Tony's Kansas City
July 12, 2011
http://www.tonyskansascity.com/
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The Golden Ghetto is no longer content play second best to Kansas City, Missouri's art scene.
For quite some time Kansas City, Missouri has benefited from the fact that Kansas is a vast cultural wasteland and patrons of the arts had to cross State Line in order to partake in any facsimile of artistic local culture. However, now that Kansas City Proper is having trouble maintaining viable arts facilities, the struggle for dominance of local high culture is starting to shift.
Nicole Emanuel is looking to change the perception of Johnson County as a home to nothing but look-a-like beige houses and luxury shopping locations with her Interurban art house proposal.
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"There are a vast array of artists and patrons of the arts in this community and I think we can create a place within our community to showcase their skills and develop even more talent," Ms. Emanuel said. "Many people don't realize that there is a prosperous art scene in Johnson County and this facility is a sign of that progress."
Ms. Emanuel has been working at breakneck speed on this project since February and already she has earned cooperation from both public and private supporters.
The plan for a project she's calling "The InterUrban Art House" in Overland Park is detailed and offers a great look at what could be a bombshell in the local arts scene.
TAKE A LOOK AT THE INTERURBAN ART HOUSE PLANS POSTED FIRST HERE ON TKC!!!
So far, Ms. Emanuel is proposing a "green" renovation of a building currently inhabited only by Roger The Plumber. She notes there are 14 units to rent for local art studios, not counting the 4 units that already look promising for pre-leasing or Roger The Plumber's ongoing lease.
The fast pace at which this project is coming to fruition is curious but it's important to note that Ms. Emanuel has already been a part of similar groundbreaking arts developments in San Francisco and Minneapolis. Her wealth of experience and talent has quickly drawn the notice potential investors, donors and artists excited to be a part of the project.
Take a look at a preliminary sketch of the JoCo art facility that is soon coming to pass.
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As for the competition between the KCMO art scene and Johnson County, Ms. Emanuel see her new project as an opportunity.
"I think this space could serve as just another heart of a thriving arts community throughout the metro area in order to help better circulate traffic and interest," Ms. Emanuel said. "As for the perception of competition, I'm more focused on trying to develop this viable project for the arts in my community and I don't really have time to focus on the negative perceptions of other people."
Clearly, this is an important new development in the arts and it signals that Johnson County is no longer content to rely on Kansas City, MO for all of their cultural endeavors.
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