November art preview: Where to go and what to see in KC this month
Sophia Reed
Though October saw the shuttering of yet another artist-run space in Kansas City (RIP Open House), the art community presses on, and November offers a robust lineup of new exhibitions worth braving the early winter weather.
Vulpes Bastille
Curated around a postmodern critique of objectivity, artists in this exhibition use a variety of materials to point out new opportunities to be found in instability. Shifting Ground features work by six local artists: Molly Dillon, Melanie Johnson, Kim LaVonne Luther, Julia Monté, Keira Norton, and Sophia Reed (photo above).
Opening reception Friday, November 1, 6pm-9pm. 1737 Locust Ave.
Imagine That!
Kris Schmolze has been artist-in-residence at Imagine That! for the last month, and this First Friday exhibition includes both his own work and collaborations with the studio’s artists. Visual and audio collages are promised.
Opening reception Friday, November 1, 6pm-9pm. 2010 McGee St.
“America Realized,” by Yatika Starr Fields
Playing with Fire: Yatika Starr Fields
Travois
Yatika Starr Fields’ dynamic and brightly colored paintings are featured in Travois’ latest series of exhibitions celebrating indigenous artists. “The objects and forms,” Fields says in his artist statement, “represent the past and present from my perspective as a member of the Osage, Cherokee and Creek Nations of Oklahoma surrounded by beautiful colors and patterns joined by rhythm and dance from tradition.”
Opening reception Friday, November 1, 6pm-8pm. Artist talk at 6:30pm. 310 W. 19th Terrace.
Colin Mosely
A Longing for Interspecies Companionship
UMKC Gallery of Art
Digitally produced animations pay tribute to relationships between living things in this solo exhibition by M.A. candidate Colin Mosely at UMKC. Mosely’s animations were recently seen at September’s Techno Chapel at Capsule during a collaboration with composer Seth Davis. This exhibition is a multi-disciplinary exploration involving all things animal, plant, fungi, and mineral.
Opening reception Thursday, November 7, 5pm-7pm. Exhibition open through December 13.
Lisa Grossman
Haw Contemporary Stockyards
Remember way back (earlier this year) when spring was turning into summer, and the storms were unceasing and the rivers swelled and flooded for weeks (and in some places, months)? Lisa Grossman spent some time looking at those rivers and getting caught in storms and painting all she saw, including the Kaw River near Eudora just days after a F4 tornado rolled through. This show is sure to inspire reflection on what’s next for our rivers, our weather—and all of us.
Opening reception Friday, November 8, 6pm-9pm. Exhibition open through December 11. 1600 Liberty St.
Steve Rowell
Goethe Pop Up
For many years now, I’ve simply assumed the NSA might be listening to any phone call I make. We take facial recognition for granted and don’t blink at how our private emails are used to market things to us. Steve Rowell’s exhibition is inspired by Cold War-era surveillance in East Germany, but it also reminds us how surveillance remains relevant in our daily lives. Rowell’s location-based photographic and sound installation is featured this month at the Goethe Pop Up, a yearlong program promoting German cultural exchange.
Opening reception Friday, November 8, 6pm. Artist talk at 7pm. Exhibition runs through November 27. 1914 Main St.
Studios Inc
Caitlin Horsmon uses film, found objects, and more to explore “the geographies of our daily lives.” One of her works includes the forty avocado trees she grew, inspired by her hometown being dubbed the “Avocado Capital of the World.” Exhibition attendees are invited to interact and contribute to a video to be debuted at the closing in December.
Opening reception Friday, November 8, 6pm-9pm. Runs through December 13. 1708 Campbell St.
William Toney
Kiosk Gallery
Using images of denim, tobacco, and cotton, William Toney connects modern black consumerism and fashion to historical legacies. Toney is a current Charlotte Street Studio resident whose work has started to show up frequently on gallery walls around town; expect to see more of him.
Opening reception Friday, November 15, 6pm-9pm. Exhibition runs through January 9, 2020. 1600 Genessee, Ste 133.
Queen Nefertari: Eternal Egypt
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Not to be confused with Queen Nefertiti! For art buffs and history nerds alike, the Nelson has imported a collection of Egyptian artifacts from Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy. Queen Nefertari’s burial chamber—made by human hands three thousand years ago!— is said to be a highlight.
Exhibit open November 15 through March 29. Tickets $18 or free for members. 4525 Oak St.
