Where to see some art in Kansas City this March
March arrives at last this Friday, and with it comes a gust of First Fridays openings. Below, a guide to some shows you might want to hit, both this weekend and deeper into the month.
FIRST FRIDAY
Leedy-Voulkos Art Center
Paintings and drawings in this group show — featuring work by Melanie Johnson, Kathy Liao, Christopher Lowrance, Michael McCaffrey, and Scott Seebart — command attention with vivid colors, bold textures, and grand scale. Fun fact: all five artists in the show are also art professors.
While you’re there, head downstairs for an exhibition featuring Drea DiCarlo and Paige Edson in the KCAI Undergrads Underground, where you can always find up-and-coming talent in Kansas City.
Opening reception: Friday, March 1, 6-9 p.m. 2012 Baltimore.
Imagine That!
The third annual salon-style exhibition at Imagine That! — featuring all 60 of its artists — is sure to be a treat. New works will be exhibited in the downstairs gallery; upstairs is an art sale where you can purchase reasonably priced and wonderfully creative works in a wide range of mediums. Imagine That! is a nonprofit art studio for adults with developmental disabilities.
Opening reception: Friday, March 1, 6-9 p.m. 2010 McGee.
Front/Space
Liss LaFleur: Queen Bee is Stinging Mad
Liss LaFleur, an artist and scholar from Texas, presents works of glass and video for an immersive experience commemorating queer history while exploring the possibilities of modern queer culture. A must-see for those interested in radical political history or experimental art.
Opening reception: Friday, March 1, 6-9 p.m. 217 W. 18th.
Bunker Center for the Arts
Susan Kiefer, Hillary Brooks, and Jennifer Hudson
Bunker features the works of three women in three galleries, exploring empowerment and exploitation, daily life and trauma.
Opening reception: Friday, March 1, 5-10 p.m. 1014 E. 19th.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Saya Woolfalk: Expedition to the ChimaCloud
This multimedia installation will immerse you in Saya Woolfalk’s fantastical world, where she explores themes of identity, technology, ceremony, and science fiction. Woolfalk is a New York-based contemporary artist who has exhibited at prominent museums nationwide. Her installation here is site-specific, drawing inspiration from the Nelson-Atkins’ permanent collection. This exhibit is highly recommended for fans of Afrofuturists like Janelle Monae and Octavia Butler.
Opens March 1. 4525 Oak.
LATER IN MARCH
Haw Contemporary [Crossroads]
Andy Brayman: Show Room
Take a peek into Andy Brayman’s vision for future architectural projects, developed from years of exploration in ceramics, enameled metal, and glass. His artistic practice involves not only traditional craft, but also industrial processes and computing.
Opening reception: Friday, March 8, 6-9 p.m. 19 W 19th.
Plug Projects
A rare opportunity to engage with artists in the midst of their process. Three artists, representing a variety of mediums, will present works for criticism and discussion. All are invited, no art school diploma necessary.
Event: Thursday, March 14, 6:30pm. 1613 Genessee.
La Esquina
Charlotte Street Foundation’s Westside gallery, La Esquina, presents this group exhibition featuring Mexican and Mexican-American artists whose work examines identity, immigration, and belonging in the face of our current sociopolitical climate.
Featured artists include: Narciso Argüelles, Patricia Bordallo-Dibildox, Lizbeth Contreras, Gabby Diaz, Joselyn Garcia, Mary Kuvet, Diana Lerma, Thomas Luna, Rodolfo Marron III, Rebekah Pech-Moguel, Fidencio Fifield-Perez, and Kiki Serna.
Opening reception: Friday, March 15, 6-9 p.m. 1000 W 25th.
Haw Contemporary [Stockyards]
Lineage and Impact: KCAI Faculty Show
Forty past and present faculty from the Kansas City Art Institute — among them, Wilbur Niewald, Kim Eichler-Messmer, and Ken Ferguson — are featured in this tribute to their influence on their students and the art community at large. If you’ve seen art shows in Kansas City, you’ve inevitably seen art by KCAI grads. Check out the chops on these teachers, and fantasize about whose class you wish you could take.
Opening reception: Friday, March 15, 6-9 p.m. 1600 Liberty.
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