Sponsors
Animals are natural performers, so some friends from the Kansas City Zoo literally jumped at the chance to take center stage and enjoy the spotlight at the Kauffman Center recently. Everyone brought their A-game, and it showed when the cameras started recording.
Follow this motley crew of feathered, scaly and prickly animals on their intimate Kauffman Center tour as they explore Brandmeyer Great Hall, Helzberg Hall and Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
Jasiri, a 2-year-old African Crested Porcupine, with her darling waddle and tutu of bouncing quills, is clearly a performer at heart. Elver, a 22-year-old Galah Cockatoo, felt at home on stage, as well. With his gift for gab and beautiful coloring, it is evident why zoo-goers flock to see him.
Fred, a 7-year-old Marine Toad, performed his version of hip-hop in Brandmeyer Great Hall, while D’Artagnon, a 7-year-old Blue and Gold Macaw, overcame stage fright in Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
The slew of animals that poked around the Kauffman Center certainly took advantage of all the spaces within our magnificent building. Alice, a 3-year-old Savanna Monitor admired herself in the glow of her dressing room mirror lights, and Smaug, a 20-year-old Green Iguana, savored city views from Brandmeyer Great Hall.
We can’t wait to bring human artists and audiences back into the limelight. In the meantime, we hope that watching our curious friends running the show in your absence brightens your day.
Drone footage courtesy of NMG Studios and Ben Weddle. Special thanks to the Kansas City Zoo.
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Art installation features handprints by Kansas City Pre-K kids
Photo by Dalene Bradford
Kansas City Pre-K kids and their families celebrated the addition of 129 new handprints on the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery at the Kauffman Center last week. The art installation in the Kauffman Center’s Plaza Lobby now showcases nearly 300 handprints created by local preschool students from four local early childhood centers: St. Mark Child and Family Development Center, Metro Early Learning Center, Growing Futures Early Education Center, and El Centro Academy for Children.
At a special event hosted by PNC Bank, the children proudly located their handprints in the colorful gallery setting that combines visual art and musical themes. Each child was photographed near their handprint on the wall and took home a framed photo as a memory of the evening at the Kauffman Center.
The November 12 event included dinner in Brandmeyer Great Hall and interactive performances by local groups StoneLion Puppet Theatre and Drum Safari. Planet Play engaged youngsters in creative building activities, and passport booklets guided families through the evening’s activities. Other memorabilia given to the children and their families included PNC-branded t-shirts and tote bags. The event drew attention of local media, resulting in coverage on KMBC Channel 9 News.
Photo by David Riffel
Photo by David Riffel
PNC Bank created the gallery in 2018 in partnership with the Kauffman Center and other early education centers as part of an effort to inspire great futures for local children through memorable arts experiences. The gallery exemplifies PNC’s 15-year-old flagship philanthropic program, PNC Grow Up Great, a bilingual initiative to prepare children from birth to age five for success in school and life.
“Early childhood education is about giving a child the right start to life. And that is something institutions like St. Mark Child and Family Development Center, Metro Early Learning Center, Growing Futures Early Education Center, and El Centro Academy for Children do so well,” said Dale Klose, regional president for PNC in Kansas City. “Our relationship with the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts allows us to showcase the work we do with these organizations.”
PNC Bank is the Kauffman Center’s exclusive bank sponsor and supports the Kauffman Center’s Ensemble business membership program and the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery. PNC is also a key sponsor of the Kauffman Center’s programming series, Kauffman Center Presents.
“The PNC Grow Up Great Gallery is a truly meaningful part of our relationship with PNC Bank,” says Paul Schofer, president and CEO of the Kauffman Center. “We love that this project connects so many youngsters with the Center in such a personal way. We are eager to have all of them come back to compare their growing hands with their colorful handprints and, of course, to attend a live performance.”
The PNC Grow Up Great Gallery is in the Level 2 Plaza Lobby of the Kauffman Center. The gallery is open for viewing by ticketholders 90 minutes prior to any performance. It’s also open to the public during box office hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
PNC Bank and Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
Reveal the PNC Grow Up Great Gallery
New art installation features handprints by Kansas City Pre-K kids
An audience of Pre-K kids were all smiles at the Kauffman Center last week as they each saw their own handprint in the new PNC Grow Up Great Gallery for the first time.
The new art installation in the Kauffman Center’s Plaza Lobby showcases hundreds of handprints created by local pre-school students at Growing Futures Early Education Center in Overland Park, Kan. and St. Mark Child & Family Development Center in Kansas City, Mo. PNC Bank created the gallery in partnership with the Kauffman Center and the two early education centers, as part of an effort to inspire great futures for local children through memorable arts experiences.
On November 19th, Pre-K children and their family members got an exclusive first look at the gallery during a special unveiling event that included dinner in Brandmeyer Great Hall. Local performing groups StoneLion Puppet Theatre and Drum Safari entertained the young artists with interactive performances. The kids proudly showcased their handprints in a gallery setting that combines visual art and musical themes.
See a full photo gallery from the unveiling event at the Kauffman Center’s Flickr page.
Miranda Smith’s 4-year-old daughter, Ariana, came to the Kauffman Center for the first time to see her handprint in the Grow Up Great Gallery. When asked what this meant to the family, Miranda said that her uncle, a veteran of the Korean War, is recognized at Liberty Memorial, and Miranda herself has a brick dedicated at Union Station.
“Now Ariana has her handprint here at the Kauffman Center and they are all part of Kansas City and of art and culture,” she said.
The gallery exemplifies PNC Bank’s signature initiative, PNC Grow Up Great, which supports early childhood education and school readiness for preschoolers in underserved communities.
“Early childhood education is about giving a child the right start to life. And that is something Growing Futures and St. Mark Center do very well,” said Dale Klose, regional president for PNC Bank in Kansas City. “This gallery illustrates the exceptional work underway that we are supporting at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.”
PNC Bank is the Kauffman Center’s exclusive bank sponsor, supporting the Kauffman Center’s Ensemble business membership program and the new art installation. PNC is also a key sponsor of the Kauffman Center’s programming series Kauffman Center Presents.
The PNC Grow Up Great Gallery is in the Level 2 Plaza Lobby of the Kauffman Center. The gallery is open for viewing for ticketholders 90 minutes prior to any performance. It’s open to the public during box office hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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Yoga at the Kauffman Center
Saturday, March 10 and April 21 | 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.
Brandmeyer Great Hall
Buy Tickets
On Saturday, March 10 and Saturday, April 21, the Kauffman Center and Premier Partner Saint Luke’s Health System will host Yoga at the Kauffman Center.
There will be two 60-minute sessions in Brandmeyer Great Hall each day, at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Each session will begin with a short presentation by a Saint Luke’s medical professional, followed by instructor-led yoga in the grand lobby space. An intermediate level yoga flow will be featured at the 8:30 a.m. classes, and guests can experience a yoga foundations class at the 10 a.m. classes. Local artists will provide live music, incorporating the performing arts into the yoga practice.
Tickets for Yoga at the Kauffman Center are $15 per session, including fees, and are available through the Kauffman Center Box Office at (816) 994-7222, via the Kauffman Center mobile app, or online at kauffmancenter.org. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, January 26. Each ticket includes admission to one yoga session and a souvenir gift. Attendees must bring their own yoga mat and will be asked to sign a waiver when they purchase a ticket to this event.
Yoga at the Kauffman Center is the latest event that Kauffman Center and Premier Partner Saint Luke’s Health System have brought to the community. Since announcing the three-year partnership in November 2016, the two organizations have worked to connect and engage visitors of the Kauffman Center in new, creative ways.
ABOUT SAINT LUKE’S HEALTH SYSTEM
Saint Luke’s Health System consists of 10 area hospitals and several primary and specialty care practices, and provides a range of inpatient, outpatient, and home care services. Founded as a faith-based, not-for-profit organization, the Saint Luke’s mission includes a commitment to the highest levels of excellence in health care and the advancement of medical research and education. The health system is an aligned organization in which the physicians and hospitals assume responsibility for enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of people in the metropolitan Kansas City area and the surrounding region.
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PNC Bank Announced as New Multi-Year Sponsor of the
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
KANSAS CITY, MO – The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts announced today a new relationship with PNC Bank. The announcement positions PNC as the Kauffman Center’s exclusive bank sponsor for the next three years. The relationship will feature PNC as the exclusive bank sponsor for the Kauffman Center’s Ensemble business membership program and a new art installation at the Center. In addition, PNC will be a key sponsor of the Kauffman Center’s programming series Kauffman Center Presents.
A unique feature of the sponsorship will include the 2018 debut of the PNC Grow Up Great Children’s Wall, a new colorful visual art installation in the Kauffman Center which will include handprints provided by local preschoolers. The wall complements PNC’s signature philanthropic initiative, PNC Grow Up Great, which is focused on early childhood education and school readiness for preschoolers in underserved communities.
Today’s announcement with the Kauffman Center serves as one of the most significant community relationships PNC has formed since expanding its presence in the Kansas City region earlier this year. In January, PNC implemented its regional president service model to enhance its efforts to deliver corporate banking services and invest in local philanthropic initiatives.
“The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is recognized as a world class home for arts and cultural events. This new sponsorship reflects PNC’s long history of supporting arts and culture across all of the regions where we live and work,” said Dale Klose, PNC Regional President for greater Kansas City. “The arts and culture play a significant role in driving local economic growth. Together with the Kauffman Center, we want to contribute to the success of the arts community and the Kansas City region as a whole.”
The economic impact of cultural organizations, such as the Kauffman Center, on their local communities is substantial. Research conducted by Americans for the Arts this year estimates that spending by cultural audiences in Kansas City alone exceeds $96.5 million.
“Our relationship with PNC Bank strengthens the Kauffman Center’s role to provide year-round quality performing arts experiences. We are looking forward to working with PNC, an established and respected financial institution whose profile and philanthropic interests, both locally and nationally, align so well with those of the Kauffman Center,” said Paul Schofer, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. “We are excited to further connect audiences with performances and events at the Kauffman Center, which enrich our cultural heritage and make the city an even more attractive destination for visitors, businesses and the community overall.”
About PNC Bank
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.
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