Charlotte Street Foundation Presents BIANNUAL OPEN STUDIOS WEEKEND

Charlotte Street Foundation has announced its first ever Biannual Open Studios Weekend, showcasing the work of artists in its Urban Culture Project Studio Residency Program for visual and performing artists. The 2-day event, December 9 & 10, 2011, will include live music, dance, comedy improv, and cross-disciplinary performances, special sales, temporary installations, workshops, participatory activities, artist talks, and more, highlighting the work of 30 visual artists and 6 performing artists/ensembles awarded free studios for year-long terms through Charlotte Street's competitive Urban Culture Project Studio Residency Program. All events are free and open to the public.

A downloadable Open Studios program, including a map, brief descriptions of each artist's studio, and a complete schedule of events and activities will be available for download at www.charlottestreet.org/openstudios prior to the event. Visitors may also pick up copies of the program at Paragraph Gallery, 23 East 12th Street, which will be open throughout Open Studios hours. Sandwich boards outside each Studio Residency venue and volunteers posted at entrances will direct visitors to each of the spaces and up to the studios.

Select Open Studios Weekend Highlights:

Friday, December 9:
All visual artists' studios open 5:30-9pm, featuring a range of offerings and activities, PLUS
· 5:30-6:30, pARTnership Place - kick-off reception featuring live music by Matt Otto
· 6:30-7:30, Town Pavilion- improv comedy performance by LSR Kansas City Improv
· 7:30, City Center Square - live dance by choreographer/dancer Marisa MacKay exploring human networking in the 21st Century, and two new modern works by dancer/choreographers Bobbi Foudree and Tara Glaus
· 8:30, City Center Square - live music performance by Black House Improvisors Collective concluding its 9th composers' workshop, featuring new compositions by John Chittum, Brain Padavic, Leah Sproul Pulatie, Russell Thorpe, and Hunter Long.

Saturday, December 10:
All visual artists' studios open 11am-3pm, PLUS
· 11-12:30, City Center Square - Gamelan Genta Kasturi Balinese Orchestra presents selections from its Balinese repertoire as well as a hands-on workshop for interested attendees. Children welcome!
· 12:30, City Center Square - performances by choreographer/dancer Justin Hudley, musician Matt Otto, multidisciplinary artist Xochitl Rodriguez, visual/performance artist Jeni Mc, and others
· 1:30, Town Pavilion - special treats and artist talks
· 2:15, pARTnership Place - special treats and activities

For more about the 2011-12 studio residents and open studios, visit http://urbanculturestudioresidents.wordpress.com.

VENUES AND ARTISTS:
City Center SQUARE / 1100 Main, 5th floor, KCMO
Visual Artists: Anthony Baab, Christina Dostaler, Marie Dougherty, Andrew Erdrich, Charlene Hillebrand, Jeni Mc, David Steele Overholt, Clinton Ricketts, Xochitl Rodriguez, Angelica Sandoval, Jeff Tackett, Nihan Yesil
Performing Artists: Pat Alonzo Conway & Gamelan Genta Kasturi, Black House Improvisors Collective, Justin Hundley, Tom Kessler & LSR Improv, Marisa MacKay, Matt Otto, Katrina Thompson Warren

PARTNERSHIP PLACE / 906 Grand, 13th floor, KCMO
Visual Artists: Katie Ford, Peter Granados, Erika Hanson, Calder Kamin, Amanda Martinez, Paul Anthony Smith

TOWN PAVILION / 1111 Main, 6th floor, KCMO
Visual Artists: Elizabeth Allen-Cannon, Todd Christiansen, Kate Clements, Luke Firle, Molly Kaderka, Luther Kroman, Andrew Lyles, Jaclyn Senne, Neil Thrun, Waseem Touma

Charlotte Street Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Kansas City a place where artists and art thrive. Through its Urban Culture Project initiative, Charlotte Street creates new opportunities for artists of all disciplines and contributes to urban revitalization by transforming spaces in downtown Kansas City into new venues for multi-disciplinary contemporary arts programming. For more information, visit www.charlottestreet.org.

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