Fabric Art Exhibit by Sonié Joi Thompson-Ruffin
From the Artist About this Exhibit
Exhibit Open August 1-September 5, 2014
Thursday-Saturday, 1-6 p.m. | Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
Let the Church Say Amen celebrates spirituality with artwork in mixed media by renowned fabric artist Sonié Ruffin. Sonié’s artwork is deeply rooted in the African American experience.
“Through all our tragedies and hardships as a people, we have experienced the ugliness of life only to rise up and celebrate our gifts and talents through God’s unwavering grace.” — Sonié Joi Thompson-Ruffin
Kansas City-based Sonié Ruffin is a renowned, self-taught textile artist, author, lecturer, teacher, curator and cultural storyteller.
The exhibit and all events are free of charge. We have on-site parking.
Opening Reception | Friday, August 1 | 5-8 p.m.
Wine, cheese, music and the opportunity to meet the artist
Jan Schall, Sander Sosland Curator of Modern Art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Glenn North, Spoken Word Artist
Tracy Milsap, Spoken Word Artist
Artist Salon | Thursday, August 21 | 6-8 p.m. | Art & Spirituality
A gathering of artists, poets and musicians for a discussion about art and spirituality
Moderator: Dr. Susan Wilson: Vice Chancellor of Diversity & Inclusion UMKC
Jose Faus: President of the Writer’s Place, Muralist, Painter, Writer
Marcus Cain: Executive Director, The Epsten Gallery Foundation
Glen North: Poet, Spoken Word Artist
Jenny Mendez: Cultural Arts Director, Mattie Rhodes Art Center
Pam Watson: Singer, Songwriter, Musician
Ritchie Kaye: Inter- Disciplinary Artist
Mike Toombs: CEO Storytellers, Inc. Painter, Community Arts Advocate
Rodney Thompson: Vine Street Productions: Film Documentary
Closing Reception | Friday, September 5 | 5-8 p.m.
Wine, cheese, live music and the opportunity to meet the artist
Featuring Glenn North, Spoken Word Artist
About Glenn North
Glenn North is a Cave Canem fellow, a Callaloo creative writing fellow and a recipient of the Charlotte Street Generative Performing Artist Award and the Crystal Field Poetry Award. Glenn provided the poetic narration for the award-winning film short May This Be Love and did a guest appearance on the popular ABC family drama Lincoln Heights. He has shared the stage with many legendary African American poets including Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez and Amiri Baraka.
About Jan Schall
Jan Schall is the Sanders Sosland Curator of Modern Art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She holds a Ph.D. in art history from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in art history and archaeology from Washington University in St. Louis. A former professor at the University of Florida, she is the author of numerous publications. Among the many exhibitions she has curated at the Nelson-Atkins are: Tempus Fugit: Time Flies; Reason and Ritual; Inventing the Shuttlecocks; Kiki Smith: Constellation; and Bonjour Picasso! Schall is currently working on the exhibition, World War I and the Rise of Modernism, opening in January at the Nelson-Atkins. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Tracy Milsap
A resident of the Kansas City metropolitan area Tracy Milsap’s broad and varied range of skills and experience span over thirty years of service in and out of the metropolitan area. Drawing upon that experience, Tracy presents programs on a variety of issues related to literacy, self-esteem and cultural anthropology. Tracy is a professional “story arts” artist and educator emphasizing purposeful living through acceptance, courage, pride, and compassion. In addition to her classes and performances, Ms. Milsap has been the keynote speaker for various organizations throughout the country. She also serves as one of the Missouri Folk Arts Program’s Community Scholars and on the Board of Kansas City Young Audiences. Her prayer is that her sharing bonds, bolsters and beautifies.