Critic’s Voice

4/18 & 4/22

Everybody’s a critic. But not everybody can express their opinions like The New York Times‘ Roberta Smith. Smith’s writing style appeals to both artsy types and people who don’t know Christian Boltanski from Christian Jankowski; she gets across complex visual concepts in a way that’s easy to understand. Smith believes it’s an art critic’s job to record her reactions as honestly as possible for readers. Her 2002 review of the Whitney Biennial, for example, didn’t just include descriptions of the artwork; it tackled the exhibit’s broader social repercussions. Smith attacked the exhibit’s curators for under-representing women artists and berated museum board members for trying to widen their social circles.

Smith grew up in Lawrence, the daughter of a geography professor at the University of Kansas. She returns to the area on Sunday, April 18, for a 2 p.m. lecture called “The Life of the Eye: Museums, Art and Visual Thought” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak). And at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22, she presents “Content Is a Glimpse: The Battle Over Meaning From De Kooning to Now” at the Spencer Museum of Art (1301 Mississippi Street in Lawrence). Call 785-864-0142 for more information. —Theresa Bembnister

Freebies
Nothing goes together like ballet and beer.

THU 4/15

The Lyric Opera Bohemians and the Kansas City Ballet’s young BARRE crowd are using free beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres in hopes of luring more nonstodgy fans to their organizations. We think they’re brilliant. Finally, our penchant for drinks on the house has been leaked to high-culture authorities. The opera and ballet booster groups consist of 21- to 40-year-olds who support their respective organizations in various ways; they also promise that their events are an opportunity to meet new people and buy tickets at reduced prices. To recruit new members, they host the Young at Art Reception at 6 p.m. Thursday at Halls in Crown Center (2450 Grand). In addition to the surprise drawings, each guest gets a Halls gift certificate — just for showing up and drinking their wine! Call 913-851-8700 for more information. —Annie Fischer

Shorts Weather
KC filmmakers spring forward.

4/16-4/22

The Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee‘s marquee event is Kevin Willmott’s Spike Lee-approved satire CSA (see page 28), but it wouldn’t be a festival without visiting directors and shorts. Not that filmmakers Keith Gordon, Rob Nilsson and Peter Wintonick will dress inappropriately at this week’s panel discussions. The subjects of various short films (especially the aging nudists in “Body Politics”) and the characters in Nilsson’s monochromatic, sub-Cassavetes features, on the other hand, could use some pants. The shorts are loosely grouped (“Ponteuse,” an unappetizing one-and-a-half entendre, is misfiled under “Bon Appetit”) but include some gems, notably Chansoo Kim’s striking “Woman in the Attic” (above) and local director Todd Norris’ witty “Hulk, Too.” See www.kcjubilee.org for schedule and ticket information. —Scott Wilson

Bachelor Party

4/17-5/15

When we heard about the 2004 Annual BFA Exhibition at the H&R Block Artspace (16 East 43rd Street, 816-561-5563), it took us awhile to figure out what the acronym stood for. Brett Favre’s Army? Big Fucking Assholes? Nope — Bachelor’s of Fine Arts. More than 100 of the Kansas City Art Institute’s graduating seniors show off their hard work in a public reception starting at 6 p.m. Friday. — Michael Vennard