Because of This: Panel Discussion

3333 Wyoming Street,Kansas City MO 64111

25 September, 2021

Description

Join us for a panel discussion about urban development, art, and gentrification in the Midwest as a part of our series, Because of This. Join Charlotte Street for the first Because of This: Panel Discussion where speakers will focus on and center the past, present, and future works of Black and Indigenous artists, historians, designers, developers, musicians, and poets. Panelists want to acknowledge and affirm the contributions of Black and Indigenous peoples' presence to the arts and culture sectors of the Midwest.  As a part of the year-long series, Because of This, curator Mary Lawson has organized two panel discussions that will explore why Black and Indigenous peoples choose to make the Midwest their creative home, and why those who have roots in the Midwest have chosen to leave for other creative communities.  Without us there would not be arts and culture. The main portion of this panel discussion will focus on the progress, newer developments, and gentrification (or not?) of Midwestern cities that each of the panelists represent. Panelists invite audiences to share their time talking through what is working, what needs more attention, and what visions communities have that could make where we call home a better quality of life for all residents. Featuring panelists: Emmanuel Cook Jr. Triveece Penelton Sarah Rowe Alex Kimball Williams Mission Statement: Charlotte Street identifies the needs and fuels the evolution of an ever-changing multidisciplinary arts ecosystem, acting as its primary provocateur. Charlotte Street cultivates the contemporary, the exceptional, and the unexpected in the practice of artists working in and engaging with the Kansas City art community. Since 1997, Charlotte Street has distributed over $1.1 million in awards and grants to artists and their innovative projects, and connected individual artists to each other and to the greater Kansas City community. For more information about Charlotte Street, its awards, programs, and initiatives, visit www.charlottestreet.org.   Charlotte Street's Origins: Charlotte Street Foundation was established in 1997 by advocate, David Hughes, Jr. as a response to needs articulated by artists within the community for an organization that was a valuable creative, social, and economic resource for artists living in Kansas City.   At that time, Kansas City, in spite of a rich creative environment, offered few important vehicles or opportunities for valuable early (and mid-career) recognition. Opportunities for exhibition and critical reviews were severely limited, as were financial resources for supporting individual artists.   For the past 20 years, Charlotte Street has done exactly that—providing resources for individual artists by building upon our core principles of supporting, challenging, and empowering artists of exceptional vision—all the while, cultivating an environment where artists and art can thrive.   Over the last two decades, Charlotte Street has grown in its capacity to provide additional resources and opportunities to individual artists in Kansas City.   Beginning in 1997 Charlotte Street launched the Visual Arts Awards program—at the time offering $2,400 grants to three local, qualified artists. The only organization in the region to offer direct monetary support to artists.   That beginning program has developed to now include an expansion of the Awards program— offering $10,000 unrestricted cash awards to Visual and Generative Performing Artists; a Studio Residency Program that supports upwards of 30 artists a cycle, a Curatorial Residency Program connection emerging, talented curators to artists in Kansas City; travel grants to notable residencies such as Art Omi Residency and international art fairs; partnership programs such as the Rocket Grants Program with the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, and the Artboards Program with Missouri Bank in the Crossroads.   Artists need support to encourage, nurture, and “go to bat” for them—to help them gain opportunities for professional development, public exposure, and access to qualified art professionals that can challenge their work, practices, and processes. As Charlotte Street enters its 20th year, we remain dedicated and steadfast to the ongoing needs and support of artists in Kansas City and to advancing our reach throughout the communities in our region.