, but you could win it for your home. Enter by August 31 at inkansascity.com/themagazine/enter-to-win Best of luck!

Bites out back. Making a magazine like this sends our team all over the metro. So each month, we decided we’d weigh in on our favorite local… something. is month, we’re talking restaurant patios. Add to your list of outdoor dining destinations in KC with our August sta picks on inkansascity.com.

Need a social roster refresh? Discover the most comprehensive calendar in the metro at inkansascity.com/events.

Hungry? Bookmark our comprehensive dining guide inkansascity.com/eat-drink/ dining-guide to spice up your dining life.

Dinner and a show. e building at 8011 Wornall Road has entertainment in its bones. Yes, the old Waldo Pets building. For decades in the mid-20th century, it was a dinner theater called Mary’s Supper Club. Earlier this summer, it reopened its doors, ready to entertain once more. We spent an evening at Waldo Supper Club, and you can read about it at inkansascity.com.

A day in the River Market. If you’re showing o Kansas City to out-of-towners, it’s hard to nd a better stage than the River Market. It’s historic, walkable, and dense with dining and things to do. We spent a day there to narrow it down for you. For a list of go-tos in one of Kansas City’s liveliest neighborhoods, visit inkansascity.com

This Month IN KC August

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

KC Sun ower Festival

August 9 – 18

KC Pumpkin Patch kcpumpkinpatch.com

Take in the sights. It’s hard to comprehend the beauty of a sun ower eld until you’ve stood in the middle of one, the sun’s rays seemingly charging the petals around you solely for your amusement. Head to the KC Pumpkin Patch in Olathe in mid-August for a day of fun. ere’s the sun ower eld, a petting zoo, and all the fun you’d expect at a pumpkin patch. For an adult’s day out, consider going ursdaySunday and enjoying the Patch’s property mate, KC Wine Co.

August 10

Gem Theater tristiangri n.com

The Tristian Gri n Dance Company presents The Unexpected: Within the Red Lines

Experience contemporary dance. Join the Tristian Gri n Dance Company for an examination of redlining, and the lives it a ects, through contemporary dance. Artistic director Tristian Gri n worked with several local artists to bring e Unexpected to life: DJ Bad Alaskan, singer-songwriter Pheenix Leeor, and musician Trevor Turla.

August 16

Kansas City Baroque Consortium Pearls of the Baroque, Concert III

Visitation Catholic Church kcbaroque.org

AUGUST SPOTLIGHT

Appreciate the classics. KCBC concludes its 15th-anniversary series with a tribute to iconic composers of the Baroque period: Vivaldi, Telleman, and J.S. Bach. is harkens back to their rst concert, which featured the latter two composers. e ensemble will feature world-renowned violinist Daniel S. Lee and Trevor Stewart of the Kansas City Symphony playing recorder. City Symphony playing recorder.

Ethnic Enrichment Festival

August 16 – 18 Swope Park eeckc.org/ethnic-enrichment-fest

Feel the world’s heartbeat. Kansas City’s massive multicultural gathering is back for its 45th anniversary. Put on by the Ethnic Enrichment Commission of Kansas City, this three-day festival brings together dozens of cultures found in Kansas City, with food from more than 50 countries, entertainment from more than 30, and a myriad of booths selling cultural wares. Shop, dance, eat, and learn.

For Kansas City’s most comprehensive calendar of events, go to inkansascity.com/events

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The Art of the Impromptu Cocktail Party

Email me with your entertaining questions, dilemmas, or triumphs at mjackson@inkansascity.com

by Merrily Jackson

MERRILY OFFERS GUIDANCE FOR HOSTING THE PERFECTLY IMPERFECT THROWNTOGETHER COCKTAIL PARTY

My friend Steven Stolman, fellow writer on the topic of party-giving (I would call us”entertaining writers” but that sounds self-congratulatory, right?) likes to say “Everything happens at Cocktails.” It’s true, isn’t it? Even if you just have a few friends over for wine and popcorn, wonderful things happen over drinks. Hosting people for casual cocktails is easier and more affordable than it’s ever been, thanks to texting and wholesale clubs.

Speaking of Stolman, you can order his book, The Serial Entertainer’s Passion for Par-

photo by Corie English

Entertaining IN KC

A Superb August Cocktail: The Frozen Negroni

IN MY BAR, you’ll always find the ingredients for the negroni, an unfussy libation with an easy-to-remember recipe: one part each gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth Blend and pour over ice. My friend Gary Fabro acquainted me with the virtues of turning this iconic Italian cocktail into a refreshing blender drink, perfect for the warm days of August. He experimented with recipes and this is his favorite. You’ll note the quantities are tweaked a bit, with the Campari and sweet vermouth scaled back a bit.

41/2 ounces gin

21/2 ounces Campari

21/2 ounces sweet vermouth

3 cups ice , or more if you want it thicker Orange peel for garnish

Combine gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth in an airtight container. Place in freezer for at least 8 hours. It will not freeze because of the alcohol. When ready to serve, add the chilled booze and ice to the blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into rocks glasses or a small wine glass. Garnish with orange peel and serve immediately.

ties, which is packed with advice and recipes for easy food, wherever books are sold. But back to our cocktail party. Or should I say “drinks party” as the Brits do? No, in America it’s a cocktail party!

COCKTAILS NEED NOT BE COMPLICATED

My friends Jonathan Bowyer and Zach Loes are masters of the casual, hastily pulled-together cocktail gathering. If Friday rolls around and they have nothing scheduled, they text their friends to come by their Meyer Circle digs for drinks that night, starting at 8:30. “Adding the word IMPROMPTU to the invite is critical,” says Jonathan, “as it lets people know they are not last-minute invitees, and it lowers the expectation that we’re going to have a lavish spread.”

Impromptu, to my mind, also implies a daring, come-as-youare dress code. Everything is appropriate: shorts, flip-flops, dinner jackets, opera pumps. “The after 8:30 start time is good for people coming by following a dinner event, or for those on their way to something else,” says Jonathan.

DRINKS AND SWEET THINGS

Eight-thirty also is late enough that you could make the invitation be for drinks and dessert. You could do a platter of cookies and brownies from your favorite bakery (I love The French Market’s baked goods),

turn on your favorite station from Spotify, set up a simple, self-serve bar—beer, wine, and the makings for gin and tonics and vodka sodas would be sufficient—and you’re in business. If the crowd is going to be more than about 15, hire a bartender to keep the party humming. Should hired bartenders not be in your budget, ask a capable friend or two to help with drinks, so you’re not stuck behind the bar for the whole of the gathering.

If you want to serve a homemade dessert, more power to you. Email me for my famous Buenavista coconut cake recipe. It looks beautiful (but homemade) and tastes dreamy. And the best part is, it’s a doctored-up cake mix.

THE AUDACIOUS GUEST LIST

To get a lively turnout for any last-minute party, it’s wise to invite at least double the number of people you would like to come. Jonathan invites about 25 to his parties, with the goal of having 12 to 15 show up. Which is not by any means saying that you need that number for a lively soiree. You could have half that, or even fewer and still have a fun, intimate gathering.

Be bold with your guest list. Mix it up; it’s just cocktails. Invite people from different circles, or those whom you think are terrific but would have absolutely nothing in common with other guests. It never fails to

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Entertaining IN KC

amaze me how quickly people find common ground.

Jonathan always adds a line to his invitations telling people it’s fine to bring a friend or two. This achieves the dual purpose of adding potential excitement to the guest list, and allowing those who’ve made dinner plans to stop by anyway.

For any very late-notice gathering, it’s important to have a small, trusted core established—even if it’s just two people—who will definitely commit to being there.

THE PARTY-READY PANTRY

You don’t need swell surroundings to host a fabulous spontaneous cocktail party. The goal is to bring your friends together for great conversation over a decent drink and some snacks.

You do, however, need a stocked larder. I always try to have some shelf-stable crowd-pleasers on hand: Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, jalapeño and cheddar jack Cheez-Its (the bag will be empty once you open it), oil-cured olives, smoked almonds, honey-roasted peanuts. Here’s a great trick to doll up potato chips. Take a bag of top-quality kettle chips, and spread them out on a platter. Sprinkle them liberally with Feta cheese and chopped basil. Serve with appetizer plates and pretty salad tongs. Voila! Elegant potato chips!

… AND BOOZE IN THE BASEMENT

The great thing about liquor and the standard mixers is everything keeps, so you can always have it in storage. At minimum I like to have on hand plenty of gin, vodka, tonic, and club soda. I am not a snob about using the jumbo-sized bottles of booze from Costco. Keep plenty of Pellegrino water and soft drinks in supply for the non-drinkers.

You will always add tone to the joint by serving Lillet Blanc, available at any respectable liquor store. The bottles are so classic-looking, and it is delicious served chilled with an orange slice, over ice. Speaking of ice, you want to have at least a pound per guest.

ONE FINAL IDEA, THEN I’LL SHUT UP

I have a creative friend who has a beautifully simple cocktail party concept you could steal; I know she wouldn’t mind. She invites people via email for “Cocktails and Charcuterie from 7ish to 9ish.” She hires a bartender and turns her kitchen island into a giant charcuterie board with salami, prosciutto, mortadella, sopressata, various cheeses, nuts, fruit, crackers and olives. Guests can either make dinner out of it or just nibble and go on to dine somewhere else. Email me for instructions on how to build a charcuterie board. I will also send you my favorite finger food recipes, in case you’re in the mood to actually light up your stove.

by Damian Lair

dlair@inkansascity.com : @damianlair #OurManINKC

Positively Radioactive

Four years ago I sat in Colorado, contemplating the ongoing racial upheavals dividing our country, while watching a virtual RadioActive gala, tears occasionally streaming down my face. Re ecting again on that socially distanced time somehow made this year’s RadioActive event for KCUR 89.3 even more poignant. After ts and starts, it was the rst year this event felt fully, fully back. (Which I heard on repeat from many guests that evening.)

never experience is a paywall. at blanket accessibility is a rarity in today’s media landscape, and perhaps something that many of us take for granted. ese stations are a vital asset to our communities and our informed democracy.

Who was saving his number in someone’s phone and realized it was already saved as “White Boy LOL”?

More than a thousand KCUR fans—the largest attendance in the event’s history—gathered at the glittering Loews Kansas City Hotel to celebrate and support public radio. We heard from this year’s dynamic and energetic co-chairs, Kim Jones & Shelly Freeman and Doug Anning & Kirk Isenhour. e general manager of KCUR, Sarah Morris, delivered compelling remarks that touched on something I think so many of us feel right now: news fatigue. I was so moved, in fact, that I suggested at our wrap-up meeting (yes, I shamelessly serve on this ne event’s organizing committee) that the video should be incorporated into a future KCUR fundraising email. (If the radio bosses agree, I’ll be sure to share with you on my Insta.) Fatigue aside, we were reminded by Sarah that more than a thousand NPR a liate stations dot our diverse and decentralized nation—from urban to rural, red to blue. While 99 percent of the U.S. population lives inside a station radius, one thing listeners (or online readers) will

ough Sarah was a tough act to follow, the legendary Ari Shapiro was, unsurprisingly, up to the task. For those unfamiliar (I implore you to get familiar!), Ari has hosted NPR’s agship program All ings Considered since 2015, in addition to holding several previous correspondent roles. His work has won three national Edward R. Murrow awards for outstanding achievement in broadcast and digital journalism. His rst book, e Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening, was a New York Times bestseller upon its release last year. On the side, Ari also tours with the band Pink Martini and performs in a traveling cabaret show with actor Alan Cumming. Oh—and since his visit to KC, he is the newest host of e Mole, which is now streaming on Net ix.

At rst blush, this all seems like one big bio hodgepodge. But the connecting thread for Ari is a love of storytelling and connecting with an audience. In his reside chat with the managing editor of NPR’s Midwest Newsroom , Holly Edgell , Ari talked about this appetite for storytelling.

His passion for public radio can be traced back to high school when he volunteered to answer phones for his local station’s pledge drive. He didn’t have money to donate, so he wanted to donate his time. So wise. With no early journalism background or training, he was rejected as an NPR intern applicant. Eventually, though, he made it to NPR. e circuitous route developed his belief that we aren’t destined to be one thing or in one place, but that if we pursue

Damian Lair with Ari Shapiro at KCUR 89.3’s RadioActive gala.

HOT GOSSIP:

Our Man IN KC

our curiosities—whatever they may be—we will find the path that’s right for us that we may not have otherwise known existed. I certainly know that to be true.

Ari is humbly cognizant that he has been entrusted with this storied national treasure ( All Things Considered ) and is continuously thinking about ways to not only protect it, but also maintain its relevance and move it forward. He views the program as an important vehicle for seeing the world through the eyes of someone different from you, despite societal encouragement to retreat to comfortable belief corners and echo chambers. Ari sees his job as one of illuminating and building bridges of understanding across divides of perceived differences. And all we need to do is listen. His listening, observation, and consideration has been fundamental to his nearly two decades of sensitive and compelling reporting at NPR. As he put it, listening can be a powerful act of care. It allows us to reach across divides and see the world from a different perspective. It’s a skill we all possess.

Across this engaging conversation, we dined on an exceptional meal of steak and salmon paired with a delightful summer salad. My favorite auctioneer, Tanna Guthrie, (with a bit of audience encouragement from Ari) managed to pull in a record-breaking $200k for the event’s fund-a-need. Those funds are entirely directed to the Aviva Okeson-Haberman Internship Program—ensuring that a future generation of reporters, editors, and digital creators can be paid for their work. Guests were also able to bid on something incredibly unique to RadioActive: “Adventures.” Or you might call them RadioActivities. Everything from guided trips to Paris and DC (including to the NPR headquarters) to happy hours, broadcast tours, and charcuterie making with various KCUR personalities. I won a beekeeping tour—with MO Hives and KCUR’s Brian Ellison—that includes suiting up and harvesting honey!

Following the program, we nibbled on desserts and refilled our cocktails. Live music by The Crossroad Sound filled the ballroom with a new energy and guests danced for hours until the lights flipped on. Now that’s RadioActive

SPOTTED: Julie & Pete Brown, Regina Nouhan & John Eck, Sara Rowland, Mary Bloch, Michael Fields, Madeline McDonough & Cyd Slayton, Karen & Jack Holland, Tom Corbin, Robin Boswell, Jamila & Dr. Michael Weaver, Jane & Keith Gard, Kimberly & Tyler Enders, Kevin Bryant & Tom Suther, Guy Townsend, Kelly Anders, Kristopher Dabner, Sloane Simmons, Barry Eisenhart, Mike Sigler, Greg Oborny, Jan Kyle, Michael Hopkins, Becky Loboda, Carol Logan, Katie & Jared Campbell, Kiran Chandra, Troy Lillebo, Katie Gerson, Eric Thomas & Jonathan Gregory, Mitch Weber, Adam Gebhardt, Godfrey Riddle, Kathy Dowell, Martha Atlas, James Maiden, Largo Callenbach, David Fulk, Peggy Lowe, Brian Ellison, Kady & Steve Kraske, Clarate Heckler, Geneviève Des Marteau

HAIL CAESAR!

HOT

GOSSIP:

Who was hit by a 6’4” man on a scooter carrying a giant poodle and ended up face down in the middle of 51st St. and 5th Ave in NYC? (She’s fine!)

OVERHEARD

“We’re taking an exploratory pre-trip because Princess is questioning the hotel we’ve selected.”

I NEVER MISS my annual visit to the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in the bucolic, verdant plaza that is Southmoreland Park. This year, I was a guest of my dear friend and avid HASF supporter, Amy Embry. Somehow, we managed to attend on what turned out to be (I’m told) the most beautiful evening of this year’s season. Typically, I would pack a blanket and picnic basket full of bevs and bites. However, with the Good Will Society membership (beginning at just $250), we were able to enjoy front-row, reserved seats at this otherwise completely free and open-seating event. Additionally, society members can enjoy the pre-festival and intermission times inside the GWS patrons’ tent—complete with sofas and wine. On this occasion, the volunteer bartenders happened to be dear friends Barb Bloch and Deanna Diebolt

Ragusa’s Italian Café’s food truck was back for another year, and I couldn’t resist that savory meatball crepe. Forgoing the dessert crepe, I opted instead to share a bag of Butterfluff Popcorn kettle corn. And what’s a visit to the park without Veuve Clicquot? We brought our own bottles, natch.

As for the production, this year’s was a classic: Julius Caesar. The world of ancient Rome burst to life before us with captivating performances by (among numerous others) John Rensenhouse as Julius Caesar, Chioma Anyanwu as Calpurnia, Craig Lindsay as Cinna, Bruce Roach as Cicero, Jacques Roy as Cassius, and Matt Rappaport as Brutus. It’s a story of a republic and its citizens who hold differing views about the type of government they want and by whom it should be led. Amidst that turmoil, there is an assassination—of Caesar. It is striking how a story written by William Shakespeare 425 years ago, based on events that occurred more than two thousand years ago, can have such relevance and parallels to our modern world. It’s no wonder that adolescents are (I hope) still taught Shakespeare.

Bravo, once again, to the executive artistic director, Sidonie Garrett

TESTING… 1, 2, 3…

WHEN APPROACHED by the wonderful folks at the iconic Betty Rae’s Ice Cream about envisioning a custom creation to mark the occasion of their new test kitchen location—I screamed. For ice cream, of course.

Betty Rae’s new location in Merriam—it’s fourth—also serves as the company’s centralized production facility and visionary test kitchen. As growth for the nine-year-old company continues, increased production capacity was necessary. This year alone, planned production will increase 300 percent, partially due to the pickup of pint containers by local Cosentino Price Chopper stores. With the test kitchen on-site, Merriam customers will be the first to experience new flavors and provide real-time feedback as recipes are considered for wider rollout to locations in the River Market, Waldo, and Olathe. The Merriam store

will rotate new test flavors monthly.

And that’s where I popped in. Though I have my heart set on a future collaboration for an entirely new ice cream flavor (trust—I have ideas!), for this endeavor, I opted to work around one of Betty Rae’s 26 existing core flavors. As a hyper-enthusiastic fan of their Joe’s KC BBQ & burnt ends ice cream, I aimed for something in that vein. Something quirky, counterintuitive, and of course delicious. Starting—of all places—with the garnish, I thought through numerous potential toppings and flavor profiles ahead of my initial visit. I shared my idea with the test kitchen team in what felt like a Wonka-world fantasy. They didn’t laugh, scoff, or even blink. We tested a variety of preparation techniques and landed on what was most attractive and satisfying.

The result: Paris on the Plains. Crème brûlée ice cream is coated and topped with lightly crushed Guy’s kettle chips, resting inside a fresh, crepe-style waffle cone. Salted caramel drizzle provides a gooey version of a traditional crème brûlée’s caramelized sugar coating. And finally, the pièce de resistance. Floating atop this ebullient creation is a single kettle chip garnished with a dollop of caviar. Magnifique. In my view, it is the perfect combination of salty and sweet, decadent and

unassuming, cosmopolitan and Midwestern. You can try it for yourself for a very limited time—only at the Merriam test kitchen location—during the month of August (check social media for exact dates). And like everything at Betty Rae’s, they’ll further customize to your preference—whether that be a cup vs. a cone, or even sans caviar if you’re not feeling Frenchy (or fancy).

Many thanks to the thoughtful and open-minded team at Betty Rae’s. And to my dear mother, who served not only as my initial creative sounding board but taught my sisters and me the subversive art of tucking potato chips into lunchtime sandwiches. That first bite at Betty Rae’s was a flood of memories—childhood lunch boxes, crepes under the Eiffel Tower, and the occasional Michelin-starred masterpiece—all wrapped inside a cone. I hope you get to enjoy one.

OVERHEARD

“There is nothing worse than a burned-out candle at a dinner table.”

So, KC—where do you want to go? XO

Damian Lair’s original concoction is available at Betty Rae’s this month.

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Arts & Culture

Jessica May

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

Jessica May, the new executive director of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, comes to Kansas City with an enviable pedigree.

After graduating from Barnard College, she got her master’s degree and Ph.D. in art history, with a special focus on photography, from the University of California, Berkeley. She has been a fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; a curator at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.; the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine; and at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas.

May is also the co-author of Second Nature: Photography in the Age of the Anthropocene (Rizzoli).

She has a gift for community engagement, which will serve her well in Kemper’s 30th anniversary year, when museums are changing perspective from object-driven to audience-involved.

In her most recent post as artistic director at the 30-acre deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in the Boston area, she commissioned contemporary artists to design outdoor sculptures to enhance the already impressive 60-sculpture collection created by noteworthy contemporary artists.

May is rolling up her sleeves to make the art museum “a place apart from everyday life, that makes me feel not alone in the world,” she says. “Art is how you know you are in community.”

INKC: Since beginning your tenure as executive director of Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in February, you’ve had a little time to get acclimated to Kansas City. Longtime residents think Kansas City is a best-kept secret. What is your view?

Jessica May: The secret is out! I have friends and family all over the

by Judith Fertig photo by Kenny Johnson

Arts & Culture IN KC

country who are vying for visits, and artists, museum, and gallery colleagues have been gushing about their time here. I have been on a lot of flights these past few months while my family and I wait out the end of the school year (my son is finishing 8th grade) and every time I’m on a flight home from Boston to Kansas City, it feels like everyone on the plane is part of this super fun, inclusive clubhouse. The camaraderie is powerful, as though everyone is not-so-secretly thinking, “Lucky us! We are headed home!” I’ve never felt more welcome to be myself in a new town.

INKC: What new stories would you like the museum to explore through partnerships and connections, exhibits, and events? How would you like the museum and its outreach to grow?

JM: This museum has an amazing history as a champion of working artists at pivotal moments in their careers, particularly those who are emerging or who have flown under the radar on the national or international level. A huge part of my work at this museum will be to nurture and grow that stellar artistic vision for a new generation.

I’m also keen for us to expand our program outwards to nurture deep and sustained connections within our community. That will mean finding cross disciplinary connections with established partners as well as seeking out new relationships, perhaps in surprising places. Museums are fundamentally public-facing institutions, so how we work is as important as what we produce. My goal with our staff is to model the kinds

of welcome that we most want to see throughout our city

INKC: On a personal level, do you like to participate in the arts? Do you paint or sing or sculpt or photograph or write?

JM: I’m most at home creatively when I’m writing or in conversation with artists. I have to admit that when I see a particularly beautiful pile of fruit, I briefly imagine myself embodying the spirit of Ellsworth Kelly, but I’m not. Instead, I think in language, in dialogue. I find writing excruciatingly difficult—I’m not one of those people who whips out gorgeous essays at the drop of a hat, but for me the experience of seeing ideas come together and get sharper through a dialogic process is pretty fantastic.

INKC: When you’re not at work, what do you like to do with your wife, Karen, and son, Noah?

JM: We are parks-and-museums people. My perfect day with my family is a long walk in a public park or hiking trail, brunch together at home with vegetables from City Market and eggs from Campo Lindo Farms, a museum or gallery visit (either contemporary art for me, or Greek and Roman galleries for our teenage classicist, Noah). In the most ideal of ideal worlds, we end our day with local beer, hot pizza, and tickets to KC Current on the home pitch. At least, Karen and I end our dream day that way. At 14, Noah prefers to stay home and read!

Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

WEST SIDE STORY AT STARLIGHT

IN THIS AMERICAN retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, two rival gangs of di erent ethnic backgrounds—the Sharks and the Jets—vie for control of their Upper West Side turf, much to the displeasure of police o cers Krupke and Schrank, who try to keep the peace. But when Tony, a Jet, meets Maria, the sister of a Shark, at a 1957 high school dance, things get interesting.

Four icons of American theater produced this long-running musical. Jerome Robbins conceived, choreographed, and directed the original West Side Story with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and the book by Arthur Laurents. It debuted on Broadway in 1957 to much acclaim and many Tony Awards. In 1961, it became a lm, garnering ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From the rst notes to the nal breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time.

From August 20 to 25, this poignant and evergreen tale plays at Starlight eatre, with renowned director, choreographer, and Tony Award recipient Baayork Lee directing is touring production highlights the social issues then as now—poverty, crime, prejudice, immigration, diversity. Will love conquer all?

For more information and tickets, visit kcstarlight.com

KANSAS CITY BALLET GUILD PRESENTS

DECEMBER 7, 2024

Celebrate the holiday season at Kansas City Ballet Guild’s annual gala, the Nutcracker Ball at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. Proceeds from the Nutcracker Ball provide essential support for Kansas City Ballet.

Nutcracker Ball Benefactors will be celebrated at a cocktail party at the Westin Kansas City Hotel Crown Center on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.

To receive an invitation or more information, contact Ball Chairmen Lynne and Carl Weilert by email at balletball@kcballet.org or 816.381.6942.

BENEFACTOR SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE NOW AT KCBALLETBALL.ORG

Single tickets on sale September 3, 2024.

Baayork Lee

Photography by Strauss Peyton and Kenny Johnson.

AN AMERICAN MUSICAL SEND-OFF TO EUROPE

TO CELEBRATE Kansas City Symphony’s upcoming tour of Europe—dates in Hamburg, Berlin, and Amsterdam—the orchestra will perform a concert of the All-American music they will also be performing on tour.

On Wednesday evening, August 21 at 7 p.m., Matthias Pintscher, the new music director, leads the orchestra with Conrad Tao on piano featuring a trio of American composers. Modernist composer Charles Ives’s 1913 Decoration Day and The Fourth of July, two movements from New England Holidays, display his unique style of Americana with dissonance and quarter tones to give a contemporary spin on Ives’s Danbury, Connecticut, upbringing.

George Gershwin’s 1924 Rhapsody in Blue, for solo piano and jazz band, evokes both classical music and jazz in a defining moment of the Jazz Age. The opening clarinet glissando has become as recognizable as the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Aaron Copland, a favorite composer of the annual Symphony in the Flint Hills, serves up Symphony No. 3, written at the end of World War II and first performed in 1946. This work fuses his Americana styling in the ballets Appalachian Spring and Rodeo with symphonic sound.

For more information and tickets, visit kcsymphony.org

photo

Matthias Pintscher

Arts &Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

SCIENCE MEETS DIPLOMACY: ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE AT LINDA HALL LIBRARY

ON THURSDAY EVENING, August 22, from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m., Linda Hall Library, in partnership with the International Relations Council, hosts a discussion live as well as virtual (but you will still need a ticket). The illegal wildlife trade is decimating plant and animal life around the globe. Some of the most charismatic animals, such as elephants and rhinos, as well as many lesser-known species, are vulnerable to organized exploitation, undermining complex ecosystems already stressed by climate change and habitat loss.

The illegal trade in wildlife commodities also poses significant challenges to national security. Highly organized international criminal syndicates that are involved in wildlife trafficking are often also involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other crimes.

In this program, acclaimed journalist Rachael Bale and a panel of experts will explore the scope of illegal wildlife trade and the international policies, advances in technology, and frontline enforcement actions that are part of a global effort to combat poaching, trafficking, and the demand for illegally traded wildlife and wildlife products.

For more information and tickets, visit lindahall.org

LIGHT UP THE LAWN: THE FREEDOM AFFAIR

BRING THE LAWN CHAIRS AND BLANKET—and your dancing shoes—for this free concert on the lawn in front of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College.

On Friday evening, August 23, set up your chairs, then grab a bite to eat from a local food truck before the concert begins at 8:30 p.m.

The Freedom Affair is a female-fronted nine-member soul powerhouse led by Kansas City singers Seyko Groves, Paula Saunders, and Shon Ruffin. Their first album, Freedom Is Love , was released in 2020, with another on the way in 2025.

Described as a “warm hug for your soul” and “soul dynamite,” their performances move audiences physically and emotionally. Songs like Rise Up, Don’t Shoot, and Move On showcase their energetic, upbeat style that will get you up and dancing before you know it.

“Let’s move toward a brighter day/Together we can find a better way/Rise up...”

For more information, visit jccc.edu/midwest-trustcenter/events

FRENCH DRESSING

There are some essentials that de ne the classic, e ortlessly chic style of French women. Walk the streets of Paris (or any city or town in France, for that matter), and you’ll see some version of these pieces on repeat. ink traditional, but with a twist, like the looks we’ve pulled together for you here. ey may be trending now, but they’ll be a staple of your wardrobe for years to come. Combine these with some simple gold jewelry, bold sunglasses, and a nonchalant toss of your tousled hair and you’re good to go.

Giaborghini loafers, $615, available at Blackbird Collection

$188, available at Alysa Rene Boutique

Esqualo trench coat,

TWP dark-wash jeans, $495, available at Clairvaux

Woven bag, $140, available at Peruvian Connection

Veronica Beard navy jacket with gold buttons, $695, available at Halls

Flattered ballet ats, $239, available from Dear Society

Voyageur by Mersea Breton Polo sweater, $138, available at mersea.com

MINIMALIST MAKEUP

Pare down your morning makeup routine to still feel put-together yet get out the door more quickly.

Of course, before you apply a scintilla of makeup, well-prepped skin is essential. Check the Look Beauty column in our May issue for all the best tips on an essential skincare routine. Save that heavy foundation for a big night out and reach for a tinted moisturizer or sheer tint foundation, then apply a concealer to correct any problem areas. If brows are ample, just brush them into place. If not, a few strokes with a brow pencil gives the illusion. Avoid thick, clumpy mascaras for a clean swipe that separates and enhances. A softfocus blush, creamy highlighter, (powder only if you trend toward oily skin), and tinted lip balm that adds a ush of color completes the look. Fini!

. Lover Cosmetics

lover-cosmetics.com.

Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara, $28, from Welwythn

Clé de Peau Beauté concealer with SPF 27, $75, available at Nordstrom

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder, $48, at Sephora.

MAC Glow Play Cushiony Blush available in 13 colors, $34, at Ulta Beauty

Kosas Brow Pop Nano, $22, from Welwythn.

Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick, $48, from Welwythn.

Coola Tinted Mineral Lip Balm with SPF 30, $18, available at The Grove Spa

Mineral Sheer Tint, $45, available at

Summer Vibes

Summer Concert Series

EVERY SATURDAY IN AUGUST (7PM - 9PM)

Bring your friends and family to the hottest concerts of the Summer!

Aug 3: Perpetual Change

Aug 10: The Phil Collins Experience

Aug 17: Stolen Winnebagos

Aug 24: Blondage & Lone Jett

Aug 31: The Whips

Second Saturdays for Kids!

EVERY SECOND SATURDAY (10AM - NOON)

Free entertainment for mornings filled with play, laughter, and meaningful moments together.

Aug 10: It's a Carnival!

Sept 14: Sporting KC Day

Guitars & Games

EVERY FRIDAY (6PM - 8PM)

Free live acoustic music and lawn games.

Wednesday Date Night

EVERY WEDNESDAY (6PM - 8PM)

Live music for a mid-week date night! Connect over a great line-up of pop/rock, country, and even reggae!

A Taste of Leawood

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (7PM - 10PM)

Tickets on sale now for a private evening of dining under the stars with food and drinks from over 20 area restaurants, VIP experiences, and a concert in the center of it all. Link to purchase tickets at parkplaceleawood.com/event/a-taste-of-leawood

Visit ParkPlaceLeawood.com for more details.

Park Place is located on the northeast corner of Nall Avenue & 117th St., just north of AMC 20 Theatre.

by Judith Fertig

Treating Persistent Mental Health Conditions: Could Brain Stimulation Help?

UMANG SHAH,

Sometimes, mental health conditions, such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), resist traditional treatments. Medication and in-person therapy might only help to some degree.

Now, there is a promising new option offering relief for patients with depression, anxious depression, or OCD.

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment has been proven to offer significant results by directly stimulating deeper and broader areas of the brain, effectively treating conditions such as depression, anxious depression, late-life depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and smoking addiction.

Umang Shah, MD, MPH, a psychiatrist treating children, adolescents, and adults at AdventHealth Psychiatry and Wellbeing,

shares how this new approach is helping Kansas City patients experiencing mental health issues.

What is TMS and how does it help patients with depression or OCD?

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that is performed on an outpatient basis. It is well-tolerated, effective, and FDA approved with no systemic side effects commonly associated with medications. It is associated with meaningful reduction in symptoms of depression and OCD, with significantly improved mental health and quality of life.

What is the TMS process?

After a thorough evaluation to qualify for the treatment, our dedicated team works on getting prior authorization from the patient’s insurance company. After the approval, the first session is brain mapping, to make sure the stimulation will be given to targeted areas of the brain, lasting for less than 30 minutes. After the initial mapping, the treatments last around 20 minutes. Because these treatments are non-invasive, the person is able to return to their normal routine immediately following treatment.

How does AdventHealth’s TMS treatment differ from that offered at other hospitals in the metro area?

In short, our treatment provides deeper stimulation, which is, therefore, more effective. Among various devices that have been approved by the FDA since 2008, at AdventHealth we use the BrainsWay Deep TMS device, in which magnetic coils are incorporated in helmets that are patient and operator friendly. This device provides a deeper and wider area of stimulation to the targeted brain regions, penetrating about five to six centimeters into the scalp compared to the standard two to three centimeters. Treatment involves sitting comfortably in a chair in the healthcare provider’s office for approximately 20 minutes, wearing a helmet containing a patented H-Coil. AdventHealthKC.com/ BehavioralHealth

Umang Shah, MD, MPH

Built to care. Driven to cure.

Kansas City’s newest home for state-of-the-art cancer care is here. The AdventHealth Cancer Institute offers everything patients need all in one place – including leading-edge technology with the first and only MRIGuided Radiation Therapy in the KC region. Here, you’ll find a dedicated team that champions you, your cancer journey and the human spirit. Visit CancerCareKC.com to learn more.

Cancer Institute

By Judith Fertig Photos by Randy Van

One of the many lifestyle changes emerging from the pandemic—when we had to stay home—is now wanting to stay home.

Just as we discovered that working from a home office, at least part of the time, is better than commuting daily, we are also realizing that sipping single malt whiskey at home can be more relaxing (and less expensive) than Ubering to and from the local watering hole.

If—and it’s a big if—we love the space we’re in.

With mortgage interest rates still high, the cost of moving on

the increase, and fewer homes on the market to choose from, it could make financial sense to stay where we are. We just need to love where we live.

“We’re looking at what home can be in a whole new way,” says Karin Ross. The Belgian-born designer, owner of Karin Ross Designs, has created custom kitchens, baths, wine bars, and other spaces for Kansas City homeowners wanting that special something. “Now more than ever, what you put in your home will add value—if it is done right,” she says. “But it should be about what you love.”

“When you decide to remodel, don’t think about resale value,” says Ross. “Don’t think about the next buyer. Think of what you can enjoy now, and trust that if the design is done right, the value will still be there when you sell in the future.”

“DO IT FOR YOU. DO IT RIGHT.”

“My advice to my clients is to work with a designer to make rooms live the way you want them to,” says Ross. “You might want a coffee station or a wine bar in your kitchen; specialty storage for platters or linens if you entertain a lot. You might love a deep, freestanding soaking tub while your partner might prefer a large shower with multiple jets. The flow of your kitchen might not be optimal. Your partner might want a cigar room, the new man cave. You might want a ‘gossip room,’ the new she shed.”

“Once we touch it, the room will feel completely new,” says Ross, and yet you’re still at home. Ross can look at your kitchen space, and perhaps a warren of nearby rooms, with fresh eyes. Just because the refrigerator has always been in a certain spot, doesn’t mean it can’t fit better somewhere else in a new layout. Maybe that peninsula should become an island. Maybe that tiny

bedroom should be part of a larger primary bath. “Every house has a way,” says Ross. “You just have to find the way.”

An extensive questionnaire for clients and an onsite visit initiate the process. “We get to know our clients and their home first, then present them with several design options and solutions,” says Ross, “after I have done all the research.”

INVEST WHERE IT COUNTS

Keeping a timeless look and investing in good quality pays off, now and in the long run. “A kitchen remodel should last for 15 to 20 years,” says Ross. “And after that, if it is done right, you should only need a few replacements to keep it functioning well and looking great.” Perhaps a new refrigerator or different hardware on the cabinetry, changing out a light fixture over the island. “The basic design, if it is done right, will be timeless and in keeping with your home.”

When you work with a kitchen and bath designer, says Ross, it can save you time—and money, not to mention stress. “We try everything we install before we put it in a client’s home,” says Ross. “We try it in our home or in our showroom. That way, there are no surprises.”

There are no surprises, either, during the installation. Karin Ross Designs keeps products in stock, so no waiting. And Nick Ross, Karin’s husband, does the installation work with his team. “Our clients know we will take care of it all,” she says.

“You’ve worked hard and made many sacrifices. Now it’s time to stay home and enjoy your life,” says Ross. “Do what makes you happy.”

Hello to Old and New Friends

A LOCAL FAVORITE RETURNS, AND WE WELCOME AN OUTOFTOWNER

by Patricia O’Dell

Nova Engle, owner of Made & Found, had a loyal following during her time in the Crossroads and Columbus Park. e good news is, she’s back! Engle has reopened in Lee’s Summit. Don’t miss this bright and happy space with Engle’s unique new and vintage nds. From silver spade and shovel serving pieces to treasured old furniture with a wonderful patina, to glassware, plant holders, and interesting art, what once was lost, now is found. Instagram @novasvintage.

Nova’s Vintage | 305 SE Douglas Street, Lee’s Summit

Across town, in the heart of Prairie Village, urbAna, which originally launched in Phoenix, is a casually elegant home goods store new to the area. From beautifully scalloped platters and cutting boards to perfectly imperfect ceramic serveware and contemporary furniture with a vintage soul, urbAna is certain to o er a great new nd, whether it’s large or small. Instagram @urbanakc

urbAna | 19 on the Mall | The Shops of Prairie Village

urbana

photo by jenny wheat

WATCH THIS SPACE HOMEGROWN DESIGNER HANGS UP SHINGLE

NATIVE KANSAS CITIAN Ruth Stark Keenan graduated from journalism school over a decade ago and started her career in advertising. But as happens to many meant-to-be-designers, she could not drag her attention—and passion—away from floorplans, furniture, fabrics, and the fairytale draw of transforming space for the better.

After working in the field the last several years, Keenan launched her own design business a year and a half ago. As many designers do, she began working out of her home until the conflict between swatch sorting and breakfast dishes began not to make sense.

Keenan recently committed to studio space in the Morningside Plaza shops at 59th Street and Holmes Road. I cannot wait to see the interiors that get their start—and finish—there. ruthkeenandesign.com

Create Where

by Patricia O’Dell

On the Hunt

TASTEMAKER CHRONICLES INFLUENTIAL CAREER

Iknow that some IN Kansas City readers may be my children’s ages, but if you were a design-curious adult in the 80s it was impossible to miss the in uence of Holly Hunt. Her showroom in Chicago was one of the rst to curate the spaces as galleries with room-like settings, rather than by product type—lights here, chairs there, sofas there.

Hunt launched a signature design line that encompassed every element of the room—furniture, lighting, and textiles. I was in her Chicago showroom several times—I can still see it in my mind’s eye—and it was nothing short of perfection.

Hunt, originally from Waco, Texas, is a design entrepreneur who sold her business to Knoll for $95 million. Her new venture is House of Hunt, which produces bespoke interior, architecture, and product design.

Hunt has published a new book, Holly Hunt: Fearless in the World of Design, which showcases her nearly 40 years of collections and partnerships—including Christian Liaigre, whom she introduced to an American audience—and her personal residences in Chicago and Aspen. I’m most looking forward to the images of her own homes in Chicago and Aspen, and her renovation of e Little Nell boutique hotel in Aspen. Her book will be good company as we wait out the steamy and humid Kansas City summer inside with a cold drink.

The kitchen in Hunt’s Aspen home.

Left: Hollly Hunt in the living room of her Aspen home. Above: The cover of Hunt’s new book.

LIGHTEN UP!

Left: Tom Corbin’s Bella candlesticks. Right: A few of the candlesticks in the Totem collection.

ONE OF TOM CORBIN’S wonderful qualities, besides his charming demeanor, is his interest in creating pieces for the home in addition to his major sculpture works. While his larger pieces are wonderful inside or in the garden, his smaller works are unique accents that may be more approachable.

I’m particularly smitten with the Bella candlesticks, which are available in three di erent sizes. (Which means they would make a great collection of ve. As I keep mentioning, sometimes more really is more.) Crafted in bronze, they are both elegant and strong. ey would play well with Bellina, which has a bit more of an edge, if you like to mix things up. Like to keep things light? ey are available in a white patina nish that is equally beautiful.

Corbin’s Totem candlestick collection has eight di erent designs that range from ten to 23 inches high. Each has the same base that rises to di erent combinations of circles, spheres, diamonds, and crescent-shaped elements.

If anyone has ever said to you, “You’re impossible to buy for,” starting a collection of Corbin’s candlesticks would really be doing them a favor. You’re helping—and winning. corbinbronze.com

Inspired

Designer Connie Fey brings her expertise to both residential and commercial design projects.

Color, texture and technology are three elements of design that she finds particularly inspiring.

Be inspired with a designer at Madden-McFarland.

By Evan Pagano

Life is Better in the Sky

Take a stroll around Sky on Main, a distinctive high-rise in downtown Kansas City, and you’ll feel alive.

The wind whips off the street, mingling with mist from the Muse of Missouri and Kemper Memorial fountains, then swirls around the sleek stone apartment tower, riding the KC Streetcar lines. You sense that you and your fellow city-dwellers are integral to this vibrant space, filling it with life and purpose.

Sky on Main is where life thrives, plays, and rests. Currently home to around 120 luxury apartments, the community plans to add 150 more over the next year. Pre-leasing applications are open now, with first move-ins scheduled for later this month.

LUXURY IN THE SKY

Sky on Main is nestled between two historic buildings with birds on their facades: the New York Life Building and the old New England

National Bank. If those birds could talk, they might agree with Sky on Main’s slogan: Life is better in the sky.

The apartment homes range from one to two bedrooms, with sizes between 646 and 1,244 square feet. These smartly designed spaces combine modern touches with historical elegance, featuring stainless steel appliances and premium vinyl plank flooring. The windows offer bird-eye views of the Power & Light District, the River Market, and the entirety of downtown Kansas City.

Perks abound. The fitness center, stocked with cardio equipment and free weights, has wall-to-wall windows and an indoor basketball court. The Sky Lounge, popular on game days, is available for free resident use and rental. The Sky Vue Terrace is perfect for grilling and chilling in the sky.

Jeremy Lawson, Price Brothers’ director of marketing and a resident of Sky on Main, shares plans to further expand the building’s amenities. Future additions include restaurants and a pet spa, ensuring every resident feels pampered.

And addressing a common concern, Lawson adds, “We also have a huge parking garage with around 800 spaces. Downtown parking is challenging, so having off-street parking is a major plus.”

PRIME DOWNTOWN LOCATION

Sky On Main is situated in Ten Main Center, a 23-story tower on the National Register of Historic Places, formerly home to the AMC headquarters. In 2023, NBC Nightly News highlighted Price Brothers, the owner and property manager, for leading efforts to transform historic office spaces into residential havens.

The location of Sky on Main is second to none. Sharing walls with the Central Library, near a CVS, and being a seven-minute walk from Cosentino’s Market, everything you need is within reach. Popular eateries like Mildred’s and Milwaukee Deli are just across the street.

“There’s Mildred’s for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and Milwaukee Deli for late-night pizza, beer, and cocktails,” says Tyler Pedersen, graphic designer at Price Brothers. “You can easily spend a whole day enjoying everything nearby.”

Located at the corner of 10th and Main, Sky on Main also has a dedicated KC Streetcar stop steps from the front doors. It’s two stops from the River Market, two from the Power & Light District, and four from the Crossroads. By early 2026, future expansions will provide streetcar access to the riverfront and the Plaza.

“The location is just killer,” Pedersen emphasizes.

QUIET IN THE HEART OF THE CITY

Downtown’s lively atmosphere also includes quieter areas where residents can unwind before jumping back into the action. Sky on Main, situated in the serene Library District, offers a peaceful retreat just steps away from the hustle and bustle.

“The Library District is a bit quieter, but still close to everything,” Lawson explains. “I never hear anything apart from the occasional ambulance. It’s nice to be close—but not too close.”

A LEGACY OF BUILDING COMMUNITY

Established in Kansas City in 1922, Price Brothers remains owned and operated by the Price family, managing 39 residential properties across the KC metro. Sky on Main perfectly embodies the Price Brothers mission by creating vibrant, connected communities.

“This really aligns with who we are as a company,” Lawson reflects. “Price Brothers, being around for over 100 years, we strive to build community. And that’s what we’re doing here is continuing our legacy of building community.”

Explore available apartments, take a 3D tour, or schedule an in-person visit on the Sky on Main website.

Shelley Washington IN CONVERSATION WITH

words by Cindy Hoedel photo by Peter Yankowsky

At 33, New York-based composer Shelley Washington, a Kansas City native, is shaking the foundations of classical music, creating layered pieces tinged with jazz, folk, and funk that interweave disparate instruments, voices, and poetry. With her music, Washington seeks to shake the table with social justice messages and, above all, make “lots and lots of noise,” she says.

Born in Tulsa, Washington’s family moved to Kansas City’s Northland when she was in kindergarten. She attended Barry Elementary School and graduated from Platte County High School. After earning a BA in music and MA in education at Truman State University, she earned a master’s in music composition at New York University Steinhardt. Washington is on the faculty at New York University Steinhardt and is completing her PhD in music composition at Princeton University.

Washington’s works have been presented by leading ensembles, including the Long Beach Opera, Boston Lyric Opera company, and the Kansas City Symphony, which performed her string quartet Middleground. Washington cofounded Kinds of Kings, a composer collective, and performs in the Los Angeles-based ensemble Wild Up and her Brooklyn-based band, Good Looking Friends. Her music can be found at shelleywashington.com and Spotify. Current projects include an opera that will premiere in Los Angeles. She lives in Brooklyn with her dog, Rodeo.

IN Kansas City caught up with Washington by phone from her parents’ home in the Northland, where she was relaxing with Rodeo and excited about seeing a Monarchs game.

What was the first song that really grabbed you?

Seal’s Kiss From a Rose when I was about four.

Where did you hear it?

On the radio. We are a radio family. There is always a radio on somewhere in the house or in the car. I still love that song. It’s really orchestral, so beautiful and lush, and that oboe solo—ahh! It’s fantastic.

What did your 4-year-old self love about that song?

The melody. It’s very singable, and it feels really expansive with all these big sweeping elements. I had no idea what he was talking about, but it sounded cool and that was enough.

What role did music play in your life in childhood and as a teenager?

It’s always been very present. My mom is a professional handbell musician and is one of the founding members of the Rezound Handbell Ensemble in Kansas City. I grew up playing handbells in church and singing in the children’s choir and in band. I started playing saxophone in 6th grade, so music was always interwoven into all the corners of my life. Alt 96.5 FM was my favorite radio station growing up, and I still listen to it when I’m here.

I also took piano lessons growing up, and that’s when my compositional career began.

You learned composing in your piano lessons?

[Laughs] I hated practicing, but I realized if I made up a little song I could razzle-dazzle my teacher and distract her from the music I didn’t practice. At the time I didn’t think of it that way, I just made up a song. But now in my mind, I realize—that’s composing.

Who recognized your musical gifts first?

My parents. They always silently encouraged pursuing any corner of music. When I gave up on piano lessons and wanted to be a rock star, I wanted to take guitar lessons, and they took me to classical guitar lessons. Then I wanted bass guitar lessons, then electric guitar lessons, and I’m still playing saxophone. My mom has a couple of flutes that belonged to other family members, so I picked that up. In high school, I played in the pit for the musicals. Taking those extra lessons and buying those instruments, that’s an investment! And they never pressured me about practice or that I had to be the best. They just let me be independent and encouraged me with very gentle pushing and leading by

example—my mom is a musician, and my dad is a huge music lover.

Your compositions draw from many styles. Who is one classical composer that has influenced and how?

Definitely Julia Wolfe. A friend gave me Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer album. I love that piece. I have the whole thing memorized. It was such an awakening.

What did you love about it?

It was the first major contemporary piece that I ever found, so it was special in that way. Also, it draws from a lot of folk elements and rock elements, and you could sing along with it. It has so much groove to it. I didn’t know you could do that in classical music. That gave me permission.

One of my professors at Truman was like, “You can do this. This is something that you should explore.” I went to New York for two weeks, which is a long time to be skipping out on classes, but I emailed a bunch of composers and a bunch of different schools. I think I visited eight or nine schools. I was like, “Here’s my dumb little portfolio from my Intro to Composition class and a fun little musical that I wrote, and I know nothing about composition, but I would like to try it.” When I went for my visit at NYU, I met Julia, who is one of the most kind and encouraging people. The music she writes—the way that she puts the instruments together with the voices, how she stacks the voices, and the poetry she creates with text—has been influential for me in a lot of ways.

When you compose, how do you balance artistic freedom and creativity with commercial considerations?

[Laughs] Oh, I don’t care if people like my music. It’s convenient if they do; it’s really nice. But I write the music that I like. I know not everyone is going to like it, but you don’t have to like every single thing you hear. The music I write that gets shared with the world, I’m really proud of it. With commissions, of course they give you some parameters, like here are the instruments you can use, or we don’t want anything longer than 15 minutes. But within that I have complete creative control.

Your compositions often grapple with social injustice. Do you also do advocacy outside of arts platforms?

Not in a formal way. I’ve worked with New Music USA quite a bit and the Amplifying Voices program they started. When I talk to orchestras that perform my pieces, I talk about how we are intentionally expanding diversity in the field, and it is important to be conscious about that. When I am present with other people, it inevitably comes up.

What are the social issues you are focused on?

In the musical field, we have hundreds and hundreds of years of history where it was a very tight-knit, old-boys club and we are still contending with that, but we shouldn’t have to and don’t have to.

As a biracial person, how do you feel about the fact that in America if one parent is black and one is white, you are automatically considered black?

I think it goes back to the one drop rule, and we’ve never been able to filter that out. But yeah, not a lot of people know I’m biracial. I’m viewed as being African American and not that my mother is German-Irish. There’s a lot of other nuances that go into that as well. It is interesting,

Washington performing one of her compositions at the HIVERS artist residency in 2019.

contending with the history fully outside the realm of music, like socially, things can get very complicated, so I’m always very aware.

From your personal perspective, where do you think we are as a country in 2024 in dealing with race? What gains have you seen in your lifetime and what is the most glaring remaining problem you see?

Good grief, that’s just politics, and it’s incredibly frustrating. In my lifetime, the internet has become the great equalizer in terms of communication and community building, which is a good thing. People are able to reach out and find their community in different states and different cities all over the world that you wouldn’t have immediate access to without the tool of the internet. It also means that we have been able to witness different pockets of racism. I don’t think it’s really gone away and now it’s easier to see how prominent it is.

Some people feel like it’s getting worse, but when you talk to people in marginalized, non-white-cis communities, they are like, “We have been telling you it has been this way, but you have not believed us because you haven’t witnessed it.”

So, pro: It’s visible. Con: Oh. My. Gosh. I’m not thrilled. Not happy. Much remains to be done.

What is your response to people who complain about music and the arts becoming too woke?

I would ask, have the arts and music not always commented on society and politics and forms of protest? It has always been present. But you know these composers of capital “C” classical music in Vienna and Germany might have been hiding their messages in a way you just might not be aware of. But it has always, always been there.

What challenges and opportunities does the internet present to classical composers like you?

When I was a kid, we had the Encyclopedia Britannica and Ask Jeeves. Now, in ten seconds I can do an internet search and pull up music from Ghana, for example. Within that, as composers, we have the ability to tell people, I wrote this piece of music, and it is about this socio-political topic, and people are able to immediately access that by search or just stumble upon it. That’s amazing.

At the same time, going to the symphony has been traditionally seen as this super-fancy thing because of the history behind it. And tickets can be really expensive. Some people might feel that since they can’t afford the tickets or they don’t have a fancy ball gown, they don’t belong there. Finding ways to share live classical music with more people is hard. I think about that a lot.

I have the opportunity to write pieces of music that are being performed in major institutions, and it’s very exciting. When I get the chance to talk to the people who are hosting the music, I ask how we can reach more people, like, “Can we do a special ticket price? Can we livestream? Can we broadcast it?” But you’re contending with history. You’re contending with, “Well, this is the system we’ve already had in place that’s been working for however long.” Change is difficult, especially when arts funding is already quite limited. That’s when you have to start thinking about commercialism versus art. That’s tough to answer, and it’s going to be an ongoing discussion.

‘‘

Oh, I’m a Midwest girl forever. You can take the Midwesterner out of the Midwest, but it’s never going to leave you. I grew up here. My family is here. I have the same group of friends that has known each other since we were five. . . This is my home forever, and I feel like I can always come back, and you can make eye contact with people here and smile and say, “Good morning.” You can do that in some places in New York, but it’s not the same.”

After living so long on the East Coast, do you still consider yourself a Kansas Citian?

Oh, I’m a Midwest girl forever. You can take the Midwesterner out of the Midwest, but it’s never going to leave you. I grew up here. My family is here. I have the same group of friends that has known each other since we were five. They are married with kids now, and we are still hanging out and texting every day. This is my home forever, and I feel like I can always come back, and you can make eye contact with people here and smile and say, “Good morning.” You can do that in some places in New York, but it’s not the same.

I still have my 816 phone number. I’m never giving it up.

What does your dog, Rodeo, think of Kansas City?

Rodeo is thoroughly a city dog—I adopted him from a shelter in Harlem. But he does get excited about grass. He’s met horses, he’s met cows; wasn’t sure what to do with them. We do our big biannual road trip from New York to Kansas City once in winter and once in summer. He’s currently looking out the window hunting for squirrels.

Does your Midwestern identity influence your compositions?

I feel like it pops up in my music quite a bit. One of my most performed pieces, Middleground, is about the Flint Hills in Kansas, where my mother’s family is from in Emporia and Manhattan. My friend Tyler Kline is a composer and has a podcast called Modern Notebook where he programs contemporary classical music and another one called Looseleaf Transitions where he asks different makers, composers, and artists how they do what they do. He interviewed me, and I don’t know exactly how to describe my music, it’s kind of a mystery to me, but he said, “Your music has a lot of expansiveness. It has a sweeping quality, an openness.” And I said, “Well, I identify with my big childhood spent between Kansas and Missouri. I spent a lot of time outside and in the woods and on the prairie, riding bikes around and doing big stuff. I had a really beautiful, golden childhood.”

Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

WORDS BY Evan Pagano

2024 Fall Arts Preview MUSEUMS & EXHIBITS

THE WEATHER’S COOLING DOWN, BUT THE ARTS SCENE IN KANSAS CITY IS HEATING UP. THE 20242025 SEASON IS HERE, AND OUR WORLDCLASS ARTS AND CULTURAL DESTINATIONS HAVE PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS THIS YEAR. OUR LOCAL TALENT IS THE BEST IT’S EVER BEEN, AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO MISS A MINUTE OF IT. WE’RE MAKING IT EASY TO SAMPLE EVERYTHING KANSAS CITY HAS TO OFFER IN ARTS THIS FALLHERE’S YOUR GOTO GUIDE TO FINDING IT ALL.

Charlotte Street

Charlotte Street—through its grants, residencies, and connections—has been a crucial incubator for KC artists since 1997. Its 2024 season focuses on sound and the way it moves us. Ways of Listening, a seven-artist audiovisual showcase, will occupy the Charlotte Street Gallery until September 7, with artist-led demonstrations, meditations, and performances throughout. To keep the sound waves moving, the Spirit of Sonic Art series will emanate monthly (August 1, September 5, October 3, and November 7) from Charlotte Street Stern eater. e organization’s bene t gala, loaded with installations and performances, is October 19 on the Charlotte Street Campus. Go to charlottestreet.org for the latest.

Johnson County Arts And Heritage Center

With a hand in almost every aspect of Johnson County, from chronicling its history to supporting its citizens with disabilities, it’s not a surprise that the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center is a steward for the arts. Some organizations under its purview are the Johnson County Museum and the Arts Council of Johnson County. e museum’s exhibit Free to Be...A 1960s Fashion Revolution will be on view until January 11, with several relevant lectures planned into the fall. Meanwhile, the arts council is teaming with its Lenexa counterpart to present Place of Peace, an exhibition of art by veterans in the Kansas City metro, from October 29 to November 24. For more on the center’s programming, head to jcprd. com/1835/arts-heritage-center.

Kansas City Artists Coalition

KCAC was established in 1975 as a centralized space for innovation—not elitism and stagnation—in the Kansas City arts scene. Its exhibition calendar each year is reliably lled with unique talent. Highlights of its 2024 lineup include Ozark artist Christine Riutzel’s deep acrylics (August 2-30), Kansan Barbara Lane aras’s interpretations of borderline personality disorder (September 6-27), and Hannah Banciella’s 11-foot charcoal drawings in her exhibition Communing with Poppies. KCAC’s members-only showcase runs from November 1 to 22 in the Snap Space Gallery. Fill your calendar with events at kansascityartistscoalition.org

The Kansas City Museum

is striking museum holds a special place in Kansas City’s museum scene, with an awe-inspiring campus and faculty experts in everything from architecture to poetry. Its collection of historical artifacts contains over 100,000 items, and selections are displayed across all four levels of the main building, the astounding Corinthian Hall. On display this year is e Loula Long Combs & Tom Bass Memorial Weathervane, which was constructed by astronaut and Kansas City native Ed Dwight. e weathervane will eventually top the campus’s Carriage House, which is currently undergoing restoration. Learn more about the museum at kansascitymuseum.org

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

In its 30th year, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art continues to provide a platform for emerging and midcareer artists and celebrate established career artists. Lucía Vidales: Hambre (September 20-July 13) examines imagery associated with e Last Supper with a Vidales’s distinctive style. In nite Regress: Mystical Abstraction from the Permanent Collection and Beyond (September 20-February 23) collects works from the Kemper’s permanent collection and debuting artists to “o er an intergenerational dialogue about art as a spiritual home in a beautiful and troubled world.” On November 2, the museum will host ArtSmash, a bene t gala. Head to kemperart.org for more on the season.

Kansas City Public Library

Kansas City’s libraries are more than libraries. ey’re technology centers, meeting spaces, and purveyors of the arts— especially in the case of the downtown Central Library. Its gallery spaces will host three notable exhibitions this season. Until September 16, visit Going Home, a collection of incisive contemporary Indigenous art. Celebrate the Weavers Guild of Greater Kansas City’s 70th anniversary from September 7 to November 23 with the exhibition Fibers of Being. And from October 6 to January 6, seek out the multimedia exhibit An Exchange of Gifts, a compilation of artwork produced by the sta themselves to cap o the organization’s 150th year. Learn more at kclibrary.org/exhibits.

Untitled artwork by Hannah Banciella.

Dance of Spring (Song of the Birds) by Joseph Stella.

The National WWI Museum & Memorial

is Kansas City icon is undergoing a multi-year renovation of its gallery spaces, and several exhibits will open their doors before Veterans Day. e rst is the reimagined space surrounding the Renault FT17 tank that will allow guests to see it from all angles. A new display, Casualties, will represent a bombed-out church turned eld hospital. And Battlescape, an original lm depicting the terrors of WWI shellings, will be projected into a constructed battle crater. Learn more at theworldwar.org

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Kansas City’s seat of visual art is, as always, presenting coveted artwork from across time and space. Hokusai: Waves of Inspiration (September 6-January 5) will feature approximately 100 works from Katsushika Hokusai, the 18th-century ukiyo-e artist most famous for Under the Wave o Kanagawa. Elsewhere at the Nelson, Still Performing (August 24-January 12) will showcase the dizzying variety of 19th-century European photography, and Glorious Glass (November 2-August 9, 2026) will display centuries of European glassmaking. Learn more at nelson-atkins.org.

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

ree exhibitions are on view at this Johnson County jewel from August 9 to December 8. Actions for theEarth: Art, Care & Ecology is an 18-artist, interdisciplinary curation that calls attention to humanity’s collective responsibility to address planetary crises. e museum will also host two painters for their solo museum collection debuts: Emilio Villalba with Everything is Something, an onslaught of color and symbols; and Gabriel Mills with Aunechei, a multi-textured ocean of oil paint. Get the whole rundown at nermanmuseum.org.

The Mansion of the Plates by Katsushika Hokusai.

Everything is Something 9, by Emilio Villalba.

PERFORMING ARTS

1900 Building

e 1900 Building in Mission Woods is a lot of things. It’s an event space, an o ce space, and an architectural beauty. It also gives a spotlight to a diverse roster of musicians throughout a season that nearly spans the year. On September 14, Ensemble Ibérica will bring its South American sound to the 1900 stage. On September 26, Italian folk singer and guitarist Beppa Gambetta returns to the venue. Several acts from Park University’s International Center for Music, a close partner, will perform over the next several months. See the full schedule at 1900bldg.com

City in Motion

Since 1985, the City in Motion dance troop has cultivated expression, education, and inclusion in the Kansas City dance community. e ultimate combination of those elements is back on September 7 for its 25th year: Dance in the Park, a free showcase of our region’s dances and dancers in Roanoke Park. Learn more about City in Motion at cityinmotion.org.

The Coterie Theatre

Serving audiences in Crown Center for decades, the Coterie eatre’s most anticipated event might be outside its walls—at Union Cemetery, the oldest public graveyard in Kansas City. Electric Poe (October 17-November 3, select nights) started as a pandemic collaboration between the Coterie and Union Cemetery Historical Society to provide outdoor entertainment. Today, it’s an annual favorite. KC actor and playwright R.H. Wilhoit performs adapted works from Edgar Allen Poe at sunset amid the graves. See the whole schedule—which includes a puppet show of Finding Nemo (November 6-December 30)—at thecoterie.org

Folly Theater

With its signature neon marquee, the Folly eater has hosted musicians, comedians, theater productions, and a sitting U.S. president. At over 120 years old, the Folly is a revered venue in the Kansas City performing arts scene—which is why several institutions in this preview host performances on its stage. is fall, the Folly’s lineup includes Park ICM, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, and the Friends of Chamber Music. For something fun, you can catch e Ultimate Elvis Concert on September 26. Find the full schedule at follytheater.org.

PHOTO BY ELMAR KEIJZER

Ensemble Ibérica vocalist Gian-Carla Tisera

Elvis tribute artist Cote Deonath.

The Friends of Chamber Music

e Friends of Chamber Music has had quite the voyage to its 49th season. In 1975, founder Cynthia Siebert staged the rst four concerts in private residences. By 1985, they’d hosted several international talents and moved to the Folly eater. Today, they’re a xture at the Folly and a destination for the world’s best. eir 2024/2025 season, appropriately called Voyages, begins on September 13 with Voyage of Love, a three-part show. en comes the scintillating stylings of Christina and Michelle Naughton, twin master pianists, on September 28. e destination, after nine more shows, is a performance from Gramophone-winning master pianist Jean-E am Bavouzet on May 9. Dig into the full season at chambermusic.org.

Harriman-Jewell Series

e Harriman-Jewell Series has brought a staggering number of world-class musicians to Kansas City since 1965. Its 2024-2025 season lengthens the list. A preview: Pianist Khatia Buniatishvili performs at Kau man Center for the Performing Arts on September 17; violinist Joshua Bell, soprano Larisa Martínez, and pianist Peter Dugan ll the Folly on October 8; and notably, Bell and Martínez return to the Folly on October 19 for a free concert as part of Harriman-Jewell’s Discovery Series. Experience the magic of multi-Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato joining forces with the sensational four-voice vocal group, Kings Return, for a holiday season musical celebration on December 9. Find the complete schedule at hjseries.org.

Heartland Men’s Chorus

With a mission to build community, celebrate pride, and empower authenticity, e Heartland Men’s Chorus is celebrating their 39th season as a pillar of performing arts excellence in Kansas City. eir season begins with an annual holiday concert the rst weekend of December, helping Kansas City kick-o the holiday season with air! Stay updated for the rest of the season at hmckc.org

Kansas City Actors Theatre

e 2024/2025 season marks two decades’ worth for KCAT, a vital force for local artist prosperity and fair pay in Kansas City’s dramatic arts scene. Head to Union Station’s City Stage August 7-25 to watch Trouble in Mind, which tackles racism in theater in the 1950s. From September 11 to 29, psychological thriller Dial M for Murder (a modern adaptation of the murder mystery) takes over at City Stage. e season ends with another mystery, Doubt: A Parable, at Kansas City United Church of Christ from March 6 to 23. Get the details at kcactors.org.

Christina and Michelle Naughton

Joyce DiDonato

Kauffman Center Presents

With its unmissable architecture, Kau man Center for the Performing Arts has become as much a symbol of Kansas City as Union Station and the Liberty Memorial Tower. But, as with the latter two icons, it’s also about what’s inside— and the Kau man Center has housed world-renowned performers since its 2011 opening. e 2024 season of Kauman Center Presents includes Rock & Roll Hall of Famers e Righteous Brothers on their farewell tour (September 14), blues artist Keb’ Mo’ and singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin (October 5), and classical crossover artists the Vitamin String Quartet (November 7). Go to kauffmancenter.org/ kcpresents for the full series lineup.

Kansas City Ballet

Housed in the beautiful Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity near Union Station, the Kansas City Ballet has trained and entertained thousands of Kansas Citians in its 60-plus-year run. is year, its season begins at the Midwest Trust Center with performances of New Dance Partners, September 20-21. en it’s down the rabbit hole with Alice in Wonderland, October 11-12, with a sensory-friendly performance soon after on October 17. It nishes the year with the classic ballet e Nutcracker, December 6-24, with a sensory-friendly performance on December 5. For its schedule through spring 2025, head to kcballet.org.

Kansas City Chorale

If you want to feel your art, seek out the vibrant tones of Kansas City Chorale this fall. e Grammy-winning choir’s opening show for the 2024/2025 season takes place in the stately Rozzelle Court at Nelson-Atkins on December 5. e 12-song show will mix new and old, celebrating Austrian composer Anton Bruckner’s 200th birthday and including songs by contemporary composer Will Todd for good measure. Keep your eye out for the full season schedule at kcchorale.org.

Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

e Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, though relatively young at 21, never forgets the art form’s history. On August 24, it’s all ears for the work of Kansas City jazz legend Charlie Parker, with KCJO playing a collection of the great saxophonist’s songs. en it’s onto the Signature Series, highlighted by a vocal performance from Sachal Vasandani, on October 11, a stop at the arcade with the video-game-themed Level Up!, and a Hollywood-themed nale led by singer Brenna Whitaker. For the whole lineup, head to kcjo.org

Kansas City Repertory Theatre

KCRep has been a cornerstone in Kansas City’s dramatic arts scene for 60 years, so it’s appropriate that its 2024/2025 season focuses on the cornerstone qualities of theater. Once, an adaptation of the Tony-winning musical, tackles love and aspiration (September 3-22); Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill chronicles the life of a legend in Billie Holiday (October 8-27); Broke-ology is a touching tale of a family’s strength (February 11-March 2); and Emma is a contemporary take on classic literature (May 6-25). e classic KCRep tradition, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, shows from November 23 to December 28. Learn more at kcrep.org.

Matt Rapport as the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Sachal Vasandani

The Righteous Brothers

KC Ballet Dancer

Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck

Kansas City Symphony

For the rst time in 20 years, the Kansas City Symphony won’t open its season with Michael Stern conducting. e symphony’s 2024/2025 season is Matthias Pintscher’s rst as its music director after a decade at the helm of Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris. e 44-show season begins August 21 and concludes June 8; highlights include Grammy-winner Dionne Warwick teaming with the symphony on September 28, and a series of concerts packed with classics, including cello virtuoso Alisa Weilerstein playing Dvořák (September 13-15), violinist Gil Shaham dazzling in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto (October 4-6), and Mozart’s Requiem (November 1-3). Find the whole schedule at kcsymphony.org

Lyric Opera KC

e rst producing opera in Kansas City is resilient. In its nearly 66-year run, Lyric Opera KC has adapted and thrived through re, pandemic, and changing musical tastes. In 2024, the show goes on. Notably, on September 27 and 29, soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Rod Gilfry perform e Brightness of Light, a show based on letters exchanged between Georgia O’Kee e and her husband, Alfred Stieglitz. From November 17 to 18, enjoy e Barber of Seville, a rom-com as enduring as Lyric Opera KC itself (“Fee-garo! Fee-garo! Fee-garo! Yep, that one,” the Lyric’s description reads). Get the full rundown at kcopera.org.

Midwest Trust Center

e Midwest Trust Center at Johnson County Community College aims for a varied group of performances every year. is season brings dance, storytelling, live lm scores, theater, and somehow more. Notable shows are ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ Live in Concert (September 29), an all-family cast in Hotel Elsinore (October 16-17), and the o -broadway hit Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis (November 3) starring Colin Mochrie and Asad Mecci. It also hosts New Dance Partners, a four-company collaboration at Yardley Hall (September 20-21). Find the whole schedule at jccc.edu/midwest-trust-center

Music Theater Heritage

MTH started on a loading dock at Belger Arts Center. Today, it performs for thousands each year across three stages in Crown Center. It concludes its musical season with three timeless works: La Cage aux Folles (August 1-18), Sweeney Todd (October 3-27), and It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (December 5-23). e rst is on the Grand Stage, the latter two on the Main Stage. Over in the more intimate Ruby Room, you can catch the heralded drag newscast Deep Inside Tonight (August 23-24) and tribute group Rock & Roll Call: e Dynamic Duos of the 60s (October 11-12). Get all the details at musictheaterheritage.com

Owen/Cox Dance Group

e Owen/Cox Dance Group is everywhere. ey perform at Dance in the Park, the Folly eater, and City Stage—and they even accompanied the U.S. State Department on a diplomatic trip to Ukraine. eir 2024 season begins with Creative Intersections (August 9-10), a free outdoor performance at the Hyde Park Butter y Labyrinth. ey’re also featured in the Midwest Trust Center’s New Dance Partners on September 20 and 21, and their rendition of e Nutcracker and the Mouse King prances through Polsky eatre December 13 and 15. Find the whole schedule at owencoxdance.org.

Dionne Warwick

The Barber of Seville

Hotel Elsinore

La Cage aux Folles

Park University International Center for Music

Between its faculty, alumni, and students, Park ICM rosters an intergenerational bonanza of world-class musicians. Its 2024/2025 season puts this on full display, with ve performances from the Park ICM Orchestra (including a November 1 fall concert with guest conductor Laura Jackson) and a night with faculty ensemble the Park Trio (January 24). See the whole lineup at icm.park.edu

Chicago

PNC Broadway in Kansas City

e American eatre Guild brings national Broadway tours right to Kansas City’s doorstep this 2024-2025 season. Featuring one of the most iconic scores of all time, Funny Girl comes to Kansas City (December 3-8), followed by Chicago (January 7-12). en, Tony Award-winner for the 2023 Best Revival of a Musical, Parade takes the stage (January 28-February 2). is spring, PNC Broadway o ers Broadway favorites you won’t want to miss, such as Beetlejuice, Back to the Future, Disney’s e Lion King, and e Wiz. Get all the details at americantheatreguild.com/kansascity

UMKC Conservatory

e conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City encompasses dance, theater, and music. Its fall 2024 lineup is heavy on music, with a faculty ute recital presented by ute professor Terri Sanchez kicking o the season on August 20. Other highlights include pianist Yuefeng Liu’s doctoral recital (August 31); a guest master class with Spencer Myer, associate professor of piano at Indiana University (September 15); and the ‘Roo Holiday Horns Concert (December 4). See the whole events calendar at conservatory.umkc.edu

Starlight Theatre

It’s always a whirlwind season at Starlight. Its Broadway series, began with Disney’s e Little Mermaid and Shrek the Musical, continues with Come From Away (August 6-11), West Side Story (August 20-25), and (September 17-22). Its series for young audiences starts on November 9 with Journey to Wizard of Oz adaptation where the kids are invited on stage to sing and dance. After that, e Gru alo’s Child sneaks through the night on March 1. en it’s back to the world of Peter Pan on April 5

Unicorn Theatre

Underneath a Magical Moon. See Starlight’s full lineup, including its concerts, at kcstarlight.com.

e Unicorn eatre’s history is almost mythical. Since its rst show in a River Market warehouse in 1975, it has hosted a litany of regional premieres for Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning productions. e Unicorn found a permanent home in Westport in 1986 and has continued its mission of bringing thought-provoking, socially conscious plays to Kansas Citians. Its rst play this season is e Heart Sellers (October 22-November 10), an examination of immigrant families that e New York Times calls “politically astute and lled with subtly devastating lines.” From December 4 to 22, utopian fantasy Fire Work makes its world premiere. To learn more, head to at unicorntheatre.org.

Peter Pan Oz, a with

Conductor Laura Jackson

Spencer Myer

IT’S

ALL HERE IN WHITE BLACK &

NEUTRAL HUES AND LUXE FINISHES DOMINATE IN A NEWLY BUILT MISSION HILLS HOME

Kansas Cit y-based Laura McCroskey of McCroskey Interiors knows her way around a kitchen. She’s an accomplished interior designer whose work has been published in national interior design magazines. She was undaunted when a couple approached her about designing the home they were going to build in Mission Hills.

“They had seen our work on our website,” McCroskey says. “And they knew we would be a good fit.”

After talking through construction design, they began to hone the look of the interiors.

“They wanted the house to be warm and homey, but modern,” McCroskey says. “I

words by Patricia O’Dell

photos by Nate Sheets

Warm, white oak paneling with a custom stain by Devon Himes creates a nurturing space in the hearth room. The fireplace wall is clad in Nero Marquina marble.

started by showing them pictures for inspiration. I love it when clients bring me images of something they like, whether it’s a fabric or wall treatment, which this couple did.”

McCroskey was delighted that the pair had such a sophisticated sense of style.

“The husband’s taste is a little more modern. It was great that he was involved from the beginning, which is not always the case,” she says.

While the home is very sophisticated, it lends itself to relaxing with family and friends, and the kitchen is the perfect spot to do just that.

The fluted marble panels on the back wall slide open to reveal generous storage but provide a stunning backdrop when closed. The marble repeats on the ample walnut-wood island, which is accented with a bold, polished-nickel band that curves around the top and the base. It is a perfect spot for gathering at the end of the day and as meals are prepared.

The casual dining space off the kitchen is defined by a bold glass and black wrought-iron geometric frame, while opposite, a large circular mirror visually expands the room and is echoed in the curves of the rug

Clockwise from above: In the formal dining room, the large painting is from McCroskey Studios. Bold Corchia marble is used throughout the kitchen (including the fluted sliding doors behind the stovetop). The casual eating area is open to, but separate from, the kitchen by a bold iron-and-glass entrance. Asimov chairs from Olivya Stone surround the breakfast table.

below. Along one wall, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry with extra storage and a tall SubZero wine refrigerator frames a niche with a bar sink set into the Corchia marble countertop. The Alpine fixture by Aerin for Visual Comfort provides the perfect amount of sparkle amidst the restraint.

That motif is repeated in the formal dining room that’s opposite the kitchen. This time the oversized mirror is set within a large, square black frame. A long, sparkling RH chandelier hangs over the Vanguard table surrounded by chairs from Olivya Stone.

While the couple’s life is busy, and they enjoy entertaining, they are happiest hanging out together as a family at home in the hearth room. Marble finds a home here as well—as the backdrop to the television, in the low, circular tables, and the Kelly Wearstler lamp.

Both the family and McCroskey are pleased with the results.

“It was great that they were so involved from the beginning. That made it such a personal space,” McCroskey says.

The walls of the primary bath are clad in large format porcelain panels surrounding the oversize soaking tub from Signature Hardware. Opposite: In the office, the classic Warren Platner table for Knoll brings the gleam in this serene room awash with light.

words by Jenny Vergara

Where to Eat Fresh Fish in a Cowtown

NINE OF THE BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS IN KANSAS CITY

Kansas City has long been known as a Cowtown, thanks to the rich history of the West

Bottom’s livestock exchange and the advent of the railroads that allowed the transportation of cattle from all over the country.

Yet, no matter how much we love a good Kansas City strip in this town, one can’t live on red meat alone. Sometimes we need fresh fish and seafood in our diet to quench that craving for perfectly boiled and seasoned peel-and-eat shrimp, a creamy lobster roll, crunchy, fried fish and chips, a dozen raw oysters, or even a good poke bowl.

The good news is that, thanks to modern transportation, quality seafood isn’t hard to find. Fresh fish and shellfish arrive daily at the Kansas City International Airport, where restaurant chefs select their catch of the day. There’s also several wholesale fish companies in town delivering fresh fish directly to the back doors of restaurants across the metro.

There’s something about eating chilled seafood on a hot summer day that just feels right, even in a landlocked city like ours. Perhaps we’re channeling previous coastal vacations, or just looking for a lighter meal to enjoy when the temperatures start to climb.

In Kansas City, there are many restaurants happy to cater to our summer seafood cravings. Everything from casual spots where you can roll in wearing shorts, sit outside with a cold beer, and order a pile of crab legs or fried shrimp, to fine-dining establishments ready to celebrate a special occasion with a bottle of wine and Dover sole meunière, deboned tableside.

The newest, buzzy seafood spot is Shark Tank ’s famed Cousins Maine Lobster food truck, which rolled into the city earlier this summer and has been appearing at festivals and breweries around town, serving up lobster rolls, lobster bisque, lobster tacos, and tots.

Sounds like this Cowtown is ready to embrace more surf with their turf.

Pearl Tavern

With the success of their other restaurants—Summit Grill, Bōru Asian Eatery, Third Street Social, and South of Summit—owners Andy Lock and Domhnall Molloy tapped into their previous vast seafood sourcing experience at McCormick & Schmick’s to open Pearl Tavern. This seafood sister concept opened in Lee’s Summit in 2018. The menu is packed with everyone’s seafood house favorites, from crabcakes to New England clam chowder and fish and chips to lobster rolls. There are also elegant fish dishes, including the miso Chilean sea bass served with veggies and black forbidden rice. It’s worth setting sail for Pearl Tavern. pearltavernkc.com

Pierpont’s at Union Station

This fine-dining restaurant located inside of Union Station may be celebrating 25 years, but it still remains a popular destination because of its soaring ceilings and warm decor, impressive bar program, prime steak, fresh seafood, and deep wine list. Seafood entrées, such as smoked scallops with citrus beurre blanc or the spicy seafood cioppino made with swordfish, mussels, and shrimp, are created by the executive chef Matt Barnes and his team. Ready to splurge? Share the Big Boy seafood tower for $220. It comes to the table with six Latin-spiced shrimp cocktail, a pound of snow crab legs, eight oysters, two lobster cocktails, ten ounces of hackleback caviar, razor clams in black garlic with mostarda, honeydew-jalapeño mignonette, and a lemon. pierponts.com

Farina

When Michael and Nancy Smith opened Farina in 2019, they cleverly designed their new modern Italian restaurant with a large oyster bar in the front, which gives guests views of bustling Southwest Boulevard through large windows. Reservations are recommended if you want to participate in Farina’s happy hour from 5 to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, as the menu is only served at their cocktail bar or oyster bar.

Once you settle in and order a drink, you can choose from a selection of raw oysters on the half shell, caviar, seared ahi tuna, Hamachi crudo, sea urchin tacos, smoked trout dip, or jumbo shrimp cocktail. Then sit back and observe the chefs behind the counter shuck your seafood selections right in front of you. It’s dinner and a show. farinakc.com

Earl’s Premier

The owners of Earl’s Premier, Todd Schulte and Cory Dannehl, seemed to have cracked the code of developing intimate eateries with compact menus and quality food and drink within walking distance to a neighborhood. At Earl’s in Brookside, oysters from the raw bar served with a cava mignonette and house cocktail sauce are the way to start, as they are considered the heart and soul of the menu. That, and one of the frozen gin and tonic cocktails, are the beginnings to a great meal at Earl’s. The chilled sweet corn vichyssoise with lump crabmeat is perfect for summer’s brutal temps, as is the chilled peel-and-eat shrimp and market-price lobster roll, which comes with fries and a green salad. It’s also one of the few places in town with a canned fish program, which has been all the rage since the pandemic. earlspremier.com

Opposite: Swordfish from Pearl Tavern. Above: Smoked scallops from Pierpont’s at Union Station. Top right: Raw oysters from Farina. Bottom right: Spiced Argentinian red shrimp from Earl’s Premier.

Aqua Penny’s

Cool, coastal vibes with a tropical twist perfectly describes the fish and seafood menu at Aqua Penny’s in the Park Place shopping center. The latest restaurant from the owners of Bamboo Penny’s, Penny and Doug Mufuka, along with local concept design and development specialist, Michael Werner, opened this spring with a raw bar featuring oysters, shrimp, clams, lobsters, and more. They also have clam or mussel steamers with your choice of white wine and garlic sauce or spicy red sauce. Fish entrées lean into tropical Asian flavors, with sesame-encrusted ahi tuna, miso sea bass, a calypso grilled lobster with Caribbean-spiced compound butter, and charred octopus with fire-roasted peppers. With cocktails and a perfectly paired wine list developed by industry veteran Jenn Tosatto and her team, your drinks are in good hands. Leave room for a piece of key lime cheesecake, tableside cherries jubilee, or bananas foster for dessert. aquapennys.com

Jarocho

The chef Carlos Falcon and his wife and managing partner, Sayaka Falcon, introduced the Kansas City area to the fish and seafood dishes of Veracruz, Mexico, when they opened their first restaurant, Jarocho Pescados y Mariscos, a decade ago in Kansas City, Kansas. Buoyed by its success, they opened Jarocho South four years later. The seafood menu at Jarocho is a blend of the couple’s cultures, combining Asian technique with his Mexican cuisine. The menus are slightly different, but both locations feature popular dishes, including chili butter oysters, ceviche, sautéed baby octopus in a Thai-chili sauce, and a fried whole snapper. If

you’re looking for fresh, creative, and flavorful fish and seafood dishes, this is the place. jarochokc.com

The Fish Market

Located in Liberty, just 26 minutes from downtown, near the Fountain Bluff sports complex, sits The Fish Market. From the outside it looks like a well-loved seafood shack or possibly a busy bait shop. Walk by the large fiberglass shark or human-sized crawfish sitting on the patio and into this colorful, casual family-run spot, known for its Cajun-influenced menu, with seafood sourced from the Gulf Coast—serving catfish from Mississippi, and shrimp from Louisiana. There are several fried seafood baskets, which all come with hush puppies and French fries and no less than six delicious dipping sauces. The shrimp po-boy is another good choice, and fried pickles, frog legs, conch fritters, and alligator bites are also on the menu. Don’t leave without getting either the gumbo, jambalaya, or red beans and rice with a side of jalapeño cornbread, and an ice-cold beer in a large schooner glass. libertyfishmarket.com

Below: Swordfish from Aqua Penny’s. Top right: Lobster from Jarocho. Bottom right: Fried catfish basket with a side of fried zucchini from The Fish Market.

Bosslady’s Famous Shrimp

With a sassy name like Bosslady’s Famous Shrimp, you know the shrimp has got to be good. This casual, woman-owned restaurant has been operating in the Northland on North Oak Trafficway for a decade, serving up well-seasoned or sauced, boiled, batter-fried, or sautéed shrimp along with a handful of crab, crawfish, salmon, chicken, and steak dishes. Owner and executive chef Nashaunda Law takes shrimp seriously. She makes all of her lunch and dinner dishes from scratch. You decide what direction to take your shrimp craving. Will it be sautéed garlic shrimp alfredo? How about stir-fried shrimp with vegetables over white rice? Maybe a shrimp boil or gumbo? Her fried shrimp basket comes with battered and fried butterflied shrimp and French fries—a fan favorite for good reason. For $65, her mini seafood feast is a steal with 15 boiled shrimp, one snow crab leg cluster, one lobster tail, and one-and-a-half pounds of crawfish, along with sausage, potatoes, and corn on the cob. bossladysfamousshrimp.com

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

With so many upscale chains serving steak and seafood on the Country Club Plaza, it can be hard to choose. For great service, style, and seafood, Eddie V’s is a solid choice. Open for dinner only, with a banging happy-hour bar business and live jazz music, this Darden-owned property feels a bit like you’re dining inside your favorite supper club. Start with the popular jumbo lump crab cake or ahi tuna tartare, then order the lobster bisque topped with both cream and cognac. For an entrée, the crispy parmesan- and panko-crusted sole with lemon-garlic butter is hard to beat, but the Chilean sea bass served Hong Kongstyle on a bed of sautéed spinach and pickled ginger in a light sherry and soy broth is a simply elegant dish. A bottle of wine from the hefty wine list, and any celebration will feel a bit more special, even if you are just celebrating that it’s a Wednesday night. eddiev.com

Left: Shrimp Feast from Bosslady’s Famous Shrimp.

Above: Sea bass from Eddie V’s Prime Seafood.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THAT

ART

IN KANSAS CITY’S ROCKHILL NEIGHBORHOOD, A STATELY TUDOR HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO AN ARTFUL HAVEN

words by Judith Fertig

photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

Above: Two of Lighton’s pieces, Transition I and II, flank the fireplace, and a colorful Ryan LeBar ceramic sculpture sits atop a pedestal. Right: Paintings in the living room, from left to right: a Dean Kube painting at the staircase, a Robert Stackhouse painting by the door, and a Robert Arneson print above the sofa.

Above: Several of Lighton’s pieces are displayed on the windowsills in the kitchen. A Harris Deller ceramic sculpture hangs above the countertop.

Opposite, top: Will Cotton’s portrait of Lighton’s daughter, Rose Dergan, and a Tibetan painting on silk hold pride of place in the dining room.

Opposite, bottom: Ice Cream Icebergs by Will Cotton hangs above the fireplace mantel, while Lighton’s work, Artichoke, meanders down the table.

When you pull up to the 1916 Tudor home near the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, you get a hint of what’s to come.

Large contemporary sculptures on the lawn seem to move. Or do they?

This is the home that sculptor and activist Linda Lighton has shared with her multi-talented husband, Lynn Adkins, since the 1980s. It’s all about the art. Paintings, prints, sculptures, and ceramics by Lighton and friends have stories to tell, important issues to address.

“We have a really visual family,” says Lighton. “I think in color. I dream in color. I smell in color.” Lighton, like many creative people, has that special kink in the brain known as synesthesia, where two senses combine.

She also likes movement, working clay in her nearby studio, and creating art that may look static, but gives the illusion of not staying still. You could swear that many of her sculptures, such as the sinuous ceramic vining branch on the dining room table, will grow an inch as soon as you look away. Or wander off. You can almost feel the prairie wind when you view her wall sculpture Ode to the Tallgrass Prairie at Gate A10 at the Kansas City airport.

“I try to reflect what is going on in the world. I like to play in clay and realize ideas about gun violence. Women’s issues. Sex and death. Desire,” she says.

Lighton has many family pieces—furniture from her late mother, whose apartment at the Walnuts was featured in Architectural Digest.

Long sewing tables from the former family business—Woolf Brothers department store—take on new purpose here and in her studio.

To blend it all in a harmonious way and to let the art “breathe,” she chose pale walls and trim (painted by Rachael Loomis). Pattern is minimal—throw pillows from Uzbekistan in the living room or dhurrie rugs underfoot in the living and dining rooms. Window treatments, for the 85 windows in the house, moderate the light with simple linen-like shades.

Lighton and Adkins make sure that their favorite pieces are front and center, easy to live with, happy to behold. In the living room, Hing Wah Jumping by Missouri State art professor emeritus Jerry Hatch, inspired by his wife, is one of Lighton’s favorites. She also loves Up Against It by Robert Arneson, a colorful print hanging behind the ivory sofa. Contemporary Noguchi lighting creates an airy feeling.

Adkins favors ceramic pieces, such as the Pueblo pots in the dining room. Also in the dining room is Cotton Candy Rose, a portrait of Lighton’s daughter, Rose Dergan—an art researcher at Gagosian Gallery in New York City—that was painted by her partner of 20 years, the artist Will Cotton. His work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and Eu-

Above: Flanking Hing Wah Jumping by Jerry Hatch above the fireplace are two smaller works—a Darren Watersstom painting on the left and a Jane Almiral painting on the right. A painting by Robert Stackhouse hangs above the chest in the primary bedroom. Right: Reflected in the mirror in the primary bath is a brilliant citrus-yellow ceramic-tile piece by Bobby Silverman. Opposite: On prominent display in Lighton’s office is an iconic photograph by Michael Eastman.

rope and reached an even wider audience with his Candyland design for Katy Perry’s video California Gurls. While Lighton signals “desire” with anatomical ceramic forms, Cotton paints candy, pastels, and bakery treats to evoke the same.

A large Tibetan painting on silk of the goddess Quan Yin that’s 700 years old belonged to Lighton’s paternal grandmother, who bought a Kansas City brothel in the 1930s and converted it into an art gallery and studio space.

Randy Sisk of Kitchens by Kleweno updated the kitchen several years ago with a pale sea-blue tile backsplash, Silestone counters, and lacquered cabinets, all set off with Creamsicle-hued trim. Adkins likes being greeted by the “green sprouting floral piece” on the windowsill every morning.

Upstairs, the generous primary bedroom, painted a pale flesh color, gives onto a dressing room, once the sleeping porch in the days before air conditioning. The primary bath, with pale blue cabinetry by Schloegel Design Remodel, features a newer black-and-white basketweave tile floor, referencing the age of the house.

Currently, Lighton and her daughter are working on a major retrospective of the artist’s work to be exhibited at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in the fall of 2025. She also sponsors the Lighton International Artists Exchange Program, funding travel for artists around the world.

To see more of Lighton’s work, visit lindalighton.com

THE IT LIST

Kitchen Design

Kitchens by Kleweno kleweno.com

Renovation Schloegel Design Remodel remodelagain.com

Interior Painting Loomis Interiors loomisinteriors@yahoo.com

In her Midtown studio, some of Lighton’s pieces she’s created over the years are on display. Inset: Lighton at work in her studio.

Later Luxury Living

REDEFINING HOW WE LIVE AS WE ARE AGING IN KC

It ’s a beautiful morning, the sun is shining through the large open windows in the café space, and the aroma of coffee lingers in the air. The staff is greeting residents as they start their day. There are a couple of gentlemen preparing for their golf outing getting tips and tricks from Heather, the housekeeper, as they discuss strategy over their newspaper and coffee. A pair of ladies are making plans for their luncheon that is coming up. A day full of vitality is just beginning.

THE IMAGE OF AGING

If you travel the world, you know that many countries do not see age as something that disqualifies people from society.

Take The Netherlands, for example. It has several initiatives that “promote older citizens’ social participation and cultivate an age-friendly environment,” per AARP.

Japan reveres its older citizens. “In many ways,” reads one article by the Institute on Aging, “the elders of Japan live more vivaciously than many younger people here in the West.” Japanese elders view retirement “as an opportunity to pursue other hobbies they’ve been interested in.”

Price Brothers has been in Kansas City for a century. Its leaders saw a dire need to infuse these international values into our community. That’s what Later Luxury Living aims to do.

Lindsey Levien, the Isaac property manager, sees the community she’s helped build at The Isaac, and gets teary-eyed.

“It’s just needed in Kansas City,” says Levien. “More of it.”

“To grow old and live a full life is a privilege that is denied to many. So we should enjoy and relish in the art of aging,” says Sarah Williams, Regional Property Manager with Price Brothers.

WHAT RESIDENTS WANT

“Residents are looking for a maintenance-free lifestyle, where they have the convenience to be able to leave their home and know it will be taken care of, as well as the social atmosphere,” says Williams.

All of Price Brothers’ Later Luxury Living communities are thoughtfully designed for residents aged 55 and older. Each of them focuses on and offers a plethora of events and outings for their residents and are designed to facilitate healthy and active living as we age.

Cloverset Valley Apartments in South Kansas City provides

Photos of The Isaac and Sorrento at Deer Creek.

a serene retreat with meticulous landscapes, well-crafted floor plans, and thoughtful amenities that enhance your lifestyle. Ideally located, these 55+ apartments blend urban convenience with suburban tranquility.

Sorrento at Deer Creek in Overland Park, KS, is the distinguished choice for active senior living. Offering luxury amenities, expansive floor plans, and vibrant resident events, Sorrento at Deer Creek Apartment Homes combines these with exceptional services to ensure a fulfilling experience.

And the newest addition, The Isaac, is a premier community blending elegance, excitement, and a strong sense of community. Designed for active adults aged 55 and older in Overland Park, The Isaac sets a new standard for lifestyle. Enjoy the comfort of modern home designs, engage socially in cooking classes or happy hours, and nurture yourself through activities like swimming or painting classes. At The Isaac, it’s your life, and we’re here to help you live it on your terms.

Visit any of these communities, and you’ll see everything you’ll need on a different level with purposeful communal spaces, such as large community rooms, libraries, pubs, pools, and even spas.

YOU WON’T BE LONELY

“Our residents don’t want to settle for less. They still want large floor-plan options, and they want to be able to have a choice on style, design and location and what activities they want to do each day. They want to be around like-minded individuals who play golf, Mahjong, or bridge,” says Lena Price, a third-generation Price family member.

The day is passing and it is late morning. The aquatic classes have started, residents are getting ready for a canasta card game in the library, and crafts will be kicking off after lunch. A few residents are chattering about the day’s lineup as they add to the thousand-piece puzzle.

There is a yoga class about to start, and you can smell the grill firing up outside by the pool area. The residents are hosting their own potluck cookout.

When you think of Senior Living or a Retirement Community,

you might imagine a less active picture or an assisted living or nursing home. That is far from what you see and feel at Price Brother’s communities. Each Later Luxury Living property includes a stateof-the-art fitness facility and has training classes for the residents.

“We are seeing a shift in priorities as people age. Our residents are keenly aware that staying healthy and active, both physically and mentally, will lead to a longer and happier life. We have created the space for our residents to focus on this priority.”

WHAT THE RESIDENTS SAY

Sitting down with a few of the residents from these communities, hearing the story of why they chose this lifestyle, it was evident that they still have a lot of life to live, and the move from their homes to one of these communities was something they really put a lot of thought into. This move was the next adventurous chapter that they only wish they would have done sooner.

“I had a picture’s view I woke up to each day, surrounded by trees and a huge home that we had lots of stories and memories in for over 35 years,” says Sam, a resident at The Isaac, Price Brothers newest Later Luxury Community. “We didn’t know if we really wanted to move, but now looking back, I only wish we would have done this sooner. We are very pleased with living here.”

Wandering over to another community, Sue, a resident at Sorrento Deer Creek says, “Isn’t today just great!” She looks around with a smile on her face as she is welcomed by waves from her neighbors sitting down at cards. She is holding a large tray heaping with her world-famous cookies to share with the staff and neighbors. “I love living here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The team takes care of anything I need, and I have made friends here.”

A LEGACY OF BUILDING COMMUNITIES

Price Brothers’ journey in creating communities where growing old gracefully is born out of what it has done since 1922: build community. Lena Price shares the story of how in early 1970, her father and uncle built a large multi-family midrise community south of Waldo. The Price Brothers had over time built a local following, with residents of Price Brother-built homes later moving into its apartments. Over time, that midrise community south of Waldo became where a lot of 55 and older residents called home.

“We were building 55-plus communities well before they were designated 55 plus, we just keep getting better at it over the years,” says Price.

“We provide the space, but our residents are what truly makes the community,” Williams says.

CLOVERSET VALLEY APARTMENTS

10601 Jefferson St, Kansas City, MO

SORRENTO AT DEER CREEK

17700 W 126th Terrace, Overland Park, KS

THE ISAAC

7200 W 127th St, Overland Park, KS

pricebrotherskc.com/ActiveAdultLiving

MAKE YOUR SUMMER NIGHTS

Elevated Nissan Nissan Rogue

by Jenny Vergara

In Your Cocktail

ENTITY LOUNGE AND COFFEE

Places where quality coffee and crafted cocktails are served under the same roof have been a part of Kansas City’s food and drink scene now for over a decade.

Although caffeine and alcohol may have once been thought to occupy opposite parts of the day, today many find it the perfect profitable combination, allowing them to serve their customers from day to night.

In most cases, these double-duty bars started as popular coffee

shops first that morphed into a place to linger and enjoy a cocktail into the evening. Now, there’s a new spot in Overland Park that has flipped the script, operating in a space that’s a cocktail bar first and a coffee bar second.

Entity Lounge and Coffee is located below the Apex at CityPlace apartments. The dramatic and sleek space is decorated in all black, with four large, six-person booths lining one wall, and a long, glamorous bar lighted by a striking contemporary light fixture on the other.

Water Lily cocktail.

e overall e ect is dark and moody, perfect for a co ee or cocktail seven days a week.

Entity has several ownership partners, each with their own role to play in running the business. Patricia Ghavami runs Entity Co ee from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and then Belly Vang runs the Entity Lounge from 4 p.m. to midnight. Both are supported by a third nancial partner, Kirt Rithmixay, who also owns a nail salon in the same retail center.

During the day, Entity Co ee is lled with computer-toting, co ee-drinking people, looking for a place to drop in for a chat or send o some emails while enjoying barista-made co ee, tea, chilled signature drinks, or smoothies, along with a variety of pastries and cookies.

In the evening, you can reserve a booth or bar seat via Toast for a $40 deposit that’s put toward your total bill. Of course, walk-ins are always welcome. ursdays through Sundays guests can enjoy a handful of dishes, including their sleeper hit—a bahn mi sandwich—or Mexican-inspired chicken avocado tostadas, pinwheel club sandwich bites, and a charcuterie board. Patrons can select from a compact wine and beer selection or a cocktail menu o ering classics like a Vieux Carre (rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, and Benedictine) to more popular drinks like the Paper Plane (bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino). But their most popular drink is the Water Lily, a pretty lavender drink topped with a lemon wheel.

Originally created by New York bartender Richie Boccato, the Water Lily is a oral-forward cocktail crafted with crème de violette, gin, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. e pale lavender color of the drink is enhanced by the use of Empress Gin, which contains butter y pea blossom, an ingredient known for its distinctive color. It's also found in the tea blend used at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia.

Easy to make at home, or better yet, make a reservation and try one for yourself. entitylounge.com

Water Lily

1 ounce Empress Gin

1 ounce Crème de Violette

1 ounce Dry Curaçao

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

Add Empress Gin, Crème de Violette, Dry Curacao and fresh lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain the mixture into a chilled V-shaped martini or Nick and Nora glass. Serve the cocktail straight up with a lemon wheel for garnish.

A spectacular, contemporary venue with transformable reception spaces and a magnificent courtyard. 1900bldg.com (913) 730–1905

Modern-American cuisine from award-winning Chef Linda Duerr. Chef Duerr and team present elegant fare and carefully curated menus for a variety of special occasions. therestaurantat1900.com (913) 730–1900 1900

Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

CAFÉ SEBASTIENNE

A NEW WAVE of culinary creativity has hit the kitchen at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art restaurant, Café Sebastienne, with the chef Ted Habiger now serving as the permanent artist-in-residence. Habiger has negotiated a newly minted restaurant ownership role, taking full control of the kitchen and restaurant operations inside the museum in addition to managing his own restaurant, Room 39. Habiger will operate the restaurant as usual this summer, and then in the fall the restaurant will close to undergo a complete remodel, with a new menu and name change. Habiger, a threetime James Beard Award semifinalist, whose food has always centered around locally sourced, seasonal American cuisine, will be following in the footsteps of several great chefs there, including Jennifer Maloney, who was the original chef at the museum before her untimely death in 2016. Habiger and Maloney were friends, and he says he has been revisiting her old recipes for inspiration and still feels her presence in the museum kitchen. kemperart.org/cafe-sebastienne

STYLE THAT SUITS YOU

You deserve a home where every space reflects who you are. That's just what NFM's amazing interior designers and our Design Gallery are for! Our team works to bring your vision to life with a combination of expertise, aesthetics, and NFM’s Legendary Low Prices. From start to finish, NFM helps create a style that can only be described as “you.”

Flavor IN KC

BY Jenny Vergara

PENROSE COFFEE

WORKING AS A COFFEE professional has allowed Kyle Evans to live in some beautiful places. He worked in Hawaii for the Honolulu Co ee Company and in California for Blue Bottle Co ee before he and his wife returned home to Kansas City with their twin boys to be close to family and open a co ee shop of their own. Evans reconnected with the chefs Ryan Brazel and Jessica Armstrong, co-owners of Novel restaurant in the Crossroads, and when the conversation turned to co ee, Brazel asked Evans to collaborate on a walk-up co ee window. It’s located in the small landing leading up to the second oor in the Novel building. With plenty of shady outdoor seating for customers to linger, the trio opened Penrose Co ee in July, serving six and eight-ounce barista co ee drinks made from beans that Evans roasts under his own co ee brand, Cielo. e co ee is accompanied by a host of delicious and rotating pastries crafted by Armstrong and pastry chef Hannah Lewis speci cally for the walk-up co ee counter. Local artist Peregrine Honig was tapped to design everything from the orange awning to the interior, using bright pops of orange for the countertops, mint-green co ee cups, and an accent wall that uses repurposed skateboards as a centerpiece. Find it on Instagram @penrose_kc.

Deliberating What to Do Today?

BY Jenny Vergara

In Culinary News

CITY BARREL PIZZA + PATIO

WHEN BIER STATION announced it was closing after a decade in Waldo, beer lovers were afraid they would be losing one of their favorite neighborhood hangs until it was announced that the owners of City Barrel Brewery in the East Crossroads, James Stutsman and Joe Giammanco, would be reopening the spot as City Barrel Pizza + Patio. With Stuart Aldridge in the kitchen, the neighborhood’s newest pizza and beer spot swung its doors open in June, serving handtossed New York-style pizza paired with City Barrel brews. ere is cheese and pepperoni pizza for the kids, or the kid in you, or you can build your own pie. More interesting specialty pizzas, such as jalapeño popper, crab Rangoon, and a cheeseburger pizza, are also available. Italian sandwiches, including Joey’s Italian beef sandwich, a meatball sub, and a caprese sandwich, are also on the menu. e upstairs party room is decked out with arcade games and a sizable covered outdoor patio with fans, heaters, tables, and swings to relax and enjoy one of 30 beers (20 of them are City Barrel’s own beers) on tap, or a beer slushie, a cross between a frozen cocktail and a beer that has been selling like hotcakes this summer. is place is the perfect spot to bring the family or your friends and catch up over pizza and a pint. citybarrelpizza.com

Reservation for One SUSHI KODAWARI

by Jenny Vergara

For some people, it’s the need for control that prevents them from being able to fully relax and enjoy the dining experience known as omakase. For others, it’s the healthy price tag that comes with the time, labor, and quality of the ingredients that goes into one of these meals. But done right, there is nothing better than just letting go and eating what’s served by the chef.

There’s something magical in the simplicity of the omakase experience. Sometimes it can feel like a classroom, where the chef is the instructor, and you are the student. Other times, it can feel like a party,

with everyone in the group raising a glass for a toast contributing to the convivial “we’re all in this together” feeling. Still other times, it can feel like a kind of reverently silent dining experiment. It should feel like a little bit of all of this, but you should always come away feeling the care and hospitality. For me, it is a preferred way of dining. I love dining out and not having to make any decisions at all.

Sushi Kodawari is Kansas City’s newest restaurant to offer the Edomae-style (or sushi made with raw, cooked, or preserved fish from the waters near Tokyo) of sushi service. It’s all about serving food when it is at its best, not when it’s “freshest.” Karson Thompson, the chef/owner,

photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

gave up his law career to study sushi making in Japan. He, his wife, and triplets moved to Kansas City to be closer to family and for Thompson to fulfill his dream of opening up his first omakase restaurant.

With only eight seats available and two seatings a night (6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.), four nights a week (Wednesday through Saturday), it can be difficult to snag a seat at Sushi Kodawari, but don’t let that keep you from trying. The menu for each 15-course dinner is unique, designed by Thompson to take you from lightest white fish to more flavorful red and blue fish flown in from Japan and dryaged in a cabinet on view in the dining room. The process preserves and enhances the natural flavors of each fish, much like it does for beef. The white fish might only be dry-aged for a week, while heartier fish might be treated much longer.

Most courses consist of a single piece of nigari—or raw fish on rice—with a few traditional Japanese dishes sprinkled in—some cooked fish, handrolls, sashimi, and dessert. The price for your omakase experience is $175 per person plus tax, with no service fees or tips accepted. Each reservation requires a $50 deposit that is applied toward your meal. Drinks are additional, and you can choose to do a double omakase, and receive drink pairings with each of your courses, or order a glass or bottle from the sake and wine list to enjoy with your meal.

Assisting Thompson with service is industry veteran Beth Kearns, who has worked at many of Kansas City’s top fine-dining restaurants. Where Thompson is serious, quiet, and perhaps a bit shy, Kearns has a way of drawing him out of his shell to share with guests his own personal story with sushi. It’s a dynamic that builds throughout the night, as Thompson relaxes into the flow of service. You can tell he sometimes gets lost in the process and forgets that he is the star of this show, next to the sushi itself.

The restaurant is located in the heart of the Crossroads Arts District in the Creamery Building, where your experience begins at the front door. Kearns will greet you, leading you into a small waiting area with a colorful

fish mural on the wall. Inside the house-like structure, the dining room contains a beautiful Japanese cypress wood bar just beyond the curtains. Guests enjoy a complimentary glass of sake as they wait for all eight diners to arrive. This is not the restaurant to be running late for your reservation. Once dinner begins, it would be hard to get caught up.

Omakase is considered by most Americans as the culinary equivalent to “dinner and a show.” In Japan, this style of meal is eaten mostly in quiet reflection, listening to the chef relay information about each fish you are eating. However, in this country, many don’t like eating in silence. We like to talk to each other and to the chef. Our group was the first seating of the night, and while we started out quiet as a mouse and studiously watching the chef’s every move, as the meal progressed (and the sake flowed) there was more chatter in general.

The meal began with Thompson entering with a large, wooden rice bowl filled with steaming hot sushi rice. We observed as he seasoned it with aged red vinegar and cooled it with a fan as he explained the importance of rice as a foundation for all sushi.

Next, he took his first fish fillet out of a wooden box and placed it on the cutting board, just as we were served our first course. Chawanmushi is a traditional Japanese silky steamed-egg custard, and Thompson served his with enoki mushrooms, spot prawns and

scallions—an elegant start. As Thompson sliced the fish, we were served a single salt-and-vinegar potato chip topped with crème fraiche and a briny trout roe that prepared our palates for all the fish that was to follow.

Next came the sashimi courses. Thompson cut and dropped each slice on each of our plates. We sampled red sea bream that tasted so clean it was almost flavorless, followed by a slice of hamachi yellowtail brushed with a bit of soy sauce and topped with freshly grated wasabi. We finished with a belly cut of the hamachi yellowtail dotted with a bit of yuzu koshō, a fermented paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel, and salt that add a touch of brightness to the delicious melt-inyour mouth texture.

The nigiri followed, a progressive series of fish fillets that were carefully sliced and dabbed with a bit of freshly ground wasabi before he would marry them to a small ball of rice he pressed between two fingers and his palm.

Standout nigiri courses were the aji, or horse mackerel, topped with a punchy ginger and scallion paste. It had a thicker, chewier flesh than the other, more delicate white fish. The bright orange ikura, or salmon roe, was topped with warm sushi rice and eaten with a small handmade spoon. It was like eating small bubbles of seawater that burst in your mouth. The maguro (fatty tuna) and sake (ora king salm-

on) were each luscious and slick in the mouth with a clean and delicate flavor and hint of wasabi.

There was a tuna handroll, or toro-taku temaki, with a fresh shiso leaf and a slip of pickled daikon radish tucked inside, followed by anago, or sea eel from Japan, which is always served cooked before it is brushed with sweet, dark-brown eel sauce. The texture of the sea eel was light and fluffy, quite unlike the greasy river eel we tend to see served in the U.S.

Dessert began with the tamago, or egg—considered the dessert of the sushi world. Thompson served it as they do in Tokyo, marinated in a sweet syrup, which gave it the texture and taste of French toast. The meal ended with a small bowl of matcha green-tea ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon.

This is not necessarily a personalized omakase experience, but more a collective one. Thompson is serving eight people at a time and everyone is simultaneously enjoying the same dishes, which makes food allergies or special requests almost impossible to accommodate.

Once the meal ended, we each said our goodbyes to the group and to our chef, and floated out into the night, strangers once more. Although we did not know each other’s names, we knew we had experienced something special together at Sushi Kodawari. sushikodawari.com

Spotlight KC ATTRACTIONS NOT TO

Get a taste of Kansas City history KC’s original distillery is a must-see destination, featuring guided tours and tastings and four unique bars and restaurants.

Main Event — A Family Entertainment Center Located in the Northland, Main Event has youth-friendly activities, over 100 arcade video games, with a full-service bar and kitchen.

My Essentials IN KC

Celina’s essentials...

HIDDEN GEM:

Goofball Sk8boards in Waldo is an indoor skate park that is becoming an increasingly important hub for the DIY and queer community. Not only do they provide a safe and inclusive space for skaters of all ages, identities, and demographics, but they’re also home to the Neither/Nor Zine Distro, Big Dawg Prints, and have hosted KC Zine Con for the last two years.

ARTISTIC INSPO:

I’m a big Kansas City fountain nerd. Each one has such an interesting history behind it, and thinking about the little forgotten details that connect us to the past is always inspiring to me. My favorite is the Eagle Scout Memorial at 39th and Gilham. As a bargain hunter and up-cycler, I am tickled to think that the Kansas City Eagle Scouts found a way to make do with the donated, repurposed work in order to stay in their budget!

CELINA CURRY

ARTIST

Cby Evan Pagano

elina Curr y’s paintings and illustrations pull you in with their contradictions. There’s something about them that’s familiar but unexpected, sometimes critical but nostalgic. Many are in jewel tones that look lit from within but shadowed from out of view.

You’ve probably seen her work; all you have to do is look up at the right time. It’s on the ceilings of the KC Streetcar stops in the River Market. It’s splayed across the second-floor exterior wall of Jay’s Grocery and Restaurant. And since July, it has faced east on the Crossroads Artboards at 125 Southwest Boulevard. Those paintings show her parents taking photos of a waterside sunset, their view shrunk to their phone screens but our view the size of the billboards.

“I want to be able to make stuff that connects with people,” says Curry. “I don’t do a whole lot of public projects, but I’ve done a few, and I feel like that is me putting my money where my mouth is in terms of making something that everyday people can interact with and discover and add a little bit of color and fun to their life.”

Curry moved to Kansas City from Pennsylvania in 2011 and graduated from Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. She says Kansas City is more affordable than a coastal city, easier to find a place to “spread out a little bit and have room to breathe and not have to be hustling all the time.” She just finished a two-year residency with Charlotte Street, the art foundation that awarded her those billboards.

It’s always been hard for her to conceptualize her artistic future, but Curry sees Kansas City as a potential venue for her childhood fantasy: an art studio and “emporium,” she says, “where there’s lots of stuff, lots of things to look at, and you never get bored because there’s always something new to discover around a corner.”

See more of her work at celina-curry.com.

SHOPPING SMALL:

I’ve been a big fan of the River Market Antiques for years. Can’t go wrong with four endless floors of cool old stuff, plus they’re open seven days a week. A great rainy day activity! Also, the gift shop at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary is so thoughtfully and tastefully curated, and it has everything: jewelry, trinkets, postcards, books, and of course, original art!

GET BOOZY:

If I go out, I’m usually drinking a Boulevard Quirk at Missie B’s or Woody’s while catching a local drag show. But I’m still searching for the best margarita in town. I had a favorite, but they changed their recipe, so the search continues.

I love everything about The Brick at 17th and McGee. It has a timeless, could-beanywhere sort of dive-bar vibe, a shockingly diverse yet affordable and delicious menu, and a full bar. I’ve been going there for years— I even played in a band that performed there once or twice.

LOCAL MAKER:

I’m in constant awe of the women who head We Open Shop, a nonprofit organization aimed at making wood and metal working accessible and inclusive. They offer a monthly open shop where anyone can sign up to receive instruction and assistance in creating whatever it is they can imagine.

photo by estuardo garcia

No contracts or packages

No high-pressure sales – EVER!

Locally family-owned for over 20 years

Licensed RNs

10+ Brand new lasers

1,000+ Google ratings

Eric & Kaitlyn Leiker, Owners

MOSAIC & VENETIAN PRINCESS