The Country Club Plaza in Kansas City will be celebrating its 80th Annual Art Fair next weekend! It is such a fun weekend with hundreds of artists from all over the country exhibiting their art as well as live music and food from all of the best restaurants in KC.
The art fair on the plaza started during the Great Depression to try to attract shoppers back to this shopping area. Now more than 250,000 people attend this annual event!
1932 Plaza Art Fair (source: www.countryclubplaza.com)
Today's Plaza Art Fair - (google images)
The art fair reminds me that KC is one of the most exciting cities if you love art. When it comes to fine art most people automatically think of NYC, LA or Chicago but KC is one of the most populous cities per capita for artists. More than 6,000 artists live in the KC metro area! There are a number of top ranked art schools and the best part is artists' works are so easily accessible to the general public. What I love about it is that there is an excitement in the city when the Plaza Art Fair approaches because everyone knows they won't be disappointed and it is just a fun-filled weekend.
I also look forward to First Fridays in the Crossroads Art District. The first Friday of every month all of the art galleries and stores are open late. You can walk around the area enjoying the art, outdoor entertainment, local street vendors and then eat at a local restaurant and cap the night off at one of the nearby bars. I love The Cashew for drinks and The Rieger Hotel has an awesome menu plus if you are lucky you can sneak down to the Manifesto, a tiny bar that serves the best cocktails. It is overall such a fun way to spend a Friday night.
In the West Bottoms on the first weekend of every month all of the antique shops opens its doors to the public with cool new finds. And last week, Westport had its own art fair featuring local artists exhibiting an array of crafts, jewelry and paintings.
The nicest part is that the KC artists are accessible to you and I. You don't need to be a Rockefeller to afford an original creation. And some of the local and visiting artists do have international clout!
My husband commissioned a painting from local artist Charles Podrebarac for our anniversary. Podrebarac is a cartoon artists and did an impression of our two beloved dogs. It is so awesome to have an original, personal painting in our home. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
Here it is...
I also look forward to First Fridays in the Crossroads Art District. The first Friday of every month all of the art galleries and stores are open late. You can walk around the area enjoying the art, outdoor entertainment, local street vendors and then eat at a local restaurant and cap the night off at one of the nearby bars. I love The Cashew for drinks and The Rieger Hotel has an awesome menu plus if you are lucky you can sneak down to the Manifesto, a tiny bar that serves the best cocktails. It is overall such a fun way to spend a Friday night.
In the West Bottoms on the first weekend of every month all of the antique shops opens its doors to the public with cool new finds. And last week, Westport had its own art fair featuring local artists exhibiting an array of crafts, jewelry and paintings.
The nicest part is that the KC artists are accessible to you and I. You don't need to be a Rockefeller to afford an original creation. And some of the local and visiting artists do have international clout!
My husband commissioned a painting from local artist Charles Podrebarac for our anniversary. Podrebarac is a cartoon artists and did an impression of our two beloved dogs. It is so awesome to have an original, personal painting in our home. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
Here it is...
My dogs Ellie and Manning - a depiction of their personalities
-Ilyssa
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