Arts & Culture

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

Joe's Kansas City's Z-man sandwich

Snake Saturday & Other Weekend Possibilities

Jeff Stehney has long maintained that he won’t open another Joe’s Kansas City, but that doesn’t mean he’s done experimenting with smoked meats and barbecue. In the past several years, he’s gone back on the competitive barbecue circuit and now has a new concept featuring his barbecue. County Road Ice House (100 E. 14th St.) opened last…

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Brookside Barrio

Soft Shell Crab Po’ Boys & Other Weekend Possibilities

If you’re trying to avoid meat for Lent or if you’re in search of some seafood options, Taco Republic (500 County Line Road, Kansas City, Kansas) has Friday fish specials, including a blackened shrimp rice bowl with corn, guacamole, black beans and pico de gallo. Across the street, Joe’s Kansas City (3002 W. 47th Ave., Kansas…

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five musicians

Sympathetic Vibrations | The World is Your Classroom

As those who have studied any academic, cultural or musical discipline know well, immersion can be the one of the best teachers in the world. There is perhaps no better local example of that idea than Beau Bledsoe, founder and artistic director of Ensemble Iberica – a group of Kansas City musicians exploring music from…

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The Ainsworth has a mac and cheese cheeseburger

Victoria Afternoon Tea & Other Weekend Possibilities

The Ainsworth (11563 Ash Street, Leawood, Kansas) hosts The Bumble Games from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Friday night. It’s a beer pong tournament with two drinks included ($15). This is the only local outpost for the restaurant and bar, which has locations in New Jersey and New York City, and is known for its macaroni-and-cheese burger….

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Show Me | Susan Lordi Marker

Artist Susan Lordi Marker creates each of her Willow Tree figurines by hand in her studio in Kansas City. The nationally-known sculptures are hand painted and reflect the wide variety of life’s moments and emotions. Lordi Marker says Kansas City is witnessing an artistic transformation, and she’s excited to be a part of it. The…

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Mad Man's KC BBQ has a smoked Reuben

Let’s Wine About Winter & Other Weekend Possibilities

Liberty hosts its eighth annual Let’s Wine About Winter celebration from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. It’s a shop crawl with 25 downtown Liberty businesses each having a different wine to sample. Tickets are $20. Celebrate the Chinese New Year at the Plaza branch (4801 Main St.) of the Kansas City Public Library from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday….

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Show Me | Kevin Willmott

Filmmaker and University of Kansas professor Kevin Willmott has made a name for himself over decades of screenwriting, producing and directing films. Hailing from Junction City, Kansas, Willmott has worked with the likes of Martin Sheen, Oliver Stone and Spike Lee. Hear why he’s chosen to stay in this community and why he thinks Kansas City…

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Folk Alliance international 2015

Sympathetic Vibrations | Find Your Story at FAI

Next week, Kansas City welcomes ambassadors of an entire genre of music to the Folk Alliance International Conference. Over the past five years, the conference has become one of the biggest arts-related draws to the area and something of a revenue boon for the city in general. But for the music-loving community based in our…

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The Russell

McLain’s Cookie Decorating Party & Other Weekend Possibilities

Your garden is still there under that snow and ice. And it never hurts to get a jump on planning for what you’ll be growing this season. Kansas City Community Gardens (6917 Kensington Ave.) hosts a seminar on planting fruit trees and berry bushes from noon to 2 p.m. Friday. The workshop is free, but you…

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Show Me | Porter Teleo

Kelly Porter and Bridgett Cochran combine fine art and high design to create custom hand-painted wall coverings and fabrics for their company, Porter Teleo. Made in their studio in Merriam, Kansas, their products garner national attention, with showrooms in LA, Miami and Chicago. They also have installations all around the world, including Egypt, Spain and…

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