Friday evening, a group of nearly 30 Excelsior Springs high school students ventured into Kansas City to experience the art and culture of “First Fridays” in the Crossroads District. According to their website, First Fridays has become one of Kansas City’s most dynamic and popular events with arts organizations, galleries, studios, and a wide variety of businesses featuring local, regional, national, and international artists. The Crossroads is also well known for its creative wall murals scattered throughout the district.
ESHS art teacher and art club leader, Sherie Renne organized an exciting and educational field trip for her students. After a quick pep talk and review of expectations, the field trip began. The first stop was an early dinner at the uber-efficient, Chik-Fil-A. When they arrived in the city students explored Artist and Craftsman Supply a treasure trove of art supplies and inspiration. Students left with new supplies and fun trinkets. The fine folks at the Artist and Crafstman Supply quickly assembled a goody bag full of art supplies, stickers, and buttons so that each student would have a little something.
From there it was on to the galleries. Students made a quick stop by the Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art Gallery where artist Roger Shimomura’s exhibit “100 More White Lies” was on display. According to the Leedy website, as a child, “Shimomura was imprisoned, along with his family, in Minidoka (Idaho), one of ten concentration camps for Japanese Americans during WWII. The long-lasting impact of that experience and the subsequent reckoning with what it means to be an American have provoked and sustained Shimomura over his career, spanning more than fifty years”
The second gallery the students visited was the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center where there were four exhibits running. Ms.behaving! – A Celebration of the UMKC Women’s Center’s 50th Anniversary, a resounding… let it be – New works by Scribe and Alisa Ross, Current Works 2022 – Kansas City Society for Contemporary Photography, and Making Nothing Out of Something – Jake Schildtknech.
The final gallery was a special tour of the private collections at the Belger Art Center. The tour guide, Mo took his time with the students explaining each display and answering the many questions from the group. The young artists enjoyed seeing a variety of three-dimensional works and a special display of works by Robert Stackhouse. According to the Belger Arts website, the current exhibit “offers a comprehensive overview of Stackhouse’s life and work from 1969 to the present. It traces the importance of the artist’s distinctive early life and his experiences in Manhattan and in Yonkers; at Peach Lake, N.Y.; at Lundy’s fish camp near Auburndale, Fla.; and at the University of South (Florida. All are considered as influences upon the development of his iconic images including the serpent, the ship, and the open-form, lath-sided architectural structures that have marked his oeuvre.”
Mrs. Renned complimented the students on their excellent behavior and let the students know she had received multiple praises from the shops and gallery workers for the thoughtful and respectful attitude of the students. On the ride home the students enjoyed a traditional stop by Micky D’s for a quick refreshment, discussing their favorite works they’d seen while showing off their finds from the art store. Kudos to Mrs. Renne and bus driver Gary Renne for providing a safe, fun educational experience for the students of Excelsior Springs.
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