Kauffman opens kids’ gallery with fanfare
There’s a prestigious new space for art in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, and it opened Nov. 19 with a memorable evening’s festivities planned around the pint-sized artists whose work was featured.
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts unveiled the new PNC Grow Up Great Gallery in the Level 2 Plaza Lobby with a kaleidoscopic exhibit of colorful handprints of 180 area preschoolers. Live, interactive entertainment and music and a mouth-watering kids’ menu highlighted the gallery-opening event.
The magnificent gallery space is the product of an ambitious partnership dedicated to inspiring great futures for local children through memorable art experiences. Working collaboratively with the Kauffman Center were PNC Bank and two early education centers -- United Inner City Services St. Mark Center in Kansas City and Growing Futures Early Education Center in Overland Park.
“The gallery, with 180 handprints in this initial launch exemplifies PNC Bank’s signature initiative, PNC Grow Up Great, which supports early childhood education and school readiness for preschoolers in underserved communities,” says Kauffman publicity consultant, Ellen McDonald. “Handprints are a colorful way to represent the children.”
About 200 guests attended the gala opening. They included administrators, teachers and volunteers from St. Mark and Growing Futures and their preschool students and families. Also attending were PNC Bank executives and employees.
“The majority of our three-to-five-year-old students participated in the … handprinting experience,” says Gene Willis, St. Mark Center chief engagement officer. “They thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
About 50 students and their families from St. Mark and staff attended the gallery-opening event, Willis says. The center provides early childhood education year-round for children, ages six weeks to five years.
“We have an arts-infused curriculum that focuses on childhood development, creativity, self-expression and socialization,” he says.
The PNC Grow Up Great Gallery wall, occupying 222.3 square feet of exhibit space will be open for at least three years. The 180 handprints will be part of the gallery as long as it’s in place. PNC Bank plans to add up to 250 handprints a year for the next two years, McDonald says.
The gallery is open for viewing for ticketholders 90 minutes prior to any performance. It’s open to the general public during box office hours, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Headlining the gala gallery-opening entertainment lineup were StoneLion Puppet Theatre and Drum Safari. The Kauffman Center’s award-winning executive chef, Laura Cromer and her team served a kid-friendly menu with two versions of specialty grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken fingers and tater tots while StoneLion’s small hand puppets and marionettes strolled around Brandmeyer Great Hall interacting with guests.
“Colorful and tasty cake pops added a festive dessert to the meal,” McDonald says.
After dinner, Drum Safari performed a 30-minute interactive program built around animal sounds and actions.
“Children and adults were given drums, cymbals and other percussion instruments to play along with the four-person Drum Safari,” McDonald says.
“The detail to keep the children engaged was incredible,” said Cristina Ortiz, the parent of a St. Mark preschooler/artist. “It was an evening that we won’t forget.”
