Arts & Culture

Stories and videos about music, dance, visual and performing arts and film in the Kansas City metro.

woman w/ blue and black hair poses for the camera

First track debuts from Danielle Nicole Band

Fans of Kansas City music have heard the voice of Danielle Nicole before, as the singer/bassist/songwriter has been performing for the past 12 years in front of audiences — both in the Midwest and abroad — as a part of Trampled Under Foot. Now, she’s branching out. Listeners of our partners at 90.9 The Bridge…

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Kansans react to Brownback’s LGBT decision

In the several days since Gov. Sam Brownback rescinded protected-class status for Kansas state workers who identify as LGBT, the mostly negative reactions of other politicians, journalists and Kansas citizens have crowded news sites and social media. On Tuesday, Brownback rescinded an executive order — issued by former governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2007 — that…

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Photo of Sophie Sassafras with words 'Burlesque 101'

Shimmy and shake

Kansas City is no stranger to the art of the tease. Beginning in the ’40s, KC had a vibrant burlesque scene, and some of that legacy lives on with a number of local artists. Sophie Sassafras teaches the craft to a new crop of aspiring performers at studios around the metro. She calls it Burlesque…

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King cake and ‘bayou bites’ – bringing New Orleans tastes to KC

It’s the Wednesday before Fat Tuesday and the prep area for Lanmou Chocolates is rapidly filling with sweets. The new company, co-owned by Goellner (who also owns Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott) and Megan Piel, is getting ready to celebrate its first Mardi Gras in KC.

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Igniting a conversation, on domestic violence

Last year, more than 25,000 women and children spent time in one of the 29 domestic violence shelters in Kansas. A few men did as well. Between 2009 and 2013, law enforcement officials in Kansas investigated nearly 96,000 reports of domestic violence, resulting in 68,000 arrests. “These are just the ones we know about,” said Joyce Grover, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. The best way to bring these numbers down, Grover said, is to “stop it before it starts.”

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Who goes with you on your journey to the American Dream?

Three generations of the Caudillo family discuss was is truly important to them: education and service. This week’s video spends time with three generations of the Caudillo family – grandparents Velia and Mac Salazar, parents Irene and Ryan Caudillo, and grandchildren Julian, Sophia and Olivia.

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A woman in a blue sweater holds up two decorative butterflies. One says "Magdalene KC." The other says "Veronica's Voice."

A Long Journey Home

Kristy Childs is house hunting. She’s looking for the perfect house: a good-sized, family home with a living room big enough for a Christmas gathering and yard space for a garden. The house isn’t for her, though. It’s for five women who need a place to rest, recuperate and educate themselves before entering the mainstream…

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Philomene Bennett

Philomene Bennett: inspiring budding artists

Philomene Bennett is a painter and co-Founder of the Kansas City Artists Coalition. She has been a fixture in the Kansas City arts scene since she arrived from Nebraska in 1956. Since 1988, Bennett has run studio sessions, an opportunity for budding artists to find their voice. She’s featured on the February 5 edition of…

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Better or worse, for Latinos: The Caudillo Family, Part 3

Continue the conversation about race, immigration and the American Dream with the Caudillo family around the dinner table of Mac and Velia Salazar. Grandchildren Julian, Sophia, and Olivia all identify as Mexican-American, even though they don’t speak Spanish and don’t have firm roots to the Latino culture.

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Attention, ‘Serial’ fans: is objectivity important in law and journalism?

Host Mike Rugnetta devoted two episodes of the PBS Digital Studios YouTube series to discussing issues of objectivity in law and objectivity in journalism, all in relation to “Serial,” which many have billed as the most successful podcast of all time. Note: If you haven’t listened to all 12 episodes of the podcast, these videos…

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