A reimagined Barney Allis Plaza is taking shape in the heart of downtown Kansas City! Following a summer 2024 groundbreaking with Mayor Quinton Lucas and city officials, demolition and construction are well underway, with major changes already visible. The Barney Allis Plaza Redevelopment Project is led by the City of Kansas City in collaboration with McCownGordon Construction, LM2 Construction, HOK Architecture, and other vital contractors.
Art enthusiasts and the Downtown community celebrated the 2024 Art in the Loop Project: Convivencia with dance, poetry, and artist talks at the Kansas City Public Library Central Library last month as the curated outdoor exhibition and performance series, staged in partnership with the KC Streetcar Authority as the season came to an end.
Last month, my husband and I had the opportunity to take a 3-week, mini-sabbatical to walk the walk 150 miles along the Camino Portuguese from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am very grateful to my Downtown Council and Art in the Loop colleagues, family, and friends for “holding down the fort” while we were gone. The Camino Portuguese is one of many pilgrimage routes established over 1,000 years ago leading to Santiago. As we walked each day, we found time to observe the world around us, reflect, and converse with our fellow travelers from around the world.
The Downtown Council of Kansas City is a private, nonprofit membership organization representing Kansas City’s businesses, property owners, nonprofit organizations, and anyone invested in Downtown’s success. Through our work and partnerships, we ensure Downtown Kansas City is the clean, safe, and vibrant place where you work, shop, live, and do business. These efforts are made possible through the work of the staff, the Board of Directors, as well as many public and private partners.
The Downtown Council, through its affiliated organizations Downtown Community Improvement District and Art in the Loop, is presenting a unique and interesting set of performances to Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park and Garment District in September. These performances highlight talented local musicians and provide a refreshing break for Downtown employees, residents and visitors alike – bring a chair and your own refreshments or take advantage of the participating food trucks. All performances are free and open to the public.
816 Day is named after the city’s area code and takes place yearly on August 16th. On this date in 2018, Mayor Sly James signed Resolution 180592 to celebrate the newest holiday “816 Day,” thanks to a collaborative effort by the Downtown Neighborhood Association and representatives from the 816 Day Planning Committee.
Summer in the City, presented by the Downtown Community Improvement District, continues with its August events! On Wednesday, August 14th at 12:00pm the Kansas City Chorus of Sweet Adelines will […]
Art in the Loop continues to activate Downtown Kansas City along the KC Streetcar line with 6 art installations on streetcar shelters, one wrapped streetcar, one ongoing community-engaged art project, one ongoing live painting, and six performance events incorporating 17 performing arts groups!
Traditional Music Society – Soundz of Samba will perform at Oppenstein Park on July 10 as part of the “Summer in the City” activation series produced by the Downtown KC Community Improvement District! Soundz of Samba truly depicts the color and pageantry of this four-day-long event in which marching bands come from all over Brazil to express their culture and the beginning of spring.
Tristian Griffin Dance Company, Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, and Voler: Thieves of Flight will perform in Oppenstein Park in June as part of the “Summer in the City” activation series produced by the Downtown KC Community Improvement District! Experience the park like never before as we bring contemporary dance to unexpected places, transforming the environment and sparking your imagination. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see the park come alive with the energy and creativity of two of the region’s premier contemporary dance companies!
The Art in the Loop Foundation is pleased to announce the 2024 Art in the Loop visual and performing artists. This year marks the eleventh year for the Art in the Loop Project and includes artwork based on photography, painting, digitized illustrations, and more. The Art in the Loop Project is a curated outdoor exhibition of temporary artworks presented in partnership with the KC Streetcar. For 2024, we asked artists to respond to the Spanish word Convivencia and what it means to them and their artwork. Convivencia is a shared life with others that is a constant practice, effort, negotiation, and joint achievement while recognizing friction or opposing energy. We recognize that artists and creatives are familiar with navigating space, energy, and time amongst one another and within their communities. Join us for the Kick -Off Event on June 12!
The Downtown Council, the Downtown CID and Art in the Loop produce 3 different art, music and performance series to activate Downtown KC parks and open spaces throughout the summer! Garment District Grooves returns. Art in the Loop is back with its 2024 theme – Convivencia and new this year is Summer in the City in Oppenstein Park.