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A Sunday afternoon at The Nelson found a quiet escape into a world of graphical grace, framed by the vision of Alphonse Mucha.  With temperatures expected to peak near 37 °C, it proved the perfect escape from the intense August heat and humidity of Kansas City.   The hushed and contemplative halls of the art museum embraced us in wonderfully frigid temperatures, as Art Nouveau learning and appreciation filled our vision for the hottest part of the day. The heart of the exhibition reveals Mucha’s iconic graphic style. Classic lithographic prints and study sketches line the walls, showcasing the iconic cascading hair, serene profiles, and delicate floral halos that defined an entire artistic movement.   Standing before the vertical panels and poste...

A warmer than usual November evening set the stage for a different sort of performance from Stone Lion Puppet Theater than had been done in previous expositions. The drive- through was abandoned, eliminating an evening of wandering about observing the glowing puppets up close. We had expected that and set our course accordingly, first enjoying a good meal from Los Alamos before securing optimal parking at the site of the event . Instead, we found ourselves with a lot of time on our hands, waiting in anticipation.  The urge to give up on the two-and-a-half-hour wait was real, as there was little more to do beyond a handful of vendors and poorly organized food trucks. It was nearly impossible to figure out where one line began and the other ended.  That challenge was only outranked by the viewing angle from the terrace below the stage.   We endured the wait though, with the help of a good sound system surrounding us on the stairs, and a little Spiced Chai fr...

Without knowing much more than the interwebs turned up on a quick search, we headed over to the Uptown Theater for the "Yacht Rock Revue."  What had turned up was a collection of short descriptions leading us to believe it was a different sort of take on soft rock classics from the 1970's.  It turned out something similar with a bit more energy. Yacht Rock Revue  could be called a cover band that enlists a repertoire of smooth hits from the golden age of soft rock in the late 1970's and early 1980's.  It is much more though, igniting memories of drifting through carefree summers under the sun, good times with friends, dancing and enjoying  a life without so much worry.  They know fully well that their track selection inspired an entire generation to dance a little longer, love a little more, and live a little brighter, recreating melodies that include the likes of of Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Toto, Hall & Oates and many more...

A chance invitation led to a beautiful fall evening on the grounds of the Kansas City Art Institute.  The opportunity offered the chance to view some of the latest works available from students and mingle with other alumni from across the years. This delicious evening full of cocktails, charcuterie, conversation, and creative craft showcased 180 works by 131 alumni. Works were available for purchase too, with proceeds from this biannual event benefiting the artists, KCAI Annual Fund, in support of student scholarships. Among the more notable works, a special performance of "The Waiting Room" by Ben Gould accompanied by live cello and percussion.   We had other plans for the evening though, so had to miss out on that descent "into chaos." learn more @  ArtSalon - Kansas City Art Institute

An amazing night of multimedia and live performance flowed through a packed house at the Charlotte Street Foundation, highlighting the imaginative world of artist Donald Ross, known popularly as "Scribe." screenshot from scribbleversestudios While most immediately recognize his work stretching across decades of Kansas City buildings and alleyways, his recent efforts are likely the most impactful.  Larger-than-life murals commissioned by Children's Mercy Hospital throughout their campus inspire happiness and offer hope daily in children facing greater challenges than many of us will see in a lifetime. It is this visual storytelling that is celebrated in the film that was but one part of the audio-visual-lyrical trinity this evening. Produced by Kyle Dykes, "Enter the Scribbleverse" premiered at the Kansas City International Film Festival in March of 2025, after which Dykes and Ross began collaboration with the Charlotte Street Foun...

  Taking a break from the usual daylight activities created space to investigate a recent exhibit at the Nelson showcasing a unique multi-cultural and multi-faith dialog.   The works presented are but a cross-section of shared astronomical knowledge, preserved and advanced by Muslim scientists during the European dark ages.  Re-emerging during the Renaissance, thanks to the invention of the printing press, they communicate discoveries though beautifully crafted books, instruments, and images. Mapping the Heavens  is part of the World Religions Initiative at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. This exhibition is co-organized with the Linda Hall Library and is available for viewing through January 11, 2025.

A chance meeting extended an opportunity for an evening littered with glowing puppetry and performances from the local troupe and volunteers of  StoneLion Puppet Theater . Friday evening kicked off with a display of larger-than-life puppets along with a few acrobatic performances, followed on Saturday by art festival, music from local performers, as well as a parade of the giant puppets.   The glowing menagerie returned Saturday evening, with dinosaurs, dragons, butterflies, hippopotamus, aliens, and other intrigues designed to amuse the young and young-at-heart. A hot air ballon and free riding tour around the mall courtesy of  EZ Pedicabs  topped a magnificent side trip to the day. Only lightly disappointed that we missed prior years' events, we definitely look forward to visiting this absolutely free event from  StoneLion Puppet Theatre  return next year.  

An opportunity arose to sit in on a discussion of the legal aspects surrounding the use of Copilot , a relatively new artificial intelligence system taking over the world of Microsoft. A hundred or so from the technical and legal realms showed up to hear thoughts from the Polsinelli team and Microsoft.  The lineup included Paul Bellacera, Microsoft Principal Technical Specialist, Lead Counsel Dale Kadlec from US Health and Life Sciences Division at Microsoft, Greg Kratofil, Jr, Polsinelli Technology Transactions & Data Privacy Chair from Kansas City, Greg Leighton, Polsinelli Privacy & Incident Response Vice Chair from Chicago, and Matt Todd, Polsinelli Licensing & Transactions Co-Chair  and Restrictive Covenants & Trade Secrets Litigation Co-Chair. Hosts and speakers were warm, inviting, and transparent, offering their thoughts on the current state of affairs and answer a variety of questions from the crowd to the best of their ability, given the lac...