StoneLion receives over $30,000 in grants

StoneLion Puppet Theatre has been awarded a $24,000 grant from The Missouri Arts Council, a $3,500 grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council's Arts KC fund and a $3,000 grant from The Kansas City Neighborhood Tourism and Development Fund to support the Puppets for the Planet festival series and their giant puppet play, Mother's Day for Mother Earth 2012!

Jean-Luc Ponty, Return to Forever interview by McClain Johnson

Jean-Luc Ponty is a one of the world’s best jazz violinists. He was a pioneer of jazz fusion. He played with Return to Forever IV at the Midland, Aug. 26. Jean-Luc recently wrote in to discuss how he became interested in playing jazz, the first piece he wrote on the violin and how he became a member of Return to Forever IV.

more at The Vignette

and a review of Return to Forever at kansascity.com

KC Young Audiences to celebrate 50th anniversary

Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA), the region’s largest provider of arts education, will present its 50th Anniversary Celebration on November 12th at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It will be one of the first events at the new Center.

more at The Independent

Bolender Center opening photos

On Friday, August 26, 2011, under a grand white tent, hundreds gathered to mark the official opening of the Kansas City Ballet’s new home. A former coal-fired power plant for Union Station is now called the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity.
more at KCUR

Marilyn Maye is back on stage after illness

Fans and friends of Marilyn Maye were distraught 10 weeks ago when the venerable vocalist was hospitalized a day before a string of performances was scheduled at Jardine’s Restaurant and Jazz Club. Although she’s an octogenarian, Maye’s vigorous joie de vivre made the last-minute cancellation shocking.

more at kansascity.com

and more jazz highlights this week here

A look at the Kauffman Center organ

Fox 4 Gets Sneak Peek at the Kauffman Center Organ

more at the Kauffman Center

Arts advocates still pushing for arts funding

Arts advocates are renewing their call for the governor and Legislature to restore state funding to the Kansas Arts Commission. 

listen at KCUR

Missouri Arts Council offers new grant for school buses

The Big Yellow School Bus Grant provides up to $500 to help schools meet the transportation costs of educational field trips to arts institutions and activities in Missouri that are funded by the Missouri Arts Council. The grant meets a growing need to help schools fund student field trips to art museums and exhibits, music, dance, and theater performances, which are often eliminated due to the pressures of dwindling budgets.

Creative learning at cultural institutions is critical to a child's academic development. These visits help foster creativity and innovation, among the most important skills for students to develop today. Big Yellow School Bus is designed to foster partnerships between schools and art institutions so students across the state can explore their creativity and experience all that Missouri's cultural life has to offer.

Funded by the Missouri Arts Council, the program invites eligible K-12 schools (public, private or charter) in Missouri to apply for up to a $500 grant to be used during the 2011-2012 school year.

What does the grant fund?

The Yellow School Bus Grant will pay transportation costs for students taking field trips to approved arts activities including festivals, exhibitions, and performances. The grant does not pay for other related costs including admission fees.

This grant is not competitive and will be awarded as funds are available. Applicants are responsible for making all transportation and destination arrangements.

No match is required for this grant. The applicant may request up to $500 to cover travel expenses that would transport students to and from an eligible field trip destination. Any eligible school may receive one Yellow School Bus Grant between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012.

Who is eligible?


To be eligible to apply for the Yellow School Bus grant the applying school must be a public, private or charter school that provides daily education to K-12th grade students. The school must be Missouri-based, nonprofit, and tax-exempt.

If you have not applied for Missouri Arts Council funding in the past, please contact the arts education program specialist before you create an online profile.

Eligible destinations are programs that are funded by the Missouri Arts Council. A list of MAC grant recipients by community can be found here: http://bit.ly/oCz124. If you believe your destination is funded by MAC and is not on the list please call Julie Hale, arts education program specialist. Travel for student competitions and student performances are not eligible. The grant will fund clinics only if the students will attend a performance.

Contact and Guidelines

The guidelines can be downloaded here. For more information contact the program specialist:  Julie Hale, Arts Education Program Specialist, julie.hale@ded.mo.gov, 314-340-6845, 866-407-4752 (toll-free), 800-735-2966 (TDD)