Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes authors Jennifer Case and Marcy Smalley.

JENNIFER CASE- Part memoir and part cultural reflection, The Carework Project combines intimate storytelling with research, interviews, and visual art to explore what care means in a time of climate crisis.

“Care work is climate work.” Jennifer Case first encountered this message during the pandemic, while

monitoring her daughter’s attempts at virtual learning and trying to keep her toddler from running naked into faculty Zoom meetings. The phrase appeared online beside photos of backyard gardens and essential workers in masks, offering an unexpected validation: caring for others—whether children, the ill, or the earth—is vital work. Intrigued, Case began exploring the connections

between personal, domestic, and ecological care. What started as research through the lenses of feminism and economics grew into a larger investigation that touched on environmental thought, Indigenous teachings, disability studies, and the psychology of empathy. Along the way, Case developed a broader spiritual and ecological awareness that changed how she viewed the act of caring itself.

Part memoir and part cultural reflection, The Carework Project combines intimate storytelling with research, interviews, and visual art to explore what care means in a time of climate crisis. Case shows how caregiving, often invisible, gendered, or undervalued, is central to our survival. She examines how trauma and burnout affect our ability to connect, and how healing can start with the smallest gestures of attention. The book invites readers to envision a world where care is not a burden but a source of mutual renewal and belonging. Visually striking collage postcards enhance the text. The result is a hybrid work that feels both timely and timeless, honoring the messy, creative, and transformative act of caring for one another and the living world.

Why This Story Matters Now

● The Carework Project is the rare book that tackles all types of caregiving (not just one, such as

childcare or eldercare) and does so through the lens of climate change and environmental justice. The connection between carework and climate change is underexplored and sets this book apart from other works about caregiving.

● The book is also incredibly timely, directly engaging conversations surrounding climate change,

caretaking, and mental health in a manner that will appeal to literary readers, environmental activists,

mothers, and careworkers of all types.

Target Audiences

The Carework Project appeals to multiple audiences: general and literary readers, environmental activists, all kinds of caregivers, and anyone interested in topics relating to environmental humanities, women and gender studies, healthcare and mental health studies, human consciousness and spirituality, and literary nonfiction about social justice.

Interview Opportunities

Jennifer Case offers compelling perspectives on:

● Feminism and gender studies, especially relating to the act of caregiving and motherhood

● Environmental humanities, climate anxiety, and a broader ecological awareness

● Mental health and healthcare, especially relating to the effects of trauma and burnout on connection

and the importance of small gestures of attention to healing

● A vision of a world in which care is a source of mutual renewal and belonging

Author Bio

Jennifer Case teaches creative writing at the University of Central Arkansas. She also serves as an assistant nonfiction editor at Terrain.org and is the supervising editor of Arkana. She is the author of The Carework Project: Reckoning with Love, Labor, and the Living World, We Are Animals: On the Nature and Politics of Motherhood, and Sawbill: A Search for Place, and her work has appeared in Orion, the Sycamore Review, and Fourth River. She lives in central Arkansas.

www.jenniferlcase.com

MARCY SMALLEY, author, Piloting the Currents: Growing Up In Turbulent Times 1962-1973

Born into the uneasy normality of postwar Kansas City, a girl comes of age in the fast changing world of the 1960’s. With a government in crisis and social traditions failing, she navigates the counter-cultural rapids and family upheavals. Buoyant with curiosity, she creates an adulthood beyond the one expected of her. A look back then begins to reveal parallels with today’s world.

Marcy A. Smalley, a retired urban planner, is a writer, and musician.  Her writing has appeared in The Sun and other publications.  She edited Threshold – A Life’s Journey to Prairie, by Elaine Jones, Blurb Press, 2024.  Her musical scores have been performed locally.  As an urban planner she assisted in the development of the Kansas City regional transit plan. She and her husband Barrie (a Habitat for Humanity volunteer) live in the Kansas City area near their children and grandchildren. This is her first book.

www.marcysmalley.com

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd talks with educator Whitney Boyd and Luna, singer/songwriter Heath Church.

Fact: Missouri ranks near the bottom nationwide for teacher pay, consistently appearing in the 49th or 50th position.

American teachers are increasingly stepping away from their jobs because of the educational systems and structures that prevent them from engaging in good teaching, which involves professional judgment, attunement to students’ multidimensional needs, and a connection to one’s purpose and values. The barriers to good teaching include overwork and underpay, in a profession that is increasingly undervalued—but that is not the whole story.

The results of a massive survey, America’s Teachers on Teaching in an Era of Change, indicate a strong correlation between teachers’ job satisfaction and feeling that their voices are heard.

Ninety-eight percent of the 20,000 respondents believe that teaching is more than a profession; it is how they make a difference in the world. The survey also suggested that new teachers, in particular, have comparatively higher needs for both content and social support. A frequently cited challenge for teachers was finding time to collaborate with colleagues, and rural and small-town teachers feel significantly more isolated and in need of support, connection, and collaboration.

While self-care strategies such as mindfulness, gratitude, and self-compassion have been shown to support individual well-being, they are insufficient to support teachers who believe that their institutions are not in alignment with their values. These educators need the support and connection of an authentic learning community to give meaning, purpose, and direction to their work. Such communities are of particular importance for reengaging those suffering from demoralization, helping them regain their self-efficacy, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and commitment to students and the profession.

There is power and hope when we work together.

(What Teachers Really Need to Thrive, Greater Good Magazine, July 15, 2024, Margaret Golden, Ed.D, www.greatergood.berkeley.edu)

Margaret Golden, Ed.D., is the director of learning communities at the Greater Good Science Center. She is the coauthor of Teach Our Children Well: Essential Strategies for the Urban Classroom and editor of Teaching and Learning from the Inside Out: Revitalizing Ourselves and Our Institutions.

Teacher funding comes from crowdfunding platforms, non-profit organizations, and state or federal grants. On average, U.S. educators spend roughly $895 annually out of pocket for classroom supplies, making external grants and community donation programs vital resources to offset these costs.

Crowdfunding and Donation Platforms

• DonorsChoose: Use the DonorsChoose platform to post specific project requests and connect with individual donors.

• AdoptAClassroom.org: Register on AdoptAClassroom to secure flexible funds, corporate sponsorships, and supply packages for your room.

• Community options: Most users on Reddit agree that sharing Amazon wishlists on social media, checking local Buy Nothing groups, and utilizing PTA resources are effective supplementary tactics.

Local and Regional Grants

• State catalogs: Search localized opportunities like The Grant Portal to find active funding listings specific to Missouri educators.

• Union support: Check the Missouri NEA for regional tuition assistance, humanitarian aid, and small project grants.

Professional and Federal Programs

• Fellowships: Apply for self-designed professional development funding through Fund for Teachers when applications open.

• Government grants: Look into federal opportunities such as the Teacher and School Leader Incentive Program via the U.S. Department of Education.

HEATH CHURCH is a singer-songwriter from the Midwest whose music is best described as dreamy indie-folk. His inspirations range from folk music legends including Johnny Cash, Blaze Foley, and John Prine to more recent indie artists such as Elliott Smith, Odie Leigh, Eels, and The Japanese House. Warm acoustic guitar tracks with layered vocals and undeniably catchy lyrics are all part of Heath Church’s signature sound which has been described as “Midwestern Heartbreak”. Since he first began his journey with songwriting over a decade ago, he has released multiple EPs & singles and has played over a hundred shows. Heath Church now shares his life experiences on stages across the country.

When I play a song for you, I want to create an experience that sticks with you. I want to take you to a place in your mind where you feel accepted and understood in a unique way that you haven’t before. That’s what music does. It understands us. I think everyone needs a chance to feel understood.

-Heath Church

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BYd2k8NmE/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5THqQuSbp7IuOk5zQbnDeW...

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes Kasim Hardaway.

KASIM HARDAWAY is a filmmaker and storyteller based in Kansas City, Missouri, whose work explores identity, mental health, and transformation. Before entering film, he built a decade-long career as a nationally recognized food influencer and brand strategist, partnering with companies like ALDI, Target, and Impossible Foods. His storytelling was known for its visual depth and emotional honesty, qualities that now define his filmmaking voice.

After years spent curating perfection online, Kasim found himself unraveling behind the scenes. What had once been creativity turned into performance, and the constant pursuit of relevance gave way to burnout and fatigue. Rather than turn away from that collapse, he chose to document it and transform his breakdown into art. That decision became The UNBecoming, a cinematic exploration of what it means to lose and rediscover oneself.

Though new to filmmaking, Kasim approached the medium with a strong sense of story and emotional awareness shaped by his background in digital storytelling. The UNBecoming blurs the line between film and performance art, using movement and metaphor to capture the process of release, reflection, and renewal.

Through his work, Kasim aims to create space for empathy and collective healing, inviting audiences to not only witness transformation but to feel it.

In the process of unbecoming, I’ve realized just how many layers of myself have sought validation, affirmation, & acceptance. Versions of me that longed to be forgiven, that held a heart full of anger, that wanted to be seen, chosen, or simply told I was enough.

Whewww.

None of those versions served me to my benefit, but that didn’t make them exist any less. They lived inside me. Quiet & heavy. Unresolved.

A core part of this project is healing: tending to the deep wounds I’ve carried since childhood, & even the more superficial nicks from recent years. “Take What You Need” was born from that. An extension of The UNBecoming, it’s a community-oriented installation that acts as a small offering meant to ease pain, soften longing aches, or at least lead the versions of myself (& others) a little closer to reconciliation.

When I first began imagining what the installation would look like, I didn’t want it to feel like a static wall. I wanted it to breathe, to invite you in. I strung each envelope with fishing wire so it would seem suspended in air. As if the letters were gently hovering, waiting to be chosen. To me, that sense of lightness mattered: the words & messages themselves might be heavy, but the act of reaching for them could feel weightless.

Each envelope carries a phrase on the outside. Something you might need to hear. Inside is a letter written to the one who felt that particular ache. As a small, playful detail, I added stamps. Sometimes the words might call out to you; other times it might be the color or design of a stamp that caught your eye. It leans into the fact that healing doesn’t always come through logic. Sometimes it comes through instinct, through something you can’t quite explain.

After the debut of the installation, a friend told me his wife had chosen one of the envelopes to give to him. He was shocked by the sheer number of letters. 33 in total (& I’m currently writing more). He asked, “How did you come up with all of these? Are these all feelings you’ve felt within yourself?”

My answer was yes. And also: not entirely.

Each letter represents a piece of my own story, but not every ache cut me deeply. Some were wounds I wrestled with for years, others were fleeting pains that appeared in certain relationships or contexts. Still, as I revisit the letters now, I find them more & more (& moreee) relatable. Each one speaks to a scar I carry. Trauma that may not have defined me, but that nonetheless left its mark.

The wall is not just mine. It’s a mirror. A place for anyone to pause, soften, & perhaps hear the words they’ve been waiting for. At its core, it’s also a reminder of our interconnectedness as human beings. We live in such divisive times, & it’s important to remember how much we truly share. Especially the pains & traumas we carry. No matter your gender, ethnicity, or background.

It’s my hope to create more experiences like this. Ones that move, inspire, & heal. While I’ve loved the journey of creating the micro-film series, I’ve also found that in-person events & activations add another, tangible layer of expression. The people I’ve met & the conversations I’ve had through this project have been moving, humbling, & affirming to say the least.

I’ll plan to share future pop-ups through the Chat feature here on Substack, but I also encourage you to follow the new accounts I’ve created for the installation on Instagram. I’ll be sharing letters digitally there as well, so even if you can’t make it to a pop-up in person, the words can still find you.

And if you want to explore the project on a more intimate level, consider becoming a paid subscriber & diving into The UNBecoming Reset: a six week guide to your own unraveling & return.

kasimhardaway.com

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd artists Kēvin Callahan, Marti Dodge, and InterUrban ArtHouse Executive Director Wolfe Brack join us on air.

KĒVIN CALLAHAN & MARTI DODGE-Schoolhouse Art Gallery & Nature Center Presents Prairie Echos, a Sculptural Tribute to the Natural World

New exhibition by Kansas City artists Kēvin Callahan and Marti Dodge

opens Friday, July 31, in Brownville, Nebraska

Prairie Echos is a new exhibition featuring the work of Kansas City

artists Kēvin Callahan of the Elegant Line Studio and Marti Dodge of

3Herons Art, on Friday, July 31, 2026. The show will remain on view

throughout August 2026.

Prairie Echos honors and reimagines the artists' shared love for the

natural world. Drawing from the prairie landscape that surrounds them,

Callahan and Dodge transform what they have observed in nature — from

fallen trees to birds on the wing — into work that brings those moments

to life.

The exhibition is primarily sculptural, with pieces that arise

from the land itself before being presented to the viewer.

Both Callahan and Dodge are lifelong multidisciplinary artists who work

across a range of media, including paint, wood, and metal. Their

distinct yet complementary visions give the show its name: an exhibition

that lets the prairie speak, and echoes it back through art.

Opening Night

The public is invited to the opening reception on Friday, July 31, 2026,

at 6 PM. The evening will feature artist talks, a Q&A session, and an

opportunity for guests to mingle with Callahan and Dodge and hear

directly about the inspiration behind their work.

About the Artists

Kēvin Callahan creates work under the name the Elegant Line Studio. A

multidisciplinary artist, Callahan draws on natural forms and the

landscapes of the prairie to shape sculptural and mixed-media pieces.

Marti Dodge works under the name 3Herons Art. Also a lifelong

multidisciplinary artist, Dodge explores the natural world through

paint, wood, metal, and sculpture, reflecting a deep connection to the

environment.

Visitor Information

Prairie Echos opens at the Schoolhouse Art Gallery & Nature Center,

Brownville, Nebraska with a reception: Friday, July 31, 2026 and will be

on view through August 2026.

More information: brownvillefinearts.com/schoolhouse-art-gallery

For interviews, images, or additional information, please contact Kēvin

Callahan at [email protected] or Marti Dodge at [email protected].

WOLFE BRACK InterUrban ArtHouse Executive Director

InterUrban Arthouse is a 501c3 community arts organization in Downtown Overland Park offering gallery space, affordable studio space, and arts events to the public. 

InterUrban Arthouse is located at 8001 Newton St, Overland Park, KS 66204, open Monday, Thursday, and Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 12-4. Exhibition receptions are every 3rd Friday, 5-8pm, and open to the public.

Learn more at interurbanarthouse.org or interurbanarthouse on FB and Instagram

Current Exhibition, up through July 30th: Let Me Introduce Myself - Work from the Gift of Troost Black Artist Collective and KC area Black artists.

Upcoming events:

Thursday, July 23rd, 6:30-7:30 pm: Curators Connect at Englewood Art Center

10901 E Winner Rd in Independence, MO. Artists and curators are invited in to talk with staff and learn about their programs, classes, studio space, and how artists can get involved.

Saturday, Aug 15th, 12-4pm: Artist headshots with photographer Jason Piggie. Happens the 3rd Saturday of every month.

Friday, Aug 21st, 5-8pm at IUAH - Opening reception for This Is Permanent, featuring work by tattoo artists and artists making tattoo adjacent work.

Thursday, Sept 3rd, 6:30-8pm - Joy Zimmerman Trio in concert at IUAH. Info at joyzimmermanmusic.com

Friday, Sept 18th, 5-8pm at IUAH - This Is Permanent Closing reception

Friday, October 16th, 5-9pm - 12 x 12 Member show and annual  Arts on Fire community event. Hundreds of small works from member artists and community members (everyone can participate!), and multiple performances, snacks, and surprises throughout the night.

Workshops with Johnson County Library

Stitching Tradition: A Kawandi Tote Bag Workshop Series

Thursdays, Sept. 10, 17, 24 • 10 a.m.-Noon @ Corinth Library

Tuesdays, Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13 • 10 a.m.-Noon @ Oak Park Library

Explore the rich tradition of Kawandi quilting in this three part workshop series led by Sherry Whetstone of InterUrban ArtHouse. Kawandi is a hand-stitched quilting practice developed by the Siddi people, an Afro-Indigenous community in India.

ArtWorks: Marketing & Promoting Your Work

Saturday, Sept. 26 • 10-11:30 a.m. @ Central Resource Library

ArtWorks: Grants/Funding Your Work

Wednesday, Nov. 18 • 6-7:30 p.m. @ Central Resource Library

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes Babara Reres, Chair Greater Kansas City Area Committee National Museum of Women in the Arts.

BARBARA RERES, Chair Greater Kansas City Area Committee National Museum of Women in the ARTS

THE MISSION OF the National Museum of Women in the ARTS

With its collections, exhibitions, programs, and online content, the museum seeks to inspire dynamic exchanges about art and ideas. NMWA advocates for better representation of women artists and serves as a vital center for thought leadership, community engagement, and social change. NMWA addresses the gender imbalance in the presentation of art by bringing to light important women artists of the past while promoting great women artists working today.To fulfill this mission, NMWA:

• Displays and preserves a collection of more than 5,000 objects

• Presents ten world-class exhibitions featuring women artists each year

• Runs an acclaimed public programs initiative highlighting the power of women and the arts as catalysts for change

• Offers education curricula and programs for learners of all ages

• Maintains a 17,500-volume library and research center

• Serves as a leading resource for facts about gender disparity in the arts

• Highlights women artists on its website, blog, and social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

• Publishes art history books and a triannual magazine

• Sponsors twenty national and international outreach committees, whose members serve as NMWA ambassadors and advocate for artists in their regions.

Visit www.nmwa.org

HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS

Founded in 1987, NMWA is the only major museum in the world solely dedicated to recognizing women’s creative contributions. The idea for the National Museum of Women in the Arts grew from a simple, obvious, but rarely asked question: Where are all the women artists?

NMWA’s founders, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay and Wallace F. Holladay, began collecting art in the 1960s, just as scholars and art historians were beginning to discuss the underrepresentation of women and various racial and ethnic groups in museum collections and major art exhibitions. Among the first to apply this revisionist approach to collecting, the Holladays committed themselves for over 20 years to assembling art by women. By 1980, Wilhelmina Cole Holladay began to devote her energies and resources to creating a museum that would showcase women artists, and the Holladay Collection became the core of the institution’s permanent collection.

The National Museum of Women in the Arts was incorporated in November 1981 as a private, non-profit museum. During its first five years, NMWA operated from temporary offices with docent-led tours of the collection at the Holladay residence. Special exhibitions also were presented. In 1983, the museum purchased a 78,810 square-foot Washington landmark near the White House, formerly a Masonic Temple, and refurbished it in accordance with the highest design, museum, and security standards. It won numerous architectural awards.

In the spring of 1987, NMWA opened the doors of its permanent location with the inaugural exhibition, American Women Artists, 1830-1930, a definitive survey curated by one of the country’s foremost feminist art historians, Dr. Eleanor Tufts. See more about the National Museum of Women in the Arts at: nmwa.org

The Greater Kansas City Area Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) is one of the museum’s nearly 30 national and international committees.The National Museum of Women in the Arts is the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts.

The local group formed in Kansas City, MO in 2002 under the leadership of Jeannette Nichols with the goals of raising awareness of the National Museum’s unique purpose and of bringing attention to noteworthy women artists in our own community.

Since its formation, the Committee has grown its membership, due in large part to the efforts of Darlene McCluskey, Jean Rau, Jan Leonard and Beth Viehland who have arranged more than 100 “monthly outings” to artists’ studios, special exhibitions at local museums, and private home collections. Committees have worked diligently to sponsor a juried art show (2006), to organize a major gift to the National Museum of Hung Liu’s “Seven Poses” (2007), and to participate in the Women to Watch exhibitions which have become our signature events for 2010, 2012, and 2015.

www.kc-nmwa.org

Greater Kansas City Area Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts

PO Box 480132

Kansas City, MO 64148

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes Audrey Crabtree Executive Director KC Fringe Festival and June McDaniel EarlystART CEO.

AUDREY CRABTREE, Executive Director KC Fringe

The KC Fringe is the largest celebration of arts and culture in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Returning live for its 22nd season for a two-week explosion of performance, film, visual arts exhibitions, and events that showcase the work of local, national, and international artists. The mostly volunteer-run organization has been supporting artists, cultivating creators, and attracting adventurous audiences since July 2005.

Our Mission-KC Fringe Festival champions creative expression by empowering artists to produce bold and innovative work through an annual visual and performing arts festival that is accessible and affordable for all.

Our Vision-KC Fringe

• Aspires to be the region’s leading pipeline for artistic innovation, fostering individuals and groups with opportunities to continue on their artistic journey through education, mentorship, collaborations and partnerships with emerging and established organizations.

•  Create cultural understanding by amplifying diverse voices through inclusive representation in our artists, programming, audiences, and venues and expanding the festival to be reflective and inclusive of global cultures.

• Envisions a vibrant, sustainable cultural landscape where artists and audiences converge, forming a dynamic and engaged community to experience the transformative power of the arts.

Inclusivity Statement-KC Fringe is committed to providing a respectful, safe environment free from harassment, violence, discrimination, bullying, and abuse. We will not tolerate participation in activities or behaviors that discriminate on the ground of race, gender, age, marital status, religious beliefs, citizenship, mental and physical abilities or sexual orientation.

We provide opportunities for everyone to contribute and participate in all events and activities whenever possible, and all community members are to be treated with respect and dignity.

We seek to expand our reach to fight against injustices and become a more welcoming and equitable place for everyone to enjoy the performing arts.

If you feel you are experiencing actions contrary to our safe, respectful environment, we want to hear from you. Please email our board liaison at [email protected].

Accessibility Statement-All of our venues are wheelchair accessible. If you require additional assistance, please contact us one week in advance at [email protected] for additional support at the venue.

 

www.kcfringe.org

JUNE MCDANIEL, EarlystART CEO, Ex-Officio - Embrace Wonder! The earliest years are the wonder years. A time when children are curious by nature and undeterred by the unknown. That’s why an EarlystART education is distinctively different.

Here, we believe in the ability of creative expression to fuel and express passion.

We are where hope flies high. Where families flourish. Where kids can be kids. 

Here, we believe all children deserve a great education right from the start and will make the world better because of it.

We’re EarlystART, an innovator in wonder-filled early education for more than 50 years, and we’re just getting started!

At EarlystART, we are redefining early childhood education through a unique arts-infused curriculum that nurtures creativity, curiosity, and confidence in children from six weeks to five years old. Our approach goes beyond traditional learning - integrating visual arts, music, movement, and imaginative play into daily instruction to support academic readiness, social-emotional growth and resilience.

In a community where many children face significant barriers from the very start, this model is proving transformative. We are seeing firsthand how exposure to the arts helps shape capable, compassionate, and confident young learners - the emerging leaders and citizens our community will rely on in the years ahead.

• Why arts-infused learning is a powerful (and often overlooked) driver of long-term success

• How EarlystART is addressing critical gaps in access to high-quality early education

• The broader impact this work has on families, workforce development, and community vitality

• Invite the community to support the Art of Wonder, our signature breakfast event on August 5th at the Zhou B Art Center

Our Project Construct evidence-based curriculum encourages positive teacher-student relationships, autonomy, and child-led experiences. In this supportive, collaborative and child-centered environment, students not only develop per their individual needs – they flourish!

Project Construct classrooms incorporate many of the activities found in traditional classrooms such as pretend play and block building, but have a clear emphasis on cognitive objectives.

At EarlystART, our distinctive approach blends the Project Construct curriculum with the Arts, sparking each child’s innate curiosity. We encourage creative expression and foster each child’s social competence, support learning through play, and forge strong home-school connections.

Our one-of-a-kind arts-infused environment touches all aspects of learning while also engaging families in the process. In turn, our students become enthusiastic, independent, and inquisitive learners as they march to their own beats and do what works for them!

The EarlystART curriculum is a magical mix of visual, musical, and dramatic arts that come to life in our classrooms, art studios, and venues around the community.

Why Art is Smart-Experiencing the arts prompts the synapses in a child’s brain to fire away. And just like that, billions of new connections are formed through arts experiences and creative expression! 

Our dedicated arts educators integrate the arts in meaningful ways: leading students and parents in after-school Stay-and-Play activities; addressing the special needs of students who have experienced trauma through arts-based therapies; welcoming talented Artists in Residence to The Studio, our on-site makerspace; engaging families and community in artistic and cultural experiences on site and around the community that inspire creative thought and an appreciation for the arts.

EarlystART, 2008 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, MO 64127 The flagship center along Kansas City’s 12th Street Corridor has long been an anchor of hope and opportunity for children and families living in the historic Northeast neighborhoods or who work in the nearby downtown business district.

THE ART OF WONDER

Wednesday, August 5th, 2026 | Zhou B Art Center | 8:30-10 AM

1801 E. 18th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108

 Wake up, pour a little joy, and let’s paint the morning bright together!

The Art of Wonder begins with a curated student art gallery showcasing original works created by EarlystART Little Learners. Each piece tells a story of curiosity, imagination, and growth – a vivid reminder of what quality early education makes possible.

Join us at this distinctive venue in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District. Enjoy coffee, breakfast, and a morning brimming with inspiration – all to benefit EarlystART!

www.earlystartkc.org

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, July 1, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes Kansas Poet Laureate Traci Brimhall and artist/writer Jim Ramirez.

TRACI BRIMHALL is a university distinguished professor of creative writing at Kansas State University, as well as the 2025 Poet-in-Residence at the Guggenheim. She is the author of five collections of poetry, most recently Love Prodigal (Copper Canyon Press, 2024). Her nonfiction debut, The Grief Artist, will be published by Sarabande Books in 2026.

Known for her poems that often marry the ordinary with the surreal, Brimhall’s work has appeared widely in journals and magazines such as The New Yorker, Orion, The Atlantic, The New Republic, Poetry, The Nation, and The New York Times Magazine. Through fellowships with the National Endowment of the Arts, National Park Service, and Academy of American Poets she’s taught writing workshops in farm schools, art museums, libraries, medical communities, and the outdoors. She’s also received a Karnes Fellowships through Purdue Library’s Special Collections to study the lost poem drafts of Amelia Earhart.

She is the current poet laureate of Kansas, where her initiatives have centered on uniting the state’s agricultural roots with the literary arts. Through poetry cookbooks, food-based mad lib poems, and bringing poetry to the State Fair, her literary arts advocacy seeks ways to bring the nourishment of language to all Kansans.

As Poet Laureate of Kansas, Brimhall will conduct public readings, workshops, lectures, and presentations that serve communities across the state. Her plans for the laureateship will focus on connecting with Kansans through the shared experience of language, Kansas’ agricultural roots, and food.

“I am delighted to serve Kansas as the next Poet Laureate,” Professor Traci Brimhall said. “I love connecting with others and building community, and I can’t wait for the next few years of celebrating creativity in the Sunflower State.”

As the Poet Laureate of Kansas, Traci promotes arts as a public resource to all Kansans. Currently, Traci offers two prepared talks as laureate:

WHY CAN’T THE HEART STOP ASKING?

Poetry is an art of attention. But sometimes the more attention we pay to the world, the more astonishing and confusing it can be. The medical researcher Jonas Salk said: “What people think of as the moment of discovery is really the discovery of the question.” I believe this also holds true for poetry. What images do we see each day that excite our minds? What sounds do we hear that awaken our hearts? What poems ask for our attention and reward us with discovery? This presentation will use poetry to create surprises, explore our curiosities, and find new questions.

MEMORY FEAST

In so many communities there is an appetite to find language for our experiences and connect with others. Joyce Carol Oates said: “If food is poetry, is not poetry also food?” I believe cuisine can be a link to open a memory, a great way to connect with those we love, and a source of inspiration for poetry. This presentation will use poetry to connect us both with our senses in daily activities as well as help us recall memories that remind us of family, culture and community. Poetry can be a place of nourishment, a bounty of the sensory, a feast of words.

The above programs are designed for a roughly 60-minute time frame but can be adjusted if necessary. Traci may be able to accommodate other program or appearance requests, but priority will be given for the listed programs.

Kansascommerce.gov

JIM RAMIREZ is an experienced, passionate and adventurous Design Professional with a sharp, creative eye for layout, color, typography, photography, and consumer-relevant product innovation. He is also a patent holder, photographer, fine artist, and published author.

Where I’m Supposed To Belong is a memoir Jim wrote about a trip he took to Europe. The memoir consists of four parts. Part One: He arrives in Amsterdam and makes his way to the French Alps in an attempt to climb the most famous mountain in professional cycling, L'Alpe d'Huez, in less than an hour. Part Two: Nice. The French Riviera. Part Three: Avignon. Part Four: Barcelona. Reproduced throughout the book are the actual train tickets, restaurant receipts, and sketches he did along the way. Available at Amazon.

“Where has Papu been?” is a children's book Jim wrote and illustrated that teaches children about different places around the world, and places he's actually traveled to. Places like Paris, France, where they’ll climb the Eiffel Tower. Hong Kong, for a ride in a sampan. They’ll take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The book is filled with colorful illustrations and many more landmarks in many more great cities. Available at Amazon.

Who We Are is a book Jim wrote and designed about the genealogy of his parents. Available at Amazon.

"My feeling is, if a creative idea comes to you, wherever they come from, you owe it to that idea to see it through

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes poet/activist Miguel M. Morales and Marissa Pappas Great Plains Senior Major Gifts Officer.

MIGUEL M. MORALES grew up in Texas working as a migrant/seasonal farmworker and child laborer. He was a finalist for the 2023 Kansas Poet Laureate. Miguel is a Lambda Literary Fellow and alum of VONA Voices and of the Macondo Writers Workshop. As a journalist, Miguel earned numerous awards including the Society of Professional Journalists' First Amendment Award.

In addition to the anthologies featured here, Miguel's work also appears in Pilgrimage and Raspa magazines, Green Mountains Review, Hawaiʻi Review, Texas Poetry Review, Duende Journal, and other print and online publications.

Morales is a prominent Kansas City, Missouri-based Latinx writer, poet, and community organizer. He is well-known for his work advocating for and uplifting farmworker communities and LGBTQ+ voices.

Literary and Community Work

• Writing: Morales is a Lambda Literary Fellow and an alum of the Macondo Writers Workshops and VONA/Voices.

• Anthologies: He co-edited the widely recognized anthologies Pulse/Pulso: In Remembrance of Orlando and Fat & Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives.

• The Common: He co-edited a landmark farmworker portfolio for The Common literary journal, highlighting essays, poems, and art by agricultural workers.

• Local Involvement: He is a core member of Kansas City’s Latino Writers Collective and regularly participates in local arts and reading events, such as those at The Writers Place.

•

Rocket Grants Project

Morales was awarded a Rocket Grant—a program administered by the Charlotte Street Foundation and the Spencer Museum of Art. His envisioned project supports farmworker youth in creating a dedicated poetry and art chapbook, drawing on his over twenty years of experience with youth education programs.

Where to Follow His Work

You can keep up with his writings, readings, and community projects via these platforms:

• Instagram: @trustmiguel

• Facebook: Miguel M. Morales - Writer

• Books & Anthologies: Browse his catalog and edited collections on his Amazon Author Page

MARISSA PAPPAS, Senior Major Gifts Officer, Great Plains SPCA- As an independent 501(c)(3) no kill shelter, with a 97% life release rate, GPSPCA provides lifesaving services for approximately 6,000 animals annually in the greater Kansas City area. Great Plains SPCA exists because of our caring Kansas City community and generous donors. We offer a lifelong, full-circle approach for pets and their human companions with our three-pronged approach: prevention, adoption, retention.

When we began as Animal Haven in 1966, we committed to working as the community shelter, filling in a need that didn’t exist at the time. Today, our commitment remains to the cities and residents we support. As Kansas City’s premium family shelter, we continue to support the seven municipalities that we are contracted with including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Shawnee, Lake Quivira and Johnson County Parks and Recreation and unincorporated Johnson County.

We work every day to provide best in class care for homeless pets, reuniting lost pets with their owners, and serving those in greatest need through our HERO, Pups for Parolees, Public Behavior classes and Pet Food Pantry programs. Our commitment to matching pets with forever homes is at the center of everything we do.

Our Mission

To drive change in our community through innovative programs that promote adoption, outreach and a better life for pets and the people who love them.

As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our lifesaving services for animals can only be provided because of your generosity and commitment to our mission. Great Plains SPCA exists solely because of our caring Kansas City community and gracious donors like you.

• We proudly report a live-release rate of 97% or higher.  Our live-release rate is calculated by the number of adoptions, returns to owner, transfers and other live outcomes for a given time period divided by the total number of animals the shelter brought in for that same period.

• We offer a lifelong, full-circle approach for pets and their human companions with our three-pronged approach: prevention, adoption, retention.

Great Plains SPCA is located at 5424 Antioch Dr. Merriam, KS 66202 (913)831-7722 www.greatplainsspca.org

Lend A Paw is a donation match drive. This summer every contribution made to Great Plains SPCA will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the support for our pets. Will you Lend A Paw to help us raise $670,000 by July 31?

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes Tom Mardikes, Jon Robertson, and Scott Preston.

Sound Mandala is a one-of-a-kind immersive audio experience where 100 independent loudspeakers surround you—sound moving around you, above you, and through you. This isn't surround sound. It's something altogether different, carefully crafted by sound designers who spend hours mixing each piece moving the sound around you, above you, and beneath you. Audio becomes a physical environment you can step inside – you feel it as much as you hear it.

We call it a Mecca concept — you can't stream it, download it, or replicate it anywhere else. You have to be there.

TOM MARDIKES & JON ROBERTSON- Sound Mandala Summer 2026 runs June 10 – August 1 presented at Unicorn Theatre; tickets on sale May 1

Sound Mandala is back and this summer, it's bigger than ever.

The groundbreaking immersive audio experience returns to the Unicorn Theatre's Jerome Stage June 10 through August 1, 2026, with three original programs that push the boundaries of what sound can do to a room and to the people inside it. Tickets at www.soundmandala.org/experience.

Sound Mandala's summer run coincides with Kansas City's moment on the world stage as a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city and overlaps with the KC Fringe Festival, positioning it as a must-see cultural destination for international visitors and locals alike.

At the heart of the experience: a custom-built array of 100 independent loudspeakers surrounding audiences on all sides — above them, beside them, moving through them. Programs are complex mixes of recording done by our artists, using their original tracks. "This is an experience that simply cannot be duplicated anywhere else," said creator and founder Tom Mardikes. "To experience it, you have to be there."

Sound Mandala made its public debut at the 2024 KC Fringe Festival, where over 9 days more than 800 people experienced the installation. The creative team draws from artists and designers affiliated with UMKC Conservatory's Sound Design MFA program, and the project has grown from the research of UMKC professor Tom Mardikes over many years. Sound Mandala Institute, Inc. is a Kansas City–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

For history, technology, and more: www.soundmandala.org

THE 2026 PROGRAMS

Signal&Soul | June 10 – August 1

The flagship variety program, and Sound Mandala at its most kaleidoscopic. Roughly 50 minutes, 10 pieces, zero filler. Signal&Soul collides original music, theatrical performance, beatboxing, spoken word, and unexpected reinvention into a single, propulsive arc. Featured works include The Missionary by acclaimed KC artist Krizz Kaliko; an original composition by Austen Schober; a video game collage from Jacob Souders and Paul Vedros; a Chekhov vignette performed by Vanessa Severo; beatboxer Luke "Skippy" Harbur of musicbyskippy; MU by audio artist Rev. Dwight Frizzell; a new piece by Jon Robertson; and a Sound Mandala reimagining of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" that has to be heard to be believed.

Indie Spotlight from Challenger Artists | June 20 – August 1

Five bands. Two songs each. Original multi-track recordings mixed into an immersive system that will change how you hear them. Challenger Artists has assembled a remarkable roster for this approximately 60-minute set conceived specifically for the Sound Mandala environment. Featuring: Mini Trees, the indie-alt pop project of LA-based songwriter Lexi Vega, whose 2025 headline tour sold out venues coast to coast; Brooklyn duo TOLEDO; Valley Boy, whose collaborators include Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, and Troye Sivan; Midwest four-piece Post Sex Nachos, whose track "SOS" climbed to the SiriusXM Alt Nation Top 6; and Chicago indie act Capital Soiree, featured on Spotify's Fresh Finds editorial playlists.

Unicorn Theatre | Jerome Stage 3828 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111

Tom Mardikes has worked on over 250 professional productions nationwide as Sound Designer for Kansas City Repertory Theatre (formerly Missouri Rep), the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, the Dallas Theatre Center, Syracuse Stage, Coconut Grove, the Roundabout, Buffalo Studio Arena, the Alley Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Shakespeare Santa Cruz.

Jon Robertson

A Kansas City-based sound designer and composer, honed his skills during the pandemic to improve online audio collaboration. In 2021, he co-created the audio tool, Tutti Remote, facilitating global audio syncing for performers. His work spans theatrical productions, films, and radio plays, earning recognition at festivals like New Music Gathering and KC Fringe. An educator at heart, Jon currently teaches at the University of Evansville and boasts degrees from UMKC and the University of Arizona. Jon has been working with the Sound Mandala since 2015.

The Sound Mandala is a new way of listening to recorded sounds, in a room full of loudspeakers arranged in a matrix allowing for a wide variety of sound distribution and motion. In the auditory domain, the Sound Mandala imitates the visual trick of film motion by placing dozens of loudspeakers into a space organized into a matrix of lines and rows, then dividing, or spreading a sound along these lines and rows to create a sinuous ‘motion’ of sound. This summer the Sound Mandala will present a new show at the Unicorn Theatre as well as joining the KC Fringe Festival 2026, featuring a 100-loudspeaker channel system in the Jerome black box theatre seating 40 people. We refer to the Sound Mandala as a ‘Mecca-concept’----you must go there to have the experience. As this invention becomes commercialized and we experiment with visual images, this Mecca-concept will be a decided advantage to a film presenter---an advantage movie theatres do not enjoy today. The Sound Mandala experience cannot be duplicated in the home or in a car.

When You Walk In...

• An Acoustic Sanctuary: You’ll step into an intimate theater environment wrapped in an array of dozens of individual loudspeakers.

• Perfect Sound, Every Seat: Unlike standard concert venues or movie theaters where the best sound is only in the exact center, the Sound Mandala is designed so that every seat is the best seat in the house.

• A Journey for the Senses: You will sit back, relax, and let custom-composed music, vivid soundscapes, and acoustic narratives wash over your senses and move right through you.

SCOTT PRESTON-The Traveling Hippo is a children's book that encourages family travel traditions, featuring a narrator and seven characters who guide families in taking a stuffed hippo on vacation to create memories. The book, which includes a travel log and illustrations by Preston's daughter, Lilly, is part of a larger "Hippo Universe" that includes merchandise like plushies and trading cards, and it aims to be more than just a story but a family activity.

Key aspects of the book and tradition:

• Concept:

Families bring a stuffed hippo on trips, using the book as a guide and a travel journal to record their adventures.

• Characters:

The story features a narrator, Hammy the bird, and other characters that help explain the tradition.

• Family involvement:

The project is a family affair, with Preston's daughter Lilly doing illustrations and his son helping with the website.

• Origin:

The tradition started with the author's own children using a hippo from a discount store on their trips.

• Merchandise:

The "Hippo Universe" includes the book, plush toys, and other items, with plans for more books and products.

• Awards:

It was a finalist in the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Artspeak Radio, Wednesday, 9am -10am CST, 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio, streaming live audio www.kkfi.org

ARTSPEAK RADIO is entering its' 14th year-if you tune in weekly, download podcasts, listen online, if you learn about new opportunities happening in the creative community, enjoy listening to one of the many guests featured weekly on ARTSPEAK RADIO then call 888-931-0901 to pledge your support. Online pledges are simple, just go to www.kkfi.org and show us your support for YOUR community radio station.

It's time for you to support this on air arts program that gives local artists, spoken word poets, painters, sculptors, musicians, arts educators, museums, arts organizations, and so many more the opportunity to discuss their art, chapbooks, events, openings, performances, innovations, and submissions for artistic opportunities.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS RADIO STATION AND ARTSPEAK RADIO NOW IN ITS' 14TH YEAR!!! Call 888-931-0901 and make your pledge.

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes producer/writer Jerry Rapp and Christina Loya Mattie Rhodes Public Historian & Community Engagement Coordinator.

CHRISTINA LOYA Mattie Rhodes Public Historian & Community Engagement Coordinator- The Museum of Kansas City is proud to announce that Connecting Cultures Across Kansas City: The Hand-in-Hand Folk Art Collection is opening to the public on Friday, June 12 at the Museum. This exhibition is organized by the Mattie Rhodes Center and presented in collaboration with The Museum of Kansas City.

The Hand-in-Hand Folk Art Collection was started by Alice Ann Biggerstaff (1924–2007) and later donated to Mattie Rhodes. A Kansas City native, Alice Ann was an artist who worked for more than three decades at Hallmark Cards. Upon retirement, she moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she continued collecting artwork and created a vibrant, welcoming home.Showcasing more than 150 rarely seen works of folk art from across the globe, with a particular focus on pieces from Latin America and the American Southwest, Connecting Cultures Across Kansas City explores how folk art reflects shared values and human experiences across communities and cultures. Through cultural expression, identity, and time-honored traditions, these works bridge local communities and global traditions.

In this exhibit, you will encounter works by multigenerational artisan families, including the exquisite ceramic traditions of the Aguilar and Blanco families of Oaxaca, as well as the whimsically carved wooden animals of the Alvarez and Rodríguez families of the American Southwest. Also included are countless works created by artisans whose names were never recorded or have been lost to history.

For centuries, the contributions of people of color, women, and other marginalized groups have too often been misattributed or erased, even as their work has shaped cultural identity and community memory. Connecting Cultures invites viewers to honor both the named and the unnamed makers, and to consider how artistry survives through generations by blending ancient techniques with cultural storytelling, acting as a living link to history, identity, and resilience.

The exhibition also emphasizes the vital role of collecting as a form of cultural stewardship—preserving stories, supporting artists, and ensuring that meaningful objects remain accessible to future generations. An installation inspired by Alice Ann’s home in Santa Fe will be featured, alongside selected pieces of her clothing, offering insight into the personal vision behind the collection.

Folk art encompasses a wide range of handmade objects created for daily life, ritual, and celebration, often using region-specific materials and techniques. These works embody lived experience and serve as carriers of cultural knowledge, helping sustain identity across generations. Whether a colorful and imaginative alebrije—a fantastical creature rooted in Mexican folk traditions—a giant painted wooden crocodile from Santa Fe, or an intricately crafted ceramic Tree of Life, these pieces are gentle reminders that beauty and imagination have existed for thousands of years and will endure long after the item itself is gone.

The Museum of Kansas City is located at 3218 Gladstone Blvd. KCMO

On view June 12, 2026 through January 2027

JERRY RAPP-“GOSPEL IS A DRAG” DEBUTS AT THE ARTS ASYLUM THEATER KCMO- “Gospel Is A Drag,” an original musical written by Jerry Rapp, will make its debut at the Arts Asylum Theater, 824 E Meyer Blvd in Kansas City. The limited engagement performances are June 12-15 and June 19-22. Showtimes are 7:30 PM CST on Fridays and Saturdays and 7:00 PM CST on Sunday and Mondays. Tickets and more information are available at www.gospelisadrag.com

The show is set in the fictional town of Squibbtown, Missouri, where a stuffy town hall meeting is suddenly crashed by the fabulous Gloria- backed by her stellar choir - ready to sing and speak her truth. The show is described as an “InfoMusical,” and “a unique, rollicking, interactive experience filled with more music, frivolity, inspiration, education and improvisation than one ever thought possible” promising original songs and new arrangements of traditional hymns. The musical stars popular performance artist Tajma Stetson and features many notable local performers in the ensemble. The Director is Kevin Bogan with Musical Direction by Trevor Smith.

The Arts Asylum was founded in 2011 to provide artists of all mediums a safe place to create and continues that mission today through their emphasis on new works, classics reimagined, and educational outreach.

Rapp is an award-winning producer and writer who makes his Arts Asylum debut with the play. “It feels like one of the most important personal works I have done up to this point in my career.” says Rapp. “Our show points out that there are more commonalities than differences between us,” adds Stetson. “We hope people will make new friends, hear some catchy songs and have their spirits uplifted!”

JUNE 12-15 and 19-22 CONTACT:

ARTS ASYLUM THEATER Jerry Rapp

824 E Meyer Blvd 323-354-0115

Kansas City, MO 64131 [email protected]