Green Party
SAT 5/15
When David Macaulay, who works at the Midtown Community Recycling Center, realized how many of his customers were local artists using recycled materials in their work, he decided to celebrate their environmental efforts in the form of an exhibit. The Recycled Art Show goes up from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday outside the recycling center (48th and Forest streets), followed by a reception at the Cope and Drag (4518 Troost). Because the show is scheduled during regular business hours, Macaulay hopes to attract the usual eco-friendly visitors. “On a good Saturday, there are between 500 and 600 people passing through,” he says. Although they’ll obviously be there to drop off their recyclables, he hopes they will stay to check out — and maybe even buy — the creations in the parking lot.
The art, which includes metal sculpture, clothing by Ideal Garment and jewelry made from used instrument strings, is the work of a dozen local artists. Ryan Comment’s “American Girl,” for example, is a 15-inch-by-26-inch box containing a female-form assemblage, including perfectly round light-bulb breasts. (Ryan is obviously male.) Call 816-561-1061 for more information.
Novel Idea
The Lehrers are comin’ to Kansas City.
MON 5/17
For Manhattanites, it’s undoubtedly passé to get excited about a new novel set in New York City. The relatively infrequent book based in Kansas City, however, never fails to create a local buzz. That’s one of the endearing things about our big small town. We must read it to see if we know the people or places mentioned. Jim Lehrer‘s mystery Flying Crows is the latest in this genre. The story of two asylum escapees who flee to Union Station, one of whom remains until police discover him there forty years later, Flying Crows was inspired by real events. Lehrer, of PBS fame, discusses the novel at 7 p.m. Monday at Unity Temple on the Plaza (707 West 47th Street) along with his wife, author Kate Lehrer, who talks about her own new release, Confessions of a Bigamist. Her fourth novel, it’s the story of a woman married to men in New York and Texas. Call Rainy Day Books at 913-384-3126 for more information. — Fischer
Vicious Cycle
All those extra miles might actually work in our favor.
5/17-5/21
Construction crews keep closing down our favorite roads in the West Bottoms, forcing us to take longer and longer routes to the Pitch offices downtown each morning — no big deal for gas-guzzling commuters, but for bicyclists like us, the hilly miles quickly add up. Luckily, there’s a chance that our extended rides could win us some prizes. The Mid-America Regional Council puts on its second annual Bike-to-Work Challenge this week. Last year, 230 cyclists signed up as individuals or in teams and covered 7,765 miles in five days. Once again this year, the pedalers who roll up the most mileage over the week score cool bike swag. Pump up your tires and call 816-474-4240 for more information.— Tony Ortega
Post Dated
THU 5/13
Local author and Northeast News publisher Michael Bushnell has acquired a collection of postcards showing scenes of Kansas City from 1898 to the 1950s. All of the buildings and landmarks may not still be around, but they definitely have interesting stories. Bushnell presents a slide show and lecture with images from his recent book, Historic Postcards of Old Kansas City, at the Kansas City, Kansas, Main Library (625 Minnesota Avenue) at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. For details, call 913-279-2067. — Michael Vennard
