Announcing the Exhibition Artists For Open Spaces 2018: A Kansas City Arts Experience

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Forty-two renowned and emerging local, national and international artists have been selected for the exhibition component of Open Spaces 2018. Work by the artists will be exhibited from August 25 through October 28, 2018 throughout Kansas City, Missouri, with Swope Park serving as the exhibition hub. The 42 exhibition artists represent ten countries and four continents as well as nine different states in the U.S. The announcement of the exhibition artists coincides with the launch of the new event website OpenSpacesKC.com. At this time, Open Spaces is only releasing the names of these visual artists. Selected performing, film and interactive artists to be included in the nine weekends will be announced later this spring.

"Each of the 42 exhibition artists will bring a bold and impactful concept to Open Spaces 2018, while reflecting the strong history and diversity of Kansas City and its people,” said artistic director Dan Cameron. “We look forward to working with each one to present works of art that open the minds of our visitors through a wide variety of expressions, using a range of visual languages."

The nine-week, citywide celebration of contemporary visual and performing art will happen on a scale previously unseen in the City, and with a multi-disciplinary focus unseen in the country. In addition to highlighting Kansas City’s rich history and cultural heritage, creativity, innovation and wide array of artists and artistic practices, Open Spaces is meant to spark new ideas and initiatives that can transform and connect the City and public spaces through the arts. For nine weeks, in spaces both familiar and new, its parks and urban spaces, its galleries, performance halls and outdoor stages — Open Spaces will transform Kansas City into a living cultural tapestry into which the best of the world’s collective imagination can be woven.

While the list of the exhibition artists is now set for Open Spaces 2018, a call for the Expanded Field creative partnership opportunities is still open, with additional details about submission requirements and approvals found at openspaceskc.com/expanded-field. The application deadline for the Expanded Field is May 1.

Additionally, artists interested in displaying works in the Makers Pavilion should apply before June 1 and submit artisan applications at openspaceskc.com/makers.

Below is a full list of artists participating in The Exhibition:

Anila Quayyam Agha
Indianapolis

Nevin Aladağ
Berlin, Germany

Alexandre Arrechea
Miami

Rina Banerjee
New York

Sanford Biggers
New York

Shawn Bitters
Kansas City, Mo.

Jacob Burmood
Ottawa, Kan.

Kathy Butterly
New York

Martin Cail
Kansas City, Mo.

Nick Cave
Chicago

Flávio Cerqueira
São Paulo, Brazil

Dawn DeDeaux
New Orleans

Jill Downen
Kansas City, Mo.

Dario Escobar
Guatemala City, Guatemala

Nikita Gale
Los Angeles

Rashawn Griffin
Olathe, Kan.

Tanya Hartman
Lawrence, Kan.

Trey Hock and Brent Jackson
Roeland Park, Kan.

Matthew Jensen
New York

Brad Kahlhamer
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Kimsooja
New York, Paris and Seoul

Domenico Lancellotti and Lucia Koch
Rio De Janiero and São Paulo, Brazil

Karen McCoy
Kansas City, Mo.

Dylan Mortimer
Fairway, Kan.

Never Records
New York

Sarah Nguyen
Warrensburg, Mo.

Ebony G. Patterson
Lexington, Ky.

Lee Quiñones
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Anthony Marcos Rea
Kansas City, Mo.

Randy Regier
Wichita, Kan.

Michael Schonhoff
Kansas City, Mo.

Joyce J. Scott
Baltimore

Sike Style Industries
Kansas City, Mo.

Paul Anthony Smith
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Shinique Smith
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Federico Solmi
New York

Jennifer Steinkamp
Los Angeles

Carlie Trosclair
St. Louis

Nari Ward
New York

Jillian Youngbird
Kansas City, Mo.

About Open Spaces 2018
Open Spaces 2018: A Kansas City Arts Experience is a two-month multi-platform arts event that aims to attract cultural visitors and bring significant visibility to Kansas City. The event showcases renowned local, national and international artists, with a hub of activity in Swope Park and a network of additional venues extending throughout Kansas City. Open Spaces 2018 is led by internationally-recognized curator Dan Cameron and backed by a public-private partnership that includes the City of Kansas City, Mo., KC Creates and a Founders Circle collaboration of large donors and arts leaders. For more information, visit openspaceskc.com.

About City of KCMO Office of Culture and Creative Services
The Office of Culture and Creative Services (OCCS) was established to lead cultural development efforts for the City of Kansas City, Missouri in 2015. The mission of the Office is to serve Kansas City residents by bolstering and catalyzing arts, culture and creativity and by leveraging the arts as a strategy for economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and cultural vitality for its citizens.