Mission Support Grant Recipients

Art As Mentorship, Inc.  http://artasmentorship.org
Art as Mentorship (AM) empowers young people of all backgrounds to raise their voice using songwriting and other artistic expressions as a vehicle to instill self-confidence, discipline and entrepreneurial skills. AM started in 2010 as a music education collaboration with Mattie Rhodes Center designed to connect young at-risk Latinos with mentors after school and during the summer. Rock music was chosen as a natural connection to young people. AM Ignition camps offer the opportunity for anyone – even without any musical background – to play and instrument and perform with a group. The Rebel Song Academy provides a more advanced mentorship in songwriting, performance and the business side of music.

The Arts Asylum  www.theartsasylum.org
In our first decade, The Arts Asylum has established its place in the dynamic KC metro arts community.  Now we stand on the cusp of expanding our footprint to evolve into an arts organization that has regional impact in visual and performing arts, arts education, arts advocacy, and community and neighborhood development. In the next decade, The Arts Asylum aspires to reveal the power of art to be a catalyst for strategic and innovative approaches to solving community problems by creating art-driven processes that enhance our sense or ourselves as citizens. As lofty as this aim is, agency leadership knows that it cannot be achieved without a firm foundation of improved administrative/fiscal/development capacity, programs assessed based on data, and a strong network of community partners.

Arts in Prison  www.artsinprison.org
Arts in Prison uses the arts to encourage the incarcerated to reconnect to the best of themselves and to reconnect to their community for betterment of both.

Ballet North  http://www.balletnorth.com
Ballet North strives to engage students and audiences of all ages and backgrounds throughout the Northland region of Kansas City in the learning, enjoyment and magic of ballet.

Band of Angels  https://bandofangelskc.org
Overland Park-based charity Band of Angels focuses solely on helping children in need find mic through the generosity of others. Participation in band and orchestra programs builds successful students and strong communities, but every school year, there are children left behind in music education because their families can’t afford the expense of an instrument or music camp. Band of Angels addresses financial barriers students face by providing band and orchestra instruments and music camp scholarships to children in need. The organizatiion fosters the talent and academic participation of children across the Kansas City area by creating equal opportunities for music students.

The Barn Players  www.thebarnplayers.org
The Barn Players is Kansas City’s oldest community theater producing quality and affordable entertainment while nurturing the theater artist in practicing their craft. For over 65 years, this all volunteer organization, has been a theater home and family for many actors, musicians and patrons. Through it’s casting, board expansion and community partnerships,The Barn is building a more diverse and stronger organization and one that as a community theater, better represents its community.

Charlotte Street Foundation  www.charlottestreet.org
Charlotte Street Foundation is an artist-centered contemporary,multidisciplinary art organization based in Kansas City, Mo. Charlotte Street’s program—which started in 1997 with four annual awards of $2,500 to honor visual artists who demonstrated great talent and promise—has grown by leaps and bounds. Each year, we distribute more than $125,000 in cash awards, project grants, and stipends to Kansas City-based artists; provide 65+ artists with free studio space; and present dozens of visual art exhibitions and public programs, reaching as many as 10,000 audience members. We celebrate artwork that embodies artistic excellence, risk-taking, openness, and collaboration. 2020 marks a new era for Charlotte Street Foundation, as we put the finishing touches on 20,000 square foot HQ facility.

Ensemble Iberica  http://www.ensembleiberica.org
Ensemble Ibérica performs the music of Ibéria (Spain and Portugal) and the colonial Americas while educating the public about Iberian cultural influence. Programs explore diverse time periods, styles and locations while featuring extraordinary musicians from classical, jazz and folk traditions both locally and from around the world.

Fishtank Theatre, Inc  www.fishtanktheater.com
Fishtank Theatre is an arts presenter and producer. Our mission is to remove economic barriers for theatre and performing artists launching their careers & experimenting within their art form, & to do so in an environment that is inclusive & accessible. Fishtank Theatre supports a dynamic, innovative roster of theatre programming. Led by Artistic Director Heidi Van, Fishtank Theatre programs serve companies & solo artists as they create new works for theatre.

Folk Alliance International  www.folk.org
Folk Alliance International’s mission is to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation, and promotion. With a broad definition of folk music, FAI presents “the music of the people” and programs sub-genres including, Appalachian, Americana, Blues, Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Global Roots, Hip-Hop, Old-Time, Traditional, Singer-Songwriter, Spoken Word, Traditional, Zydeco, and various fusions. Performers in these genres need a robust network to be successful – both local and internationally. FAI provides performance opportunities, networking events, professional and craft development, and key resources to artists, music industry professionals, and organizations to sustain the folk music genre and community in Kansas City and world-wide.

Gem Theater Cultural and Performing Arts Center        www.gemrocksart.org
The Gem Cultural and Educational Center has a mission of promoting visual and performing artists with a focus on minorities and women. It operates the Vine Street Studio Art Gallery & Creative ArtSpace and The Art House, a specialized neighborhood outreach program.  Artists, creatives and arts projects with whom we work are largely chosen on the basis of content that reflects the history, culture and character of surrounding urban communities. Artists displayed in the Main Gallery must have professional careers, and a tradition of excellence. We strive to present a broad selection of established, emerging and new artists who address the major and minor aspects of our everyday lives, surprising us and guiding us with their bold experimentation.

Gurukul Dance Company  www.gurukulacademykc.com
Art has no boundaries with this Mission in place, Gurukul, in the past has tried to raise awareness and create interest among people for the East Indian Classical styles of Dance. A primary focus has been collaborative works with inter-disciplinary local artists. Exploring new horizons and creating unique productions interwoven with the Indian Classical styles. This shall continue to be our focus when we can get back to normalcy, post-pandemic. This, we believe, contributes to a more vibrant and diverse art scenario in Kansas City.

InterUrban ArtHouse  www.interurbanarthouse.org
The InterUrban ArtHouse provides inclusive, stable, affordable and code-compliant space for 19 art studios which are utilized by over 26 artists and includes a teaching space, exhibition spaces, and a donations-based community café. InterUrban ArtHouse’s programs engage the community in celebrating diverse, authentic local culture that brings vitality and connectivity between businesses, residents, schools, government, organizations and neighborhoods. We collaborate with several entities and local artists of all backgrounds in order to support the changing ethnic and economic demographics of our community and to address associated challenges, all while providing diverse small business opportunities and economic variety.

Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts  https://www.katayoutharts.org
Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts exist to teach, to inspire and to connect. We use educational theatre to teach and promote positive citizenship.  We hold camps, workshops, and performances to inspire parents, students and patrons to participate and value the performing arts. We continually partner with and connect students to local resources thereby strengthening our community. We plan to continue acting out our vision VIRTUALLY and in safe COVID compliant spaces. Our vision is: To generate in young people a sense of positive self image; To create an appreciation of multi-cultural arts; To help the current generation become a creative asset to their community; To launch youth into the world of work; To build moral character.

Kansas City Actors Theatre  www.kcactors.org
Formed by a veteran collective of artists, Kansas City Actors Theatre brings professional drama to Kansas City, in a vibrant presentation for the virtual age.  Each production is an experience, bringing the actors and their words into focus. Our mission is to showcase the finest talents of Kansas City’s local professional theatre community by bringing our audiences exceptional, artist-driven productions of classic and modern-classic plays.

Kansas City Artists Coalition  www.kansascityartistscoalition.org
The Kansas City Artists Coalition (KCAC) is a charitable nonprofit organization that promotes visual arts awareness in Kansas City and the surrounding region, and supports the professional growth of artists. KCAC supports artists and arts understanding through our Exhibitions Series, Artist Talks, Publications and Business Development Workshops in our galleries and through partnerships at other arts and business organizations across the Kansas City metro.

Kansas City Chamber Orchestra  www.kcchamberorchestra.org
The Kansas City Chamber Orchestra produces high quality performances of classical and contemporary chamber music to enrich the lives of the Kansas City area’s residents, visitors and students. The season begins with three free outdoor concerts and a live-stream concert this fall to connect us with new audiences while respecting Covid-19 social distancing requirements. The KCCO will move to indoor venues for four public and three education program concerts as soon as we can safely do so. Each concert features signature Baroque and Classical period repertoire paired thematically with modern or contemporary music composed for chamber orchestra. This season the KCCO will diverse contemporary women composers, as well as this area’s best soloists and conductors.

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra   https://www.kcjo.org
Through performances and education programs, The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra preserves the rich heritage of jazz, nurtures its growth, and encourages its appreciation as an art form for all ages.The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is an internationally acclaimed, premier performing arts icon providing jazz entertainment and education. Kansas City is known for many things, BBQ, Sports Champions and where “jazz grew up.” The jazz part is in need of constant preservation and new creation for the enjoyment of the Kansas City community for generations to come. KCJO’s 18-member orchestra showcases the best of big-band style jazz and more in the acoustically superior Helzberg Hall for four concerts per year with plans to introduce a second series dedicated to the sound of Kansas City-style jazz.

Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra  https://www.kansascitylatinjazzorchestra.com
The Kansas City Latin Jazz Orchestra is the premier latin music education and performance education in the Midwest. We seek to preserve and elevate the artforms & traditions of Latin American music as it exists in conjunction with the cultural expressions of folkloric & community dance.  As a cultural arts organization we seek to bring music and authentic experiences to underrepresented and often overlooked intergenerational communities in the urban core. Our apprentice and education model operates as the Midwest Latin Jazz Institute that provides weekly masterclass immersion, school partnerships, and the summer music camp.

Kansas City Public Theatre  www.kcpublictheatre.org
Kansas City Public Theatre provides access to the arts through year-round professional theatre entertainment free of charge to the public at locations throughout Kansas City. This mission is carried out in two activities: first, through producing aesthetically and ideologically diverse new works by local playwrights and re-imagined classics which reflect the unique history and concerns of the Kansas City community; and second, to cultivate civic-minded artists, audiences, and citizens through community-based devised theatre workshops. By providing quality theatre productions free of charge to the public, Kansas City Public Theatre envisions theatre as an essential cultural good which should be fully accessible to all members of the community.

Kansas City Women’s Chorus  http://www.kcwomenschorus.org
The Kansas City Women’s Chorus is the only regional women’s chorus inspiring through performance, embracing diversity and advocating social justice. The 21st season of the Kansas City Women’s Chorus will explore a new artistic reality in the virtual space. A choral music theme of “Call to Action” will emphasize our human responsibility to be allies, advocates, caretakers, and guardians for justice, our community, and the earth.

KC Clay Guild  https://kcclayguild.org
KC Clay Guild is a nonprofit ceramic arts center.  KCCG offers classes for all skill levels, open pottery studios, and workshops.  We are open to every member of the Kansas City community.

Mid America Freedom Band  www.freedomband.com
Mid America Freedom Band is an LGBTQ+ and allied community band of 80 adult volunteers. The group specializes in performing the music of women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, local, and emerging composers.

Midwest Music Foundation  http://midwestmusicfound.org
The Midwest Music Foundation unites and empowers the Kansas City area music community by providing health care assistance, education and career development, events and resources. MMF plans to use the ArtsKC grant to continue helping Kansas City area musicians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and with their health care needs through our grant programs.

Musical Theater Heritage  www.musicaltheaterheritage.com
Musical Theater Heritage (MTH) is an imaginative and innovative professional musical theater organization – dedicated to the appreciation and historical understanding of the American musical theater and its contributions to our culture. We both entertain and educate, with persistent focus on diversity and inclusiveness, for today’s performing talent and tomorrow’s developing artists. Each year, MTH’s annual season, at the MTH Theater in Crown Center, presents a broad range of titles to choose from – from highly recognizable newer productions like In the Heights (Lin-Manuel Miranda), to musical classics like Chicago, to original revues like “On the Ocean” and “The Music of Motown”. Children and adults alike are also engaged through a nationally recognized education & outreach program.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures            https://toyandminiaturemuseum.org
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures educates, inspires, and delights adults and children through the collection and preservation of toys and miniatures. Home to the world’s largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and one of the largest collections of historic toys on view, T/m is a unique voice in the Kansas City arts and culture scene. Visitors of all ages and backgrounds are able to connect deeply with T/m exhibits and programs, and that connection fuels extraordinary conversations about childhood, the importance of memories, and the marvel of human innovation. Located on the UMKC campus, T/m’s vision is to be a world-class museum, using storytelling and unique hands-on experiences to bring out the curious nature and sense of imagination in every person, every time they visit.

newEar  www.newear.org
newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble is a professional chamber music ensemble featuring the music of living composers. We perform a wide range of composers, instrumentations, and styles— from a traditional piano trio or string quartet, to works for solo instrument and electronics, guzheng and woodwinds, or electric guitar and percussion. We strive to bring Kansas City the most eclectic and cutting-edge creative trends of the 21st century. Our audiences see and hear some of the best musicians in our area interpreting music written within the last 20 years, never before heard in the region or sometimes anywhere in the world.

Spinning Tree Theatre  www.spinningtreetheatre.com
Spinning Tree Theatre provides opportunities for young artists – those with disabilities as well as those non disabled – to collaborate with professional artists in rehearsing and performing plays and musicals. We believe that people of all abilities have a right to experience and participate in the arts, and that theatre offers uniquely positive avenues for building relationships, developing creativity, and increasing confidence. By working together we better understand our similarities while also more compassionately, respectfully, and comprehensively understanding our differences. And as artists we can explore telling old stories from a new angle that may not have been conceived before. All performances/rehearsals are in the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center in Overland Park.

Spire Chamber Ensemble  www.spirechamberensemble.org
Spire Chamber Ensemble inspires, educates, and enriches the Kansas City metropolitan community through the transformational power of great choral music performed at the highest artistic level. We strive to make music that is passionate, fresh, and relevant to the society in which we live by leading musicians, audience members, donors, and the greater community to create shared experiences where we all leave the everyday behind and enter a world of wonder and enchantment.

StoneLion Puppet Theatre  www.stonelionpuppets.org
StoneLion Puppet Theatre – Art for the environment and the soul. StoneLion’s mission is to change the minds of the young and young at heart through the art of puppetry in an interdisciplinary community of ethnic and cultural diversity. SPT’s mission is accomplished by a wide slate of activities including touring puppet shows and free giant puppet events out in the community. SPT works around the owrld teaching environmental sustainability through art. SPT produces our own giant puppet events such as Illuminated Waters and Puppets a Glow-Go. More information can be found on our website calendar at www.stonelionpuppets.org.

Te Deum  www.te-deum.org
Te Deum offers concert experiences that inspire the listener and foster community. A volunteer ensemble of professional quality, Te Deum performs spiritually compelling choral music with excellence for audiences across the Kansas City region and beyond. Te Deum gives multiple concerts a year in various styles, assembling different vocal and instrumental forces. One of those concerts, Te Deum Antiqua, is focused on early music. Te Deum’s musical repertoire consists of sacred music, a term Te Deum defines expansively and inclusively, that is challenging and innovative, programmed in an informed and intentional way. Te Deum is committed to the safety of its members and audiences and will present all concerts virtually until it is appropriate to convene public choir performances once again.

Theatre for Young America  www.tya.org
Theatre for Young America strives to nurture the educational and emotional growth of young people through drama; and to nourish the spirits, bodies and minds of young people and associated adults through Theatre/Drama; and to make these rich benefits available to all socio-economic levels and all traditionally underserved populations. TYA began as, and continues to be, a professional company with high artistic standards performing for children. Theatre for Young America operates year-round with over 200 performances of 7 or 8 plays to an annual audience of over 40,000. TYA’s educational program includes after school enrichment classes, summer workshop programs, outreach in area schools and youth centers, post-performance discussions and study guides.

Westport Center for the Arts  www.wcakc.org
WCA provides opportunities to experience the creative and performing arts in a welcoming setting, offering these events to an urban, intergenerational community. When the community creates art, the arts create community. The communities touched by WCA have known the beauty, power, and spirit of WCA programs. The Brown Bag Concerts attract audiences who follow the featured artists, and those who appreciate the eclectic excellence of the Series itself.  The free (normally noontime) concerts appeal to those who cannot afford ticketed events or cannot attend evening events due to scheduling. WCA Theatre continues working to build a solidly diverse, open-minded audience that will not only span the historic color barrier of Troost Avenue but also include other minorities and the marginalized.

Whispering Prairie Press – Kansas City Voices  http://www.wppress.org
Whispering Prairie Press promotes poetry, prose, and visual art by fostering a community of emerging and established writers and artists. Founded in 1994, this all-volunteer community group publishes two annual magazines that feature visual art, poetry, and prose: Kansas City Voices, a magazine that highlights regional talent and welcomes creative work from around the globe, and KC Voices Youth, which features work by high school students. WPP hosts readings and events throughout the Kansas City metro area and seeks to connect interested writers and artists in the community with the resources and experience they need to achieve their potential. WPP accepts submissions online. See our guidelines here: http://www.wppress.org/submissions/

Youth Symphony of Kansas City  www.youthsymphonykc.org
The mission of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City (YSKC) is to challenge, educate, and inspire students through meaningful and enriching musical experiences. During these most unprecedented times, YSKC has moved from its typical in-person Orchestral Education Program to a new online initiative.  Orchestras Online is open to students in grades 5-12 and features a number of elements, filling a curricular void to include: Participation within orchestras in weekly real-time video sessions; Masterclasses and sectionals with professional educators and musicians; Two virtual ensemble performances; Sessions in music-related areas with special guest presenters; and PercussionKC sessions where students will explore a variety of percussion instruments, learn standard literature, and perform new works.

5 Star Jazz Band              www.5starjazzband.com
5 Star Jazz Band is an all-volunteer educational nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to keeping alive Kansas City’s music legacy in Big Band, Swing and Jazz among young musicians through live performance and community service. Membership in 5 Star Jazz Band is a commitment for serious student musicians age 12-21 who are eager to advance their musicianship and to perform at some of the most exciting venues in the Midwest. It is an opportunity to make music more than just a hobby. You will grow as a musician, a Big Band team member, and a leader. Members receive advanced performance-based training (instrumental and vocal) in a 30-piece Big Band and an 8-piece combo. 5 Star has logged hundreds of performances with notable headline gigs as well as for community, civic and charitable organizations, corporate functions and private parties.

Art As Mentorship, Inc.           http://artasmentorship.org
Art as Mentorship (AM) empowers young people of all backgrounds to raise their voice using songwriting and other artistic expressions as a vehicle to instill self-confidence, discipline and entrepreneurial skills. AM started in 2010 as a music education collaboration with Mattie Rhodes Center designed to connect young at-risk Latinos with mentors after school and during the summer. Rock music was chosen as a natural connection to young people. AM Ignition camps offer the opportunity for anyone – even without any musical background – to play and instrument and perform with a group. The Rebel Song Academy provides a more advanced mentorship in songwriting, performance and the business side of music.

Arts in Prison                  www.artsinprison.org
Arts in Prison utilizes the arts to inspire positive change in the incarcerated, to reduce recidivism and to reconnect offenders to their communities.  The arts are transformative. By practicing art inmates are able to recognize the good within them. Arts experiences encourage the incarcerated to look at things in a different way and to believe that change is possible. The arts are therapeutic. Practicing art opens doors to success for many who have never had those experiences. Success brings hope, and hope allows the incarcerated to believe that they can live differently when they are released. 99% of those involved in the criminal justice system will be returned to their communities. We want them to come home with hope in their hearts not hate in their eyes.

Band of Angels                https://bandofangelskc.org
Band of Angels supports music education in schools by supporting the students who would not be able to participate because of a financial barrier.  Programming focus varies from instrument donation and repair to gift to students in need, scholarships for summer band camp at a variety of programs and musical focuses, one-for-one instrument exchange for music classrooms and a variety of special support activities for music organizations.  The goal is always to ensure music programs are accessible to everyone wishing to participate in an effort to strengthen education efforts and increase the love for music for generations to come.

Charlotte Street Foundation            www.charlottestreet.org
Charlotte Street Foundation identifies the needs and fuels the evolution of an ever-changing multidisciplinary arts ecosystem, acting as its primary provocateur. We cultivate the contemporary, the exceptional, and the unexpected in the practice of artists working in and engaging with the Kansas City art community. Through financially supporting, presenting, and promoting the work of contemporary Kansas City area artists, Charlotte Street has enhanced the city’s vitality as a regional center for contemporary, multidisciplinary art. Our three primary areas of programming include: unrestricted cash awards and project based grants; studio and curatorial residency programs; and exhibitions and public programming.

City In Motion Dance Theater                     www.cityinmotion.org
City in Motion Dance Theater’s mission is to foster the development of high-quality contemporary dance programming and expand the dance audience in the Kansas City metropolitan region. City in Motion is a professional dance company, a presenter of dance, and a school of dance.

1. The Professional Dance Company performs new and archival works, choreographed by the artistic co-directors and guest choreographers, at a variety of venues throughout the metropolitan region.
2. City in Motion gathers production funding to provide technical support at the Folly Theater (“A Modern Night at the Folly”) and Roanoke Park (“Dance in the Park”) to showcase the best emerging regional talent.
3. The School of Dance features a variety of dance forms and instruction for both children and adults.

Fishtank Theatre, Inc              www.fishtanktheater.com
Fishtank Theatre is an arts presenter and producer. Our mission is to remove economic barriers for artists launching their careers & experimenting within their art form, & to do so in an environment that is inclusive & accessible. We work across all disciplines, including theater, comedy, dance, film, music, puppetry, & storytelling. The heart of our services is providing performance space and we also offer a suite of other services such as rehearsal space, promotional support, & professional development. We support work at all phases of development, from readings & residencies to fully produced world premieres. We keep ticket prices affordable and view our work as democratic, opening up both the creation & attendance of the arts to all.

Fountain City Brass Band      www.fcbb.net
The Fountain City Brass Band is committed to being a leader in the field of brass band performance and development. Through its Fountain City Youth Brass Academy, the Fountain City Brass Band is dedicated to elevating and inspiring young musicians of all performance ability levels to achieve a high standard of musicianship and to foster a life-long love of music. At the end of the nineteenth century in the United States, there were over 18,000 brass bands that were a central part of America’s cultural life. Mindful of its responsibility towards this rich, but now endangered historical tradition, FCBB strives to keep alive a vital part of early American heritage through a wide array of fresh, innovative and educational outreach formats at the local, national and international level.

GuildIt         www.guildit.org
GUILDit provides artists of all disciplines with best business practices in order to increase their financial success. We do this by means of forums, panels, lectures, and special events that connect art entrepreneurs with other artists, business entrepreneurs, and patrons for the purpose of strengthening their business plans, which in turn increases their financial stability. Our monthly forums are at the Kemper Museum and our special events are in Kansas City, MO and Overland Park with local artists who are known in the region, nationally, and internationally.

ICE Studios School of Dance             www.icestudiosdance.org
ICE STUDIOS School of Dance is a non for profit dance studio located in Kansas City MO that has made a major impact to over a 1,000 youth within the past 10 years. ICE offers professional dance classes to students of different ages and physical abilities with emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle through exercise and proper nutrition. We teach performing Arts to youth and build healthy lifestyles in a faith based environment. Our Vision at ICE  is to provide a creative space using dance, theater and physical fitness with inspired themes music and curriculum. We spend over 100 hours each month creating a Legacy to make a major difference in helping youth become healthy young adults by providing affordable dance classes, offering youth mentorship and student performances for the community.

InterUrban ArtHouse              www.interurbanarthouse.org
The InterUrban ArtHouse provides inclusive, stable, affordable and code-compliant space for 19 art studios which are utilized by over 26 artists and includes a teaching space, exhibition spaces, and a donations-based community café. InterUrban ArtHouse’s programs engage the community in celebrating diverse, authentic local culture that brings vitality and connectivity between businesses, residents, schools, government, organizations and neighborhoods. We collaborate with several entities and local artists of all backgrounds in order to support the changing ethnic and economic demographics of our community and to address associated challenges, all while providing diverse small business opportunities and economic variety.

Just Like You Films                   http://justlikeyoufilms.org
Just Like You Films is a local nonprofit film company that works to end bullying through the power of film. Just Like You Films produces and globally distributes films that help kids understand, and accept, their peers with unique circumstances including; facial anomalies, diabetes, cancer, autism, Down’s syndrome, severe burn injuries, as well as, promote empathy through our anti-bullying pledge video and campaign. We capture real life stories that reveal how we are more alike than we are different.

Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts         www.katayouthacademy.com
Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts exist to teach, to inspire and to connect. We use educational theatre to teach and promote positive citizenship.  We hold camps, workshops, and performances to inspire parents, students and patrons to participate and value the performing arts. We continually partner with and connect students to local resources thereby strengthening our community. We plan to continue acting out our vision:

• To generate in young people a sense of positive self image.
• To create an appreciation of multi-cultural arts
• To help the current generation become a creative asset to their community
• To launch youth into the world of work
• To build moral character

Kansas City Actors Theatre              www.kcactors.org
Formed by a veteran collective of artists, Kansas City Actors Theatre brings professional drama to Kansas City, in a vibrant presentation for the virtual age.  Each production is an experience, bringing the actors and their words into focus. Our mission is to showcase the finest talents of Kansas City’s local professional theatre community by bringing our audiences exceptional, artist-driven productions of classic and modern-classic plays.

Kansas City Artists Coalition           www.kansascityartistscoalition.org
The Kansas City Artists Coalition (KCAC) is a nonprofit organization that promotes visual arts awareness in Kansas City and the surrounding region, and supports the professional growth of artists. KCAC supports artists and arts understanding through our Exhibitions Series, artist talks, publications and business workshops in our galleries and through partnerships at other arts and business organizations across the Kansas City metro.

Kansas City Boys Choir           http://kcboychoir.org
Kansas City Boys Choir serves both young men and young women with interests in Afro-centric vocal music. Supporting the Mission of KC Boys Choir brings education and performance opportunities to an underserved community, but also provides social education and academic supports to enhance the Choristers’ likelihood of success as they enter the adult world. Graduates of the program are more likely than their peers to graduate from high school and enter college studies. With persistent racism facing African American children/youth, KC Boys Choir, encourages them and teaches them to care about themselves and their communities. The organization serves youth from throughout metropolitan KC, bringing music and hope into each of their lives and the lives of their families.

Kansas City Public Theatre               www.kcpublictheatre.org
Kansas City Public Theatre provides access to the arts through year-round theatre entertainment free of charge to the public. This mission is carried out in two activities: first, through producing aesthetically and ideologically diverse new works and reimagined classics which reflect the unique history and concerns of the Kansas City community; and second, to cultivate civic-minded artists, audiences, and citizens through community-based devised theatre workshops. This season KCPublic Theatre will continue it’s monthly Theatre Lab Series featuring 8 area playwrights and all local actors. Their Main Stage offerings include Miss Julie (October) and A Dream Play (April) both by August Strindberg. Don’t miss these visually and musically stunning adaptations.

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts        www.kcvlaa.org
KCVLAA provides low to no cost legal and accounting services in the Kansas City Metropolitan area to artists and arts organizations from all creative disciplines, who financially qualify, including visual artists, writers, musicians, playwrights, actors, dancers, filmmakers, photographers, graphic artists, theater companies, orchestras, crafts groups, artists cooperatives and more. These services include 501(c)(3) consultation, educational programming, and pro bono referral services. KCVLAA strives to provide a critical link between members of our legal, business and arts communities, as a thriving arts community contributes to a positive economic and social environment for us all.

KC Clay Guild                    https://kcclayguild.org
KC Clay Guild is a nonprofit ceramic arts center.  KCCG offers classes for all skill levels, open pottery studios, and workshops.  We are open to every member of the Kansas City community.

KC Contemporary Dance       www.kccontemporarydance.org
KC Contemporary Dance brings high-quality contemporary dance performances to Kansas City residents. With a goal to make arts programs accessible to all, the company creates new works targeted toward many different types of audiences. From traditional staged performances to pop up shows and multimedia arts collaborations, KC Contemporary Dance pushes the envelope of creativity and innovation. The company directors and dancers challenge the social construct by creating and performing work that makes audiences think about what they see and how they perceive the world. KCCD will be performing in the 2019-20 season across the metro in exciting venues such as Union Station, Crossroads KC, Johnson County Community College, Polsky Theatre and more.

KC Melting Pot Theatre Productions, Inc.         www.kcmeltingpot.com
KC Melting Pot Theatre creates thought-provoking, professional theatre productions that share the rich contributions diverse Americans have made to the theatrical tradition in the United States. Our casting, season selection and education programs foster a more diverse experience in the American theater while developing an equitable and inclusive environment. Our intent is to cultivate meaningful dialogue about social issues that spark frank and inclusive discussions within our community.  We strive to build audiences that recognize and celebrate their similarities and embrace their differences in a positive way.

Midwest Music Foundation              http://midwestmusicfound.org
Midwest Music Foundation is an educational arts organization that unites and empowers the Kansas City area music community by providing health care assistance, education and career development, events and resources.

Owen/Cox Dance Group                     www.owencoxdance.org
The Owen/Cox Dance Group is an ensemble committed to creating and performing new and innovative dance works in collaboration with nationally recognized dancers, musicians, and visual artists. The group’s mission is to create new music and dance collaborations, to present high-quality contemporary dance performances with live music, and to engage as wide an audience as possible through affordable live performances and education and outreach programs. With this mission in mind, founders Jennifer Owen and Brad Cox bring together some of the most talented artists from Kansas City and around the country, representing a variety of genres, to perform contemporary dance with live music. OCDG presents an annual performance season, and offers educational programs throughout the Kansas City area.

Puppetry Arts Institute                      www.hazelle.org
The Puppetry Arts Institute’s mission is to preserve and promote puppetry through education and entertainment for all ages. PAI is located in the Englewood Arts District in Independence and includes a puppetry museum with changing exhibits, theater, workshop and event space, gift shop and research library.  We perform monthly puppet shows on site featuring staff and guest puppeteers. We perform at child care centers, adult care facilities and other sites as requested.  Two “grown-up ” shows are performed each year as fund raising events. Painting  Hazelle Rollins puppet heads, from her leftover company stock, is a popular activity at PAI for all ages, including 1,365 kindergartners from Independence schools.  We are also a venue for meetings, birthday parties and the monthly Art Walk.

Spinning Tree Theatre                       www.spinningtreetheatre.com
Spinning Tree Theatre is a small professional not for profit theatre which aims to produce works that celebrate and reflect the diversity of Kansas City, by exploring a variety of cultures and art forms through theatre, music, and dance. Our goal is to present new, contemporary, and classic pieces of theatre that are relevant, thought-provoking, and entertaining. We hope to educate, challenge, stimulate, and inspire audience and artist alike. Producing four fully-staged musicals and plays a year plus one “inclusive” youth theatre experience for teens of all abilities, Spinning Tree can be seen and heard at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center in Overland Park.

Spire Chamber Ensemble                  www.spirechamberensemble.org
Spire Chamber Ensemble concerts are designed to fulfill the mission of Spire Chamber Ensemble: to inspire, educate, and enrich the Kansas City metropolitan community through the transformational power of great choral music performed at the highest artistic level.  We accomplish our mission through the following:

• offering rarely heard Baroque masterworks in collaboration with the Spire Baroque Orchestra,
• showcasing unique repertoire for voices and organ with longtime collaborator Jan Kraybill
• providing students, a fresh experience with choral music through education outreach,
• honoring the talents and contributions of American composers, and
• being a catalyst for the creation of new compositions by this country’s leading composers.

Te Deum                 www.te-deum.org
Te Deum offers concert experiences that inspire the listener and foster community. A volunteer ensemble of professional quality, Te Deum performs spiritually compelling choral music with excellence for audiences across the Kansas City region. Te Deum gives multiple concerts a year in various styles and assembling different vocal and instrumental forces. One of those concerts, Te Deum Antiqua, is focused on early music. Te Deum’s musical repertoire consists of sacred music, a term understood in an expansive and inclusive way, that is challenging and innovative, programmed in an informed and intentional way.

Theatre for Young America              www.tya.org
Theatre for Young America (TYA) is a 501C3 non-profit children’s theatre fostering the educational and emotional growth of young people through arts-based experiences in the Kansas City area since 1974.When young people attend a performance at Theatre for Young America they not only see live professional theater of the highest quality, they also get a chance to meet the professional actors and ask questions about the play, topics in the play, and about the art of theater.

Westport Center for the Arts           www.westportcenterforthearts.org
Westport Center for the Arts provides opportunities to experience the creative and performing arts in a welcoming setting, offering a broad spectrum of affordable and accessible events to an urban, inter-generational community.  When the community creates art, the arts create community. The communities touched by Westport Center for the Arts have known the beauty, power, and spirit of WCA programs.

Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company     http://wylliams-henry.org
WHCDC Mission: Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company is a Kansas City-based professional repertory company that performs and presents dance works by diverse emerging and established choreographers.

Youth Symphony of Kansas City     www.youthsymphonykc.org
The mission of Youth Symphony of Kansas City is to challenge, educate, and inspire students through meaningful and enriching musical experiences. The vision of Youth Symphony is to be the premier music program of choice for dedicated students in the region, creating unique and transformative opportunities, resulting in a lifelong passion for music. tenets of our core values include “Education, Excellence, Opportunity, and Relevance.” This year, approximately 415 young people will participate this season and dedicate themselves to the study of orchestral music through weekly rehearsals, performances, and inside access to the arts in Kansas City.

5 Star Jazz Band

Bach Aria Soloists

Ballet North

Band of Angels

The Barn Players

Charlotte Street Foundation

City In Motion Dance Theater

Fishtank Theatre, Inc

Fountain City Brass Band

GuildIt

InterUrban ArtHouse

KC Contemporary Dance

Kansas City A Cappella Association

Kansas City Actors Theatre

Kansas City Artists Coalition

Kansas City Boys Choir

Kansas City Chalk and Walk Festival

Kansas City Chamber Orchestra

Kansas City Civic Orchestra

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

Kansas City Women’s Chorus

KC Clay Guild

KC Creates

KC Jazz ALIVE

Mid America Freedom Band

Midwest Music Foundation

newEar

Northland Symphony Orchestra

Puppetry Arts Institute

the rabbit hOle

Spinning Tree Theatre

Spire Chamber Ensemble

Summerfest Concerts

Summit Art

Summit Theatre Group

Theatre for Young America

William Baker Choral Foundation

Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company

Youth Symphony of Kansas City

Mission

5 Star Jazz Band

Arts & AGEing KC

Arts Council of Johnson County

Arts in Prison

Bach Aria Soloists

Barn Players

Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City

Charlotte Street Foundation

City in Motion Dance Theater

Fishtank Theatre

Folk Alliance International

Heritage Philharmonic

InterUrban ArtHouse

Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts

Kansas City Actors Theatre

Kansas City Boys Choir

Kansas City Chamber Orchestra

Kansas City Civic Orchestra

Kansas City Dance Festival

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (KCVLAA)

Kansas City Women’s Chorus

Kantorei KC

KC Clay Guild

KC Creates

KC Jazz ALIVE

KC Vitas Chamber Choir

KCMetropolis.org

Mid America Freedom Band

Midwest Chamber Ensemble

Midwest Music Foundation

Musica Vocale

Musical Theater Heritage

NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble

Northland Symphony Orchestra

Olathe Civic Theatre Association

PLUG Projects

Puppetry Arts Institute

Spinning Tree Theatre

Spire Chamber Ensemble

Summerfest Concerts

Te Deum

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

The Studios Inc

Theatre for Young America

Westport Center for the Arts

The Writers Place

Youth Symphony of Kansas City

Mission

5 Star Jazz Band

Arts in Prison

Barn Players

Charlotte Street Foundation

City in Motion Dance Theater

Fishtank Performance Studio

Folk Alliance International

GuildIt

Heritage Philharmonic

InterUrban ArtHouse

KACICO Dance

Kansas City Actors Theatre

Kansas City Boys Choir

Kansas City Chalk and Walk Festival

Kansas City Chamber Orchestra

Kansas City Civic Orchestra

Kansas City Dance Festival

Kansas City Women’s Chorus

Kantorei Choirs of Greater Kansas City

Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts

KC Clay Guild

KC Creates

KC Vitas Chamber Choir

KCMetropolis.org

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (KCVLAA)

Latino Writers Collective

Mid America Freedom Band

Midwest Chamber Ensemble

Midwest Music Foundation

Music Theatre Kansas City

Musica Vocale

National Storytelling Network

NewEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble

Northland Symphony Orchestra

Olathe Civic Theatre Association

PLUG Projects

Puppetry Arts Institute

Spinning Tree Theatre

Spire Chamber Ensemble

Stone Lion Puppet Theatre

Summerfest Concerts

Te Deum

The Studios Inc

The Writers Place

Theatre for Young America

Westport Center for the Arts

Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company

Youth Symphony of Kansas City

5 Star Jazz Band

Arts Asylum

Bach Aria Soloists

Barn Players

Charlotte Street Foundation

City in Motion Dance Theater

Festival Choral Society

Fishtank Performance Studio

Folk Alliance International

Heritage Philharmonic

InterUrban ArtHouse

Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts

Kansas City Actors Theatre

Kansas City Artists Coalition

Kansas City Boys Choir

Kansas City Chalk and Walk Festival

Kansas City Chamber Orchestra

Kansas City Civic Orchestra

Kansas City Dance Festival

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts

Kantorei Choirs of Greater Kansas City

KC Clay Guild

KC Fringe

KC Wordshop

KCMetropolis.org

Living Room Theatre

Mid America Freedom Band

Midwest Music Foundation

newEar

Northland Symphony Orchestra

Olathe Civic Theatre Association

Platte City Friends of the Arts

Puppetry Arts Institute

Spire Chamber Ensemble

Summerfest Concerts

Te Deum

The Studios Inc

The Writers Place

Theatre for Young America

Westport Center for the Arts

Whispering Prairie Press

Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company

Youth City Network

Youth Symphony of Kansas City

5 Star Jazz Band

Accessible Arts/VSA Kansas

Arts Asylum

Bach Aria Soloists

Barn Players

Charlotte Street Foundation

City In Motion Dance Theater

Fishtank Performance Studio

Gem Theater Cultural and Performing Arts Center

Heritage Philharmonic

InterUrban ArtHouse

Kacico Dance

Kansas Academy of Theatrical Arts

Kansas City Actors Theatre

Kansas City Boys Choir

Kansas City Chamber Orchestra

Kansas City Dance Festival

Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee

Kansas City Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts

Kantorei Choirs of Greater Kansas City

KC Clay Guild

KC Fringe

KCMetropolis.org

Mid America Freedom Band

Midwest Center for the Literary Arts (dba The Writers Place)

Midwest Music Foundation

New Music Institute of KC (dba newEar)

Northland Symphony Orchestra

Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City

Puppetry Arts Institute

Spire Chamber Ensemble

StoneLion Puppet Theatre

Summerfest Concerts

Te Deum

The Studios Inc

Westport Center for the Arts

Whispering Prairie Press

Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company

Youth Symphony of Kansas City

ArtsKC has been awarding grants since 2007. If you would like more information about past grants, please contact Grantmaking@ArtsKC.org.