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Fenix Arts is accepting entries from LGBTQIA+ artists for new exhibition
Fenix Arts, a diverse and inclusive art collective, announced in December 2021 that it is accepting entries from LGBTQIA+ artists for the upcoming exhibit “Queer.”
Artists from the mid-south region are invited to enter their visual art into the juried exhibition with cash awards of up to $500. The deadline for entries is March 20, 2022. The exhibit will open June 2, 2022, at Fenix Arts in Fayetteville, AR, and at Gallery 214 at 4512 Donna Street, Springdale, AR, and run through July 30, 2022.
Fenix Arts, a Fayetteville, Arkansas, non-profit arts center, seeks to support and nurture established, emerging, and under-represented artists of Northwest Arkansas and beyond. “We are committed to providing opportunities for collaboration and connectivity across art disciplines and creating opportunities for community involvement,” said Laurie Foster, President of Fenix Arts. “The focus of this exhibition will be to give voice to this under-represented population to share their stories and dreams. At Fenix Arts, we believe that all people deserve dignity and respect, and a connection to community and resources.”
Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash
The exhibit is open to LGBTQIA+ artists, age 18 and above, currently living in the mid-south (Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi). Artworks must have been completed within the past two years and should reflect some aspect of the queer experience. Artists may enter up to three works for an entry fee of $25. 3-D artworks may include up to three views per artwork. The entry fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee entry into the show. Artists are encouraged to submit works that will be available for purchase. Fenix Arts will take a 40 percent commission on works sold during the exhibition. Works will not be accepted after the March 20, 2022 deadline. Entrants will be notified of their acceptance into the exhibit on April 1, 2022.
The guest juror for “Queer” Is Brad Cushman, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Wingate Center of Art+ Design Director/Curator and a studio artist living in Little Rock, Arkansas. Cushman’s curatorial projects have included exhibitions that promote cultural diversity and social justice, through the voices of Black, White, Latino/Hispanic, LGBTQ+2, South Asian, and African artists. Cushman exhibits his own studio art in regional and national exhibitions featuring paintings, polymer gravure etchings, and mixed media works. He is the voice of Picture This on NPR in central Arkansas. His audio essays on art and design have been broadcast since 2005. He can also be seen hosting Inside Art, a television program produced on University TV.
ABOUT FENIX ARTS
Visual and Performing Arts Center at Fenix dba Fenix Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit committed to the artistic experience in Northwest Arkansas. It is a diverse and inclusive art collective of accomplished Arkansas artists who have been juried into the gallery by a curation committee of professional artists, arts advocates and appraisers. The mission of Fenix Arts is to support, encourage, and raise up and promote a diverse arts community in Northwest Arkansas.
For more information, Contact: Laurie Foster at 479-530-6023 or go online at: fenixfayettevilleart@gmail.com or visit https://www.fenixarts.org.
On February 12, hundreds of people in Kansas City will brave the cold in just their undies during Cupid’s Undie Run, the nation’s largest pantless party and mileish run for charity.
The event raises awareness of neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body, and fundraises for NF research through the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF).
In addition to Kansas City, Cupid’s Undie Run will take place in 37 other cities across the United States including Chicago, Nashville, and Phoenix. More information regarding the event can be found here: https://my.cupids.org/cur/city/kansascity
Registration for the 2022 Cupid’s Undie Run is open! While there is still a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds, organizers remain optimistic that we will be able to party pantless in-person come in February. The focus remains on fundraising to find a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF). Organizers are continuing to monitor all national, state, and local public health guidelines in order to give you the Cupid’s event you know and love, while ensuring the safety of our runners, event directors, staff, and volunteers! If you have questions, please contact info@cupids.org.
2022 CITIES
Don’t see your city? Not to worry! This year, you can join from anywhere! Just select “Virtual Runner” when you’re registering.
ATLANTA, GA • 2/12/2022
AUSTIN, TX • 2/26/2022
BALTIMORE, MD • 2/12/2022
BOISE, ID • 2/12/2022
BOSTON, MA • 2/19/2022
BUFFALO, NY • 2/12/2022
CHARLESTON, SC • 2/19/2022
CHARLOTTE, NC • 2/12/2022
CHICAGO, IL • 2/19/2022
CINCINNATI, OH • 2/12/2022
CLEVELAND, OH • 2/12/2022
DALLAS, TX • 2/12/2022
DAYTON, OH • 2/19/2022
DENVER, CO • 2/12/2022
DETROIT, MI • 2/12/2022
JACKSONVILLE, FL • 2/12/2022
KANSAS CITY, MO • 2/12/2022
KNOXVILLE, TN • 2/12/2022
LOS ANGELES, CA • 2/19/2022
MADISON, WI • 2/19/2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN • 2/12/2022
NASHVILLE, TN • 2/12/2022
NEW YORK, NY • 2/12/2022
ORLANDO, FL • 2/19/2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA • 2/19/2022
PHOENIX, AZ • 2/19/2022
PITTSBURGH, PA • 2/19/2022
PORTLAND, OR • 2/12/2022
RALEIGH – DURHAM, NC • 2/19/2022
RENO, NV • 2/12/2022
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA • 2/12/2022
SEATTLE, WA • 2/19/2022
ST. LOUIS, MO • 2/12/2022
ST. PETERSBURG, FL • 2/5/2022
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA • 2/12/2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. • 2/12/2022
WILMINGTON, DE • 2/26/2022
A fully-equipped sensory room is now available at the Overland Park Convention Center for neurodiverse, autistic and disabled individuals. In partnership with non-profit KultureCity, the sensory room is a dedicated space created by medical professionals with reduced lighting and noise for guests who may feel overstimulated and need a more secure environment.
The room is located at the venue’s Exhibition Hall A entrance on the upper level, and is complete with bean bags, visual light panels, bubble walls, activity panels, and a custom tactile art piece created by an autistic artist.
“We believe in inclusion at every event so certifying the Overland Park Convention Center was amazing; not only that, to build out the first KultureCity certified sensory room at a convention center was remarkable,” said Uma Srivastava, executive director of KultureCity. “Our communities are what shapes our lives and to know that the Overland Park Convention Center is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone, no matter their ability, is included in their community is amazing.”
The Overland Park Convention Center first achieved a Sensory Inclusive certification with KultureCity in Aug. 2021, making all programs and events hosted at the venue sensory inclusive.
The certification process equipped convention center staff by training with leading medical professionals to recognize attendees with sensory needs, and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and other similar conditions.
“After completing our certification and learning so much about the challenges faced by this community, creating a sensory room was a logical next step for us,” said Brett C. Mitchell, general manager of the Overland Park Convention Center. “One of the major barriers for these individuals is over stimulation and noise, which is an enormous part of the environment in event venues. With this initiative, the convention center is better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities so they can attend and feel comfortable.”
Sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, verbal cue cards, and weighted lap pads are also available to all guests at the convention center who may feel overwhelmed by the environment.
Prior to attending an event, families can download the free KultureCity App to see what sensory features are available at the convention center and where they can be accessed. The apps ‘Social Story’ feature also provides a preview of what to expect while at the venue.
KultureCity is a leading non-profit recognized nationwide for using its resources to revolutionize and effect change in the community for those with sensory needs, not just those with autism.
To learn more about the Overland Park Convention Center’s sensory room, please visit opconventioncenter.com/sensory-inclusive-events or call 913.339.3000. To learn more about KultureCity, please visit kulturecity.org.
Overland Park Convention Center: 6000 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS 66211
About Overland Park Convention Center
The award-winning Overland Park Convention Center opened in November of 2002 on a 26-acre site in the heart of Overland Park, the largest suburban city in the Kansas City metropolitan and the second largest city in Kansas. Adorned with over sixty original works of are and equipped with state-of-the-art communications systems, the 245,000 square floor complex features a 60,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall that connects to the 25,000 sq. ft. Edwin C. Eilert Ballroom and 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting room space. Natural light radiates throughout the unusually spacious (44,000 sq. ft.) pre-function and registration areas. Among the convention centers many awards, the most recent include: 2021 Best Customer Service & On-Site Support in North America, EXHBITOR Magazine, 2020 Best Small Convention Center in North America, EXHIBITOR Magazine; 2020-2021 Top Convention Centers in North America, EXHIBITOR Magazine; 2019 Best Convention Centers in North America, Business View Magazine; 2002 – 2021 Best Meeting & Conference Facility, Ingram’s Magazine; 2018 – 2021 Prime Site Award, Facilities & Destinations Magazine.
About KultureCity
Since the program’s inception, KultureCity has created over 800 sensory-inclusive venues in 4 countries: this includes special events such as the NFL Pro-Bowl, NFL Super Bowl and MLB All Star Weekend. KultureCity has won many awards for its efforts, including the NASCAR Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award in 2017 and the 2018 Clio Sports Silver for social good in partnership with Cleveland Cavaliers/Quicken Loans Arena. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Quiet Space Sensory Room at Quicken Loans Arena was a finalist for the 2018 Stadium Business Award, and recently, KultureCity was named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2019 by FastCompany.
Rep. Stephanie Byers
The Gender Reveal Party Podcast has released an interview with Kansas State Representative Stephanie Byers (District 86), the first Native American transgender person elected to state office in the United States.
The interview focuses on the issues facing the state of Kansas, Rep. Byers’ experiences as a transwoman on the campaign trail and with her colleagues in the Kansas State House, and the anti-trans legislation being introduced in Kansas and across the country.
Kansas' first openly transgender legislator is ready to serve youtu.be
The episode also has personal insights about Byers’ coming out as her authentic self while working as a band teacher in Wichita, how she experiences her cultural heritage as a member of the Chickasaw Nation and her identity as a transperson, her marriage, and differences of privilege she experienced while the world perceived her as man and now that she is perceived as a transwoman.
Byers and The Gender Reveal Party Podcast host, Lawrence’s Jay Pryor, address the anti-trans legislation introduced in Kansas during the last legislative session and how many prominent political candidates for office have made anti-trans messaging a central part of their campaigns.
“Isn’t it a shame that their campaigns are so shallow that they have nothing better to talk about than to pick on trans kids–that there is no more substance to it than that?,” said Rep. Byers.
“We have tremendous problems…Kansas is running out of water. We need to be actively looking at what we can do to best use the resources we have and to give nature the opportunity to recharge the water that we have…We need to focus in on the housing crisis that we have…We can get Medicaid expanded and save medicine in rural Kansas.”
Addressing the sponsors of this type of legislation, Pryor said, “Don’t you have something better to do? We have children literally in our state that…the only meal they get is at school. We have kids hungry…and you want to focus on trans kids playing sports? It’s maddening to me. Why are you so obsessed with trans people when we have so many other problems that are huge?”
Listen to the entire interview at https://anchor.fm/jay-pryor5