KC Black Arts Network

05/18/2026

05/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ed94sGqRa/

Relaunching the Boone Theater runs parallel to the rebirth of 18th and Vine itself, said Emanuel Cleaver II, joining a chorus of community leaders to celebrate the renovation of both the venue and the surrounding jazz district. “This is a resurrection,” Cleaver said. “We have a story to tell.....

05/15/2026

Food lovers, curious minds, and lifelong learners—this one’s for you !
Join us for the next installment of our lecture series on Thursday May 28th. Designed to spark conversation, inspiration, and new ways of seeing. Come connect with artists, ideas, and community right here at KCAC. All are welcome!

05/15/2026

05/15/2026

🔥 4TH FRIDAYS MEETUP – MAY 22 🔥
In partnership with May Heritage Days ✨

The West Bottoms comes alive again for a night rooted in culture, community, art, music, food, lowriders, shopping, and supporting local small businesses. ❤️

📍 Liberty Courtyard
📅 Thursday, May 22
🕕 6PM – 10PM

🔥 Lowriders • Custom Cars • Motorcycles • Bikes 🔥
Come experience the creativity, craftsmanship, and community that continue to make 4th Fridays so special year after year. ✨

🎤 LIVE PERFORMANCES:
🔥 SliKC Vic
🔥 Young Loc

🛍 Come shop and support incredible local vendors, artists, food spots, and creatives bringing energy and culture to the West Bottoms all night long. 🌹

Bring your friends, family, lawn chairs, and good vibes — and come celebrate the beauty of our community together. 🔥

Hosted by
Chicano Center for the Arts
&
Latino Arts Foundation

KCCommunity LowriderCulture KansasCity LatinoArts ChicanoCulture

05/15/2026

On Friday, May 22 at 11 AM, the City of Kansas City officially opens a new piece of the Jazz District: the Jazz District Parking Garage at 1819 Lydia Avenue.

The garage is a long-awaited piece of infrastructure for the district, and its 18th & Vine-themed mural — visible from blocks away — is the kind of public art that signals you've arrived somewhere.

On 5/27, the 18th Street Pedestrian Mall at 18th and Vine will officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new pedestrian mall transforms a stretch of 18th Street into a walkable cultural promenade with bistro lights, benches, and the brick character this neighborhood has always carried.

Light refreshments will be served at the garage opening ceremony, 11 am. We hope to see you there.

05/15/2026

05/15/2026

Come join us for the special VIP reception of Threads: Art in Motion this Sunday, May 17! 3-7 pm!

The artist will be signing copies of his book, “Sketches”.

Darryl Alexander Hines’s exhibition Threads: Art in Motion explores the shifting relationship between memory, identity, and time, using textile as both medium and metaphor. His work is grounded in the idea that the past is never fully behind us — it lingers, visible and influential, much like a fleeting image in a rearview mirror. Through richly layered, hand-stitched portraits and figurative compositions, Hines connects personal history with broader cultural narratives, examining how moments, places, and identities evolve while remaining tethered to what came before.

In this body of work, textile becomes a conduit for lineage and storytelling. Drawing inspiration from the utilitarian fabric work of his mother and grandmother, Hines transforms inherited practices into contemporary expressions of memory and presence. The tactile, textured surfaces invite viewers into an intimate encounter — one that blurs the boundary between observer and object, past and present. Through this process, Hines positions textile not only as a material of tradition, but as a dynamic, forward-moving language capable of carrying history into new and evolving forms.

https://kccrossroads.org/crossroads-events/special-reception-threads-art-in-motion-by-darryl-alexander-hines/