Celebrating Through Art

Join us on First Friday for our free anniversary block party on June 2, 2023, 5:30–8:00 p.m. featuring performances by artists Kalyn Fay Barnoski, interdisciplinary artist and musician based in Oklahoma, and Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, songwriter and singer based in Arkansas, with DJ sets by Kansas City’s DJ Ice Kole. The event coincides with Kansas City’s First Fridays in the Crossroads event, which features local artists, food trucks, and vendors.

Performance Schedule

6:00 p.m. – Kalyn Fay Barnoski, interdisciplinary artist and musician based in Oklahoma 7:00 p.m. – Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster, songwriter and singer based in Arkansas 7:30 p.m. – DJ Ice Kole from the 2 the MAAXE DJ Collective, based in Kansas City The M-AAA exhibition space, The Culture Lab, will feature the ExhibitsUSA nationally touring exhibition, Shutter and Sound: The Jazz Photography of Bob Willoughby.  The 50th Anniversary Block Party takes place at 2018 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City, MO and the M-AAA parking lot, directly across the street. The event is free, wheelchair accessible, family friendly, and open to the public.  Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) provides grants and professional development to artists and arts organizations, peer connections, and traveling exhibitions throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and beyond—all to strengthen and support artists, organizations, and communities.

About the Performers

Kalyn Fay Barnoski (they/them) (Cherokee Nation enrollee, Muscogee Creek descent) is an interdisciplinary artist, musician, curator, and educator from Oklahoma. Centering Indigenous and decolonial methodologies, their work focuses on self-location, community-building, collaboration, and empathy through the use of music, publication, storytelling, and contemporary craft. They hold an MFA from University of Arkansas (2021), an MA from the University of Tulsa (2016), and a BFA from Rogers State University (2012). They are a M-AAA Artists 360 grantee, Artist Leadership Fellow, and Artist INC Facilitator. www.kalynfaybarnoski.com Justin Peter (Pete) Kinkel-Schuster (he/him) is a songwriter living in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with his wife and their three dogs. In addition to two solo albums, Constant Stranger (2017) and Take Heart Take Care (2019), he is the principal songwriter for Water Liars and continues to collaborate with Will Johnson on the recording project Marie/Lepanto. For 15 years, Kinkel-Schuster has toured the United States, playing living rooms, bars, and concert halls. His work has been featured in The New York Times, No Depression, NPR, Daytrotter, and his songs have appeared nationally on primetime television and commercial advertisements. In 2020, in support of Water Liars’ fourth album, he launched Constant Stranger Records. Kinkel-Schuster is a M-AAA Artists 360 grantee. www.constantstranger.com Click here to the full press release.