Jane Chu’s 51 drawings of every US state (and the District of Columbia) emerged from her travels as the eleventh Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts. During her four-year tenure, Chu made more than 400 site visits to meet with artists, arts and civic leaders, philanthropists and the general public, and was influenced by places, signage and closeup aspects of public buildings. Her pen-and-ink drawings build upon layers of hatching and cross-hatching to create depth and a range of light and dark values.

Prior to the National Endowment for the Arts, Chu served as the founding president and CEO of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

Jane Chu straddles multiple cultures, having been born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and raised in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, the daughter of Chinese immigrants. She received bachelor’s degrees in piano performance and music education from Ouachita Baptist University, as well as a master’s degree in piano pedagogy from Southern Methodist University. Additionally, Chu holds an associate degree in visual arts from Nebraska Wesleyan University, an MBA from Rockhurst University, a Ph.D. in philanthropic studies from Indiana University, and five honorary doctorate degrees.

Embark on a tragic tale about a young girl’s innocent love for a nobleman secretly disguised as a commoner. The classic tale then changes course, becoming one of heartbreak, tears, and retribution… that ultimately leads to forgiveness. Don’t miss your opportunity to enjoy ballet’s first romantic classic.

October 14, 2022 7:30 PM

October 15, 2022 7:30 PM

October 16, 2022 2:00 PM

October 21, 2022 7:30 PM

October 22, 2022 7:30 PM

October 23, 2022 2:00 PM

Choreography: Devon Carney after Marius Petipa, Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot

Music: Adolphe Adam

Music performed live by Kansas City Symphony

Single tickets will go on sale Aug. 15. https://kcballet.org/events/giselle/ To purchase a subscription, visit http://www.kcballet.org/performances-tickets/subscribe/

Kelby Reck is a commercial and editorial photographer based in Kansas City, Missouri. He first discovered he had an eye for imagery years ago. It wasn’t until 2017 while working part time as a bar tender he decided to pursue this passion. Since then his work has been featured in magazines and online publications such as Vanity Fair, Vogue Italia, and IN Kansas City Magazine.

Kelby’s unique style combines modern colors with a wave of nostalgia. His attention to detail and keen sense for symmetry has helped him on sets when acting as a Creative Director. From various projects like “Is This it” by The Greeting Committee, UFO Club for Cheatin Snakes, and TruKolors by Travis Kelce.

Currently, Kelby’s focus is on period pieces with visuals inspired from the 1980s and 1990s era. He continues to explore new techniques and styles to create unique and captivating images. 

Exhibition Statement

The body of work before you is an exploration of a primordial theme: encountering the new and unknown. By creating an eerie landscape woven together with sound design, we draw the viewer in as they are totally enveloped by the ever-evolving soundscape. The strange pinpricks of light that dot the various works guide the viewers along their journey.

Not everything the viewer encounters is completely alien: nature blends with outdated technology in a relationship that cannot clearly be defined as symbiotic or parasitic. A coyote snarls, hair raised at an encounter with some new creature. A tree, wrapped in old wires, bears odd black fruit. An abandoned tent stands as a remnant of human life. But even in these glimpses of the familiar, the unknown lurks behind every corner, changing just a little bit every time you look away.

This work speaks to our fear of losing control. Our rapidly changing technology and constant consumerism continue unabated, altering our environment in ways both obvious and unfathomable. What will happen to us when we no longer recognize the ecosystem from which we came?

Artist Bios

Cameron DuPratte

Cameron DuPratte is a visual artist and sound engineer based in Lawrence, KS. His fascination with the discarded and forgotten often leads him to fill his garage with far too many useless objects. This practice informs his artistic work, which explores the layers of detritus in our lives, both physical and spiritual.

Cameron graduated from The University of Kansas in 2016 with a Bachelors in Visual Art. Since then, he has shown at multiple galleries across the Kansas City and Lawrence areas, including showings at the KU Union Gallery in Lawrence and the Four Chapters gallery in Kansas City. Since graduating, he has developed his passion for sound and music into a career as an audio engineer, working on musical projects for himself and other artists.

You can follow Cameron’s visual work on his Instagram page @camerondupratte and his sound explorations on @brotherspaceber.

Chesney Buck

Lawrence-based artist and taxidermist Chesney Buck began her practice in 2015 as an intern with VanGo Arts. There, she was introduced to her teachers and mentors: the Kansas taxidermy master, Marvin Schweda, and the University of Kansas Natural History Museum.

While working with the K.U. Natural History Museum, Chesney worked on a team of researchers who developed new and improved techniques for photographing wet mounted vertebrate specimens. Their findings were published in 2018 in the peer-reviewed journal, Copeia, and featured in National Geographic in March of 2021.

Chesney continues to utilize both experimental and traditional taxidermy techniques to breathe life into creatures of her imagination. Drawing heavily from the momento mori tradition, she strives to transform what would otherwise be wasted remains into treasured relics.

To watch works in progress, view works for sale, and to keep updated on future events, please follow Chesney on Instagram @chez_babba

Exhibition Statement

Line, the ultimate human invention, lets us describe our environment, express our inner landscape, and allows us to preserve knowledge for the generations beyond.

Crucial part of my practice is touch, handling materials with my own hands, therefore I chose tactile yarn, rope, and cord as line. My creative practice is a continuously evolving conversation with material. The manifestations of these collaborations are presented to the viewers with an invitation to read them as suited by their own vision, but also perhaps to contemplate how interpretation can alter meaning and intent.

In our times it is critical to think about how our eager twisting and turning of lines eventually leads to the loss of understanding and knowledge.

Artist Bio

Dora Agbas was educated as a biologist at her birthplace, Hungary. After landing in Kansas City, she worked for decades as a research scientist. She recently earned her MFA in Visual arts from the University of Kansas.