Art in the Loop Kicks Off 10th Year in Downtown

The 2023 Art in the Loop program will kick-off Wednesday (June 21) at 5:30 p.m. with a special reception at the Kansas City Public Library Central Branch.

The event will feature all of the 2023 visual and performance artists. Guests will be entertained with dance and music and the event is free and open to the public, according to a press release.

This year marks the tenth year for the Art in the Loop Project sponsored by the KC Streetcar Authority and the Art in the Loop Foundation.

Artists are selected for the annual program through an online application process open to artists in metropolitan Kansas City. A selection panel of local artists, curators, educators, and community members reviewed over 100 applications and selected eight artist teams.

The Little Princess by Adrianne Clayton (Image from Art in the Loop)

This year’s Art in the Loop includes artwork based on photography, painting, digitized illustrations, paintings and more. The project is a curated outdoor exhibition of temporary artworks presented in partnership with the KC Streetcar.

Artists responded to the 2023 theme of “Celebrate” by addressing questions about how one defines celebration, what are the intersections between art and celebration, and what celebrating Downtown Kansas City looks like, according to the release.

The following artists’ works will be displayed at KC Streetcar stops and on one KC Streetcar vehicle, #804, between June and November 2023. You can find images of each installation here.

Here, With You by Arin Yoon. (Image from Art in the Loop)

Artist and art installations:

–Arin Yoon, Here, With You, at the River Market North Streetcar Stop
–Adrianne Clayton, The Little Princess, at the ARTwall at 13th and Grand (Install later this summer)
–Bubblegum Kurt, Party Balloons, at the Crossroads Northbound Streetcar Stop (Install to start July 7th)
–Fred Trease, Disco Cloud, on KC Streetcar #804
–Isaiah Lee, Demonstrations 3, at the Metro Center Northbound Streetcar Stop
–Kaitlyn B. Jones, How to Build an Altar for the Living, at the Library Southbound Streetcar Stop
–Khyneesha Edwards, Black Boy Joy, at the Union Station Streetcar Stop
–Madeline Marak, Flower Garden, at the River Market West Streetcar Stop (Install to start July 7th)

Black Boy Joy by Khyneesha Edwards (Image from Art in the Loop)

The public also is invited to attend the unveiling of KC Streetcar #804 for the 2023 Art in the Loop Project: “Celebrate” this Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to noon at the Union Station Streetcar Stop.

This will be a chance for guests to meet local artist Fred Trease and see his artwork ‘Disco Cloud’ wrapped around the KC Streetcar.

This event will also feature a music performance from DJ and Producer Encode. Encode is a character, an artist, and a project created by Xavier Martin, according to the release. This event is free and open to the public.

Disco Clouds by Fred Tease (Image from Art in the Loop)

Demonstration 3 by Isaiah Lee (Image from Art in the Loop)