Julie Denesha
Arts ReporterJulie Denesha is the arts reporter for KCUR. Contact her at julie@kcur.org.
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Lindsborg, Kansas, artist Lester Raymer is best known for paintings of round-faced circus clowns, acrobats and jaunty roosters. But in the Red Barn Studio where he once worked, handcrafted toys for his wife are the star of Christmastime. -
A 117-year-old historically-Black church in Missouri is getting much-needed restoration work thanks to a grant from the National Heritage fund — and a crew of about a dozen volunteer builders. -
Kansas City’s historic Union Cemetery, founded in 1857, serves as the final resting place for more than 55,000 people, including many early pioneers of Westport. A group of volunteers has cleaned more than 300 grave markers there as a way of learning about and connecting with local history. -
Illustration students from the Kansas City Art Institute are inviting artists of all ages to help them complete colorful murals that are turning a neglected alleyway into a communal space for neighbors to gather. -
The Kansas City art museum issued a challenge to architecture firms to design “a museum for all.” With its third evolution, museum leaders hope to respond to growing community needs and increasingly diverse visitors. They estimate a construction budget of $160 million to $170 million, to be funded by private donations. -
A 15,000-seat amphitheater, to be owned by Live Nation Entertainment, is planned for an industrial park near a soccer training complex and a casino. But can Kansas City's live music scene support another outdoor venue? -
The Kansas City artist co-founded the Kansas City Artists Coalition in the mid-1970s and was known for her known for her large-scale colorful, abstract paintings and prints. She died on Wednesday. -
Robert Benecke captured 19th-century western Kansas landscapes before massive European migrations to the area transformed them. In the intervening years, the dust bowl, mass extinction of bison, and expansion of mechanized agriculture have all led to a profusion of trees, ponds and lakes across the Sunflower State. -
George C. Hale served as the Chief of the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department, for 31 years. At the end of the 19th century, he revolutionized firefighting with his more than 60 patented inventions, including the Hale Water Tower and the telephone fire alarm, and helped bring the country's fire departments into the modern era. -
Kansas City had one of the largest garment districts in the nation, and the industry was the second-largest employer in the metro. An institution that tells the story of the downtown Garment District will close this month.
