Unfettered Letters

KC arts rising to top

I had the enormous privilege of making my Kansas City Symphony debut this past weekend as a guest soloist. Although I sing on the famous international stages of the world, being a native of Prairie Village and current resident of Kansas City, this particular debut was one of the most special of my career. I’ve seen firsthand the unbounded growth and meteoric rise of my hometown “band.” The Kansas City Symphony, under the vibrant direction of Michael Stern, is on its way to becoming a world-class institution.

I have a feeling that this city doesn’t yet realize what an enormous impact our new performing arts center is going to have. It will redefine our skyline and scream out to the world that we are a vibrant, progressive and principled city that believes in building a strong cultural backbone and that has made an enormous commitment to ensuring a lasting place for the arts. This new building will give birth to the international arrival of not only the Kansas City Symphony, but the Lyric Opera and Kansas City Ballet as well.

Brace yourselves, Kansas City — it’s going to be an amazing ride!

Joyce DiDonato
Kansas City

Railroad exhibit at Nelson

I have to admit that I am not a fervid aficionado of railroads, but I want to report that the exhibition “Art in the Age of Steam: Europe, America and the Railway, 1830-1960” at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is well worth a visit.

There are works of art I have never seen before and great paintings that are not usually lent by individuals and museums throughout the world.

I plan to return several times to get my fill of this show, and I hope railroad buffs will be joined by art lovers in seeing the works brought together by this exhibition. Don’t miss it!

Pinky Kase
Leawood

Editor’s note: “Art in the Age of Steam” continues through Jan. 18 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Belger Arts quilt exhibit

I want to thank The Star’s movie critic, Robert Butler, and photographer Rich Sugg for the wonderful feature story about the movie quilts and the African-American quilts currently on display at the Belger Arts Center (7/20, A+E, “Wrapped up in movies; Artist uses films as inspiration for quilts — and they’re not always comforting”). Both quilt exhibits have been very well received, and we appreciate The Star spreading the word.

I would like to note that both exhibitions were curated by Christina Wahlman, who is a local college senior. Curating shows of this size is not easy, and we appreciate her professionalism at such a young age.

I would also note that The Star has come up in conversation many times as visitors tour our exhibits. The Star’s regular quilt patterns in Star Magazine and the many books your paper has published on the subject are mentioned on a daily basis.

Mo Dickens
Gallery assistant, Belger Arts Center
Kansas City

Nelson-Atkins expansion

My wife, three young children and I live in Rockhill, across a small street from the Rockhill Tennis Club. Daily, we play outside watching people come and go carrying rackets or ushering children dressed for the pool. The club fits in the neighborhood, as it has for 50 years.

The Nelson plans to reach over the 40-foot retaining wall at the Bloch Building and across four lanes of traffic on Rockhill Road into our single-family residential neighborhood to convert the home William Rockhill Nelson built for his daughter into private office space. Adding a sculpture garden to comply with existing codes would only draw more car and foot traffic into the neighborhood. This type of encroachment does not fit in a residential neighborhood.

The Nelson has represented that it will not renew the club’s lease under any circumstance and will leave the home vacant if necessary. It seems spiteful, but it is their right. They own the property and cannot be told what they must do with it, but this ordinance is needed to place limits on what they can do.

William Rockhill Nelson built this family neighborhood. His legacy should not be chipping away at it.

Michael Lawhead
Kansas City

The Dolphin makes a splash

The First Friday in June will be a significant evening in the Crossroads Arts District. It will be the last First Friday that we will share with our neighbors, the Dolphin Gallery.

The Dolphin has been one of the arts anchors in this neighborhood since the area around 20th and Baltimore was known as Leedyville. This summer Dolphin owner John O’Brien and his gang are packing up and heading down to the West Bottoms, where they hope to spur a resurgence of that part of town, once a mecca for young artists and their guerrilla galleries. If any group can pull this off, it’s the Dolphin gang.

Many people contributed in many ways to this phenomenon that has become the Crossroads Arts District, but no one can deny the impact the Dolphin has had on this once run-down, now thriving neighborhood.

I have no doubt that they will have similar success in the West Bottoms. But we’ll certainly miss them, especially on First Fridays.

Mo Dickens
Gallery assistant, Belger Arts Center
Kansas City

Paintings must be preserved

In reading about the unfortunately outdated, inadequate facilities of the State Historical Society of Missouri (5/18, A-1, “Caring for treasures a trying task; State Historical Society, with works by Bingham and Benton, looks to leave behind cramped, outdated conditions”), I was sorry to learn of the real or potential damage to their hundreds of thousands of historical documents and manuscripts, as well as their invaluable paintings of George Caleb Bingham and Thomas Hart Benton.

I suggest that at least further damage to the paintings can be avoided by putting them on loan to museums that have the necessary humidity controls. This could be done until the Society has its new building, which could conceivably take several years.

C.W. Mahley
Fairway

Harriman-Jewell concert a gem

Sunday was one of the nicest Mother’s Days. My grandson treated me to a concert by Juan Diego Florez, an internationally known tenor. The music was just beautiful.

What a wonderful opportunity to see such world-class entertainment right here in Kansas City.

Special thanks to Dr. Harriman and the Harriman-Jewell series for bringing this caliber of talent to our area.

Mary Schloegel
Raytown

Thank you, Gill Studios

The James A. Fussell article about the origin of the bumper sticker (4/19, FYI, “Honk for KC area inventor; Lenexa firm originated the mobile messages about 60 years ago”) is a finely written and well-deserved tribute to Gill Studios Inc. Besides being a successful and original industry, the bumper sticker concept is, indeed, “an American form of communication.”

However, local readers may not be aware that, under the leadership of company chairman Mark Gilman (the founder’s son-in-law), Gill Studios has given back to this community in so many ways, especially in its support of the arts. From its contributions to high schools through professional theater grants, free publicity and gifts, Gill Studios has quietly but effectively encouraged and enhanced the continuing growth of the performing arts in Kansas City.

So, here’s a suggestion for a new bumper sticker: “Go Gill for KC”.

Frank Robertson
Historian, The Barn Players
Mission

Park University theater

I read with interest the letter from Jerry Ward (3/16) regarding music performances at Park University. The concert with the Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City on March 30 sounds great. I hope to be there.
At the end of February I was lucky enough to attend the theater at Park with the student performance of “The Shape of Things.” It was wonderful, and the hard work of the students is to be admired. It truly was a very special night for me.
The arts programs at Park University are something that the people of the Kansas City area should be aware of, be proud of and support wholeheartedly. The next performances are March 27-30 when Park presents “9 Parts of Desire” in conjunction with the Unicorn Theatre. Hope to see you there!
Stella Hartington
Overland Park

Lester Goldman show

Joyous! Jubilant! Bouyant! Alive! These are words that come to mind when I try to describe seeing an entire room filled with the artwork of the late Lester Goldman. Luckily, I took my daughter with me so that I had someone with whom to share the experience. There was nothing dark or angry or ugly in any of it. My heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Goldman and her children for sharing this prolific output with us. From my observations this was a happy, happy man.

Kerry Cain
Kansas City

Editor’s note: The exhibition at 1619 Walnut has been extended through February. For appointments or information, call Kathrin Goldman, 816-444-9074.