Andy Garrison
Heya – Kyle breaking in again. I want to introduce you to someone you really should know, and not just because he’s so tall and charming and handsome (that’s what you wanted me to say, right Andy?). Andy Garrison is someone I’ve been lucky enough to share a stage with, and luckier still to call a friend. He’s a multi-talented dude with not only a tremendous gift for acting, but with a love and ability for teaching it as well. It’s this teaching side that got me thinking about what to give someone that doesn’t want any more stuff, but would appreciate an experience that has the potential for challenge and growth. It’s a perfect gift for anyone who likes discovering new things about themselves.
Anywho, you’ve been following this series, you’ve been inspired by all these creative types, and you want to try on that hat too. So what is this magical place to do this, you ask?
Jennifer Owen and Brad Cox
What do your holiday traditions look like?
I was recently talking to a group of friends about holiday traditions and I shared that I didn’t think Kyle and I had very many. It seems we are always in a different city on Christmas day, we don’t have children who eagerly run to see what is under the tree, baking in our tiny vintage oven is difficult at best, we don’t exchange presents with one another, and he is often providing entertainment while others are celebrating. But during our conversation I realized that we do have holiday traditions, they are just not traditional.
Our traditions don’t look like a Norman Rockwell painting, but then again neither does the rest of our life. Our traditions are perfect for us! And here’s a good one –
Folly Theater, Kansas City, MO
One of our perfect traditions is presented by our friends Jennifer Owen and Brad Cox (Fun fact: Brad played piano at our wedding reception in 1993).The Owen/Cox Dance Group brings together a “who’s who” of Kansas City artists and musicians to breathe new life into an old classic. This isn’t your grandmother’s Nutcracker, instead it’s an adventurous exploration of the classic, complete with modern dance and free jazz. Fifteen musicians of the People’s Liberation Big Band, horn sculptor Mark Southerland, artist Peregrine Honig, and students from the Paseo Academy of the Performing Arts join to present a familiar story that turns out to be not so familiar after all.
Are your holiday traditions in line with your life and ideology? If not what can you do differently this year to create a new tradition? How can you include you local creative community in your holiday?
Nathan Granner
I was raised as a preacher’s kid, which meant that I spent a lot of time in church. And because I was convinced that I couldn’t sing hymns, when it was time for everyone to sing them, I would stand and noiselessly mouth the interminable words of ALL the verses as instructed in the program, the hymnal would weigh at least 30 pounds as we began verse 3 and be up to 50 by verse 5, and I would be rudely interrupted from solving the math problems that had been written on my bulletin to occupy my time (yes, I was that nerd). Continue reading
Kina Crow
I’d like to introduce you to another great friend and my favorite story teller, Kina Crow. Her stories take the form of sculptures and paintings that tell volumes with the simplest of gestures and the fewest words. At first glance, they are witty and funny and we have a chuckle. Then we begin to realize that Kina is very gently poking at a truth much deeper, and in the process giving us all permission to laugh at ourselves.
Barclay Martin
You know those people that you meet that just seem too nice to be for real? Too good to be true? And way too talented to really be so humble. Yep, we were skeptical as we were getting to know our now good friend Barclay Martin. And, I have to admit, I retained a bit of that disbelief until I got to know his parents, and I understood where a person like this might come from. Thank you Barclay for being you, and for always inspiring me to be a better version of myself! (And thank you Jen and Howard for your part in that!) Continue reading
Award winning Lynn Whipple
And definitely my favorite artists. They live in what I consider my “Florida home” – a lovely bungalow on a lake that I return to as often as I can. They live lives that are drenched in creativity. And there is so much more to say about them, so instead of telling you I’d like to show you. I took a little inspiration from Lynn’s artwork and created a little piece of my own.
But don’t just take my word for it, take a look at their websites (Lynn’s and John’s) and see what inspires you. (also be sure to check out Lynn’s etsy store – I have one of her etsy prints hanging above my desk and it inspires me every day.) Continue reading
Then (circa 1990)
If you know my artwork then you know just how beautifully – perfectly, he frames it. If you have worked with him you know what an elegant problem solver he is. If you have been in our house you know what a masterpiece he created from floor to ceiling (and hidden in the walls). But until you have seen him on stage, or heard the music that he makes, I would say you don’t really know him. Continue reading
