Exhibitions • Performance • Music • Collaborations • Events
JAN.–MAR.
February
Feb. 7, 7:30–9 PM
In(SITE) Endometric
Presented by The Center for Aesthetic Research (C.A.R.)
Feb. 11, 5:30–6:30 PM
Artist Assembly Deep Dive 1:
Critical Arts Writing
Feb. 12, 5:30–6:30 PM
Archiving People’s History:
A Panel and Conversation
Feb. 14, 7:30 PM
Love Under the Moonlight
hosted by Unique Hughley
Feb. 18, 5:30–6:30 PM
Artist Assembly Deep Dive 2:
Innovating Funding Outside of Competitive Grants
Feb. 19, 6–7:30 PM @ Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Beyond the Studio:
Chantel Guzmán-Cupil
*RSVP Required
Feb. 24, 5:30–6:30 PM
Artist Assembly Deep Dive 3:
Community Care in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Feb. 26, 7:30–9 PM
ProdoLAB: Zee Underscore: Confessions from the Growing Season
March
Mar. 4, 7-9:30 PM
Mar. 4, 7-9:30 PM
Voice, Body, Song Workshop
w/ The Hinterlands
Mar. 7, 7:30 PM
Sunset: A Cyber Lament
presented by The Hinterlands
Mar. 12, 6–7:30 PM @ Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Beyond the Studio:
Isaac Tapia
*RSVP Required
Mar. 18. 7:30–9 PM
Mar. 19. 6–8 PM
Writer’s Circle
Mar. 21. 3–5 PM
Queer Ecologies II
Opening Reception
Mar. 21. 3–5 PM
APR.–JUNE
May
May 6, 7:30–9 PM
May 13, 6–8 PM
Mar. 21. 6–8 PM
Writer’s Circle
May 23, 3–5 PM
Midwest Swang
Opening Reception
May 23, 3–5 PM
May
The Pla[y/n] for Reparations
—Eric Avery
JULY–SEPT.
August
Aug. 7, 7:30–9 PM
In(SITE):
Give the Drum Machine Some
Aug. 14–16
Wordlessly
—Liat Roth
Aug. 15
Digital Prairie
Opening Reception
Aug. 20, 7:30–9 PM
Aug. 28–30
Cold Gravy Bowl II: The Coldest Bowl
—True Lions
OCT.–DEC.
October
Oct. 1, 7:30–9 PM
October 24, 7 PM–12 AM
Rodeo Nouveau: Charlotte Street Gala 2026
Oct. 28, 7:30–9 PM
November
Nov. 6/7
Nightshades Experimental
Animation Festival
—Nora Snyder
Nov. 20
Nov. 21
Exhibition Title TBD (curated by Elizabeth Spavento)
Opening Reception
December
Dec. 5, 7:30 PM
Artist Resource Faire
Dec. 11
OPEN HOUSE
with CLOUDS Dance Company
Dec. 12.
IT’S ALL HAPPENING HERE
Charlotte Street’s campus is a multidisciplinary, multifaceted facility that sets a new national standard for collaborative artist incubators. Located in a repurposed industrial factory, the renovated space embraces the building’s raw and resilient texture as a backdrop for the creation of innovative work. The facility includes the Stern Theater, Charlotte Street Gallery, Kemper Library, Studio Residency, Jedel Family Workshop, and Jon Puschek Courtyard.
The contemporary 20,000 sq. ft. campus is located at 3333 Wyoming Street in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, near Roanoke Park.
Charlotte Street’s free programming is hosted here.
CHARLOTTE STREET
GALLERY
Charlotte Street’s gallery is a 1,625 sq ft. exhibition space equipped with two 14 ft. wide moveable walls, multiple floor and ceiling outlets, and state-of-the-art lighting and projection systems. A garage door allows for load-in of large work directly from the north parking lot. Exhibitions are shown year-round with six-week run times.
Gallery Hours
TUES–FRI 12:00 PM-5:00 PM; SAT 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
CHARLOTTE STREET
STERN THEATRE
Charlotte Street’s campus includes a 1,750 sq ft. high-ceiling, black box style, flexible performance space. A garage door from the courtyard allows for load-in of large sets and equipment. A tech booth is located on the second floor of the building.
Unless otherwise noted, most performances that take place in the Charlotte Street Stern Theater start at 7:30 PM on their event day—seating is first come, first served.
CHARLOTTE STREET
KEMPER LIBRARY
Visitors are invited to the William T. Kemper Charitable Trust Library at Charlotte Street
to browse, research, or read our new collection of artist books, exhibition catalogs, music compositions, and archive of regional publications.
Know what you are looking for before you visit?
You can search our catalog from anywhere––
visit librarycat.org/lib/cstreetfoundation.
ABOUT RESERVING THE CHARLOTTE STREET KEMPER LIBRARY
Non-profit organizations, community groups, entities, and individuals with purposes that support and engage artists and community may request to use the William T. Kemper Charitable Trust Library at Charlotte Street for small private events or gatherings.
A completed online reservation request form must be filled out, including information describing the organization, group, or entity who will host the event, gathering, or meeting. We are able to accommodate a maximum of 35 people in the space.
To request a space, click here.
Library Hours
WED–SAT 12:00 PM-4:00 PM
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 from 7:30-9:30 PM
EMAS Presents: Brian Haas
For this month's EMAS Presents, New Orleans based pianist/keyboardist Brian Haas is our featured guest and will perform alongside members of the KC Jazz and Improvised music communities. Two sets of improvised music: 7:30-8:15 PM 8:30-9:15 PM Brian Haas - Rhoes Evan Verploegh- drums Aaron Osborne - double bass, electro-acoustic percussion Seth Andrew Davis - electric guitar, electronics Shante Clair - tabletop guitar and FX Zak Pischnotte - woodwinds ABOUT BRIAN HAAS Brian Roy Haas is an internationally celebrated, award-winning pianist, composer, producer and arranger with almost 40 albums of original compositions under his name. Starting piano at age 4 and winning his first International Piano Concerto Competition at 16, he knew his life’s mission early on. Haas received a full ride to the University of Tulsa and graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. While at TU, he founded Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. In the last 31 years JFJO has toured Europe 13 times and the Americas on a constant loop, played many of the world’s biggest music festivals such as North Sea, Berlin, Tampere, Montreal and sold out prestigious clubs like Bimhuis, Snug Harbor, Yoshi’s and The Blue Note. His illustrious career has seen Haas touring, composing and recording with Nikki Glaspie, George Porter Jr., Helen Gillet, The Funky Meters, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Nolatet, Rebirth Brass Band, Johnny Vidacovich, James Singleton, Matt Chamberlain, Les Claypool, Charlie Hunter and Punkadelick, a trio comprised of Haas, Nikki Glaspie and Mike Dillon. Punkadelick’s critically acclaimed album, Inflorescense, was released Winter of 2023 on Sony Red and the 17 month tour sold out multiple venues in America. When off the road, Haas has has worked within public schools as an improvisational music instructor for Arts and Humanities through National Endowment of The Arts. https://brianroyhaas.com/ABOUT EMAS PRESENTS
EMAS Presents is an experimental and improvised music series curated by Seth Andrew Davis + Evan Verploegh. An extension of the collective Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society, EMAS Presents highlights local, national, and international music practitioners to grow Kansas City’s improvised music community.Wednesday, May 13 from 6-8 PM
Artist INC What Works + KC Alumni Panel
What Works is a free workshop sharing the common behaviors of artists with enduring practices. It speaks directly to artists’ concerns in building sustainable careers from the artist’s point of view. These behaviors have been identified by the thousands of artists of all disciplines participating in the Artist INC program over the past fifteen years.
- Goal setting and planning
- Portfolio careers and multiple income streams
- Communications
- Strategic networking
- Financial planning
- and more
Thursday, May 21 from 6–8 PM
Writer’s Circle—May 2026
- Thursday, May 21st
- 6–8 PM
- Free + open to the public
May 16–30, 2026; Intro Event May 16; Open Rehearsals May 23, 28, 30; and Workshop May 30
The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$
Charlotte Street is thrilled to welcome Eric Avery into the Charlotte Street Stern Theater for a series of engagement surrounding his interactive performance, The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$. Throughout the month of May there will be opportunities to meet Eric and to participate in open rehearsals and a workshop. Exact dates and times are listed below. The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$ is an interactive performance welcoming people who are curious to learn about, discuss, envision, and practice individual and collective healing. Upon entering the space audience members will be presented a series of Yes/No questions, and like a decision tree or choose-your-own-adventure book each response sends individuals further down a branching path that will sort participants into distinct groups based on their identity, opinions, and willingness to participate in the event. This consent forward approach to performance grants audiences agency in defining the experience they want concerning an exploration of reparations. The project utilizes the California Reparations Report to help inform the content and guide the structure.****************
The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$ is a multidisciplinary performance exploring individual and collective healing. Participants will answer questions and like a choose-your-own-adventure book each response sends individuals on a unique path. This consent-based project grants audiences agency in defining our shared exploration of reparations.****************
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLA[Y/N] FOR REPARATIONS BY WATCHING THE VIDEO ABOVE.
****************
THE PLA[Y/N] FOR REPARATION$ INTRODUCTION
May 16, 1–4 PM
Meet with Eric Avery and learn more about The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$ ahead of the months open rehearsals and workshops.OPEN REHEARSALS
May 23, 1–4 PM; May 28, 6:30–8:30 PM; May 30, 6:30–8:30 PM
Begin with the artist outlining the session’s objectives, everyone introducing themselves to the group, and engaging in a warm-up activity. As the rehearsal unfolds, participants may be invited to contribute by answering a question, completing a simple activity, or offering their perspective. Since this is an experimental work in development, there’s plenty to explore, and these informal sessions are designed to help shape the project’s direction based on real experience and feedback from community members. They offer a unique chance to engage with the creative process, connect with the artist, and perhaps learn something new about reparations.PUBLIC WORKSHOP
May 30, 11AM–2 PM
Build community and consciousness around the concept of reparations by exploring embodied engagement frameworks. Workshop attendees share a meal or refreshments, decide how they want to make decisions together: consensus, majority, or by chance; read, discuss, activate excerpts from the CA Reparations Report or other sources, and redistribute a sum of money to: a community organization, workshop participants, or some other beneficiary the group chooses.Saturday, May 23, 2026 from 3-6 PM
Midwest Swang Opening Reception
Join us on Saturday, May 23 from 3–6 PM for the opening of Midwest Swang! This exhibition is a return and a recognition; a gathering of the folk who are all shaped by memory, migration, and the quiet knowing that the regional impact has not left. Bringing together Black contemporary artists connected to the region, the exhibition traces how place shapes identity and how that identity travels. The audience is moving through and between cities like Detroit, Cincinnati, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Milwaukee, each carrying its own cultural imprint on the artists. The aesthetics of everyday life and the stories carried in-between.
Midwest Swang is curated by Mueni Loko Rudd and features the artists Tay Butler, Kezia Harrell, Kathedral Looney, Kahil Robert Irving, and Alexis Pye.
Learn more by visiting the Midwest Swang exhibition page. COVER IMAGE Tay Butler, Image Still from MILienMidwest Swang will remain on view in the Charlotte Street Gallery through Saturday, July 11, 2026.
Saturday, May 23, 2026 from 3-6 PM
Artist Market @ Midwest Swang’s Opening Reception
Charlotte Street's Artist Market returns on May 23 for a pop-up vendor market featuring a curated selection of Kansas City’s creative entrepreneurs and organizations. In May we'll have offerings from Glory Art, Joha Bisone, Kelly McMasters, and Lost & Found Design, Olive Branch Tarot, Sage Sol Ceramics, Third Pine Collective At the same time at Charlotte Street's Campus there will be the opening reception for Midwest Swang in the gallery from 3–6 PM and earlier in the day an open rehearsal for Eric Avery's project The Pla[y/n] for Reparations. — Artist Market at Charlotte Street is a quartely pop-up vendor market featuring a curated selection of Kansas City’s creative entrepreneurs and organizations. Come join us and explore a breadth of offerings for sale, from ceramics to books, wearables, prints, as well as local resources. The rotation of vendors, resources, and performers changes for each iteration.Saturday, June 6, 2026 from 1:00-4:00 PM
Charlotte Street Block Party
Join Charlotte Street for a free community block party featuring campus-wide family-friendly activities, giveaways, interactive art experiences, community partners, and food. Stay tuned for more information on how you can connect with the Charlotte Street's larger community of neighbors, arts organizations, and community partners at this year's Block party.Thursday, June 11, 2026 from 7:30-9:00 PM
ProdoLAB—June 2026
ProdoLAB is a bimonthly experimental platform in partnership with musician/composer Eddie Moore that pairs Kansas City time-based artists, producers, and musicians to collaborate on a new piece for a one-night-only showcase at Charlotte Street. Each performance is followed by a Q&A session with the artists.Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM
In(SITE): Circle of Apathy feat. House of DOV
Join us for Circle of Apathy, a new dance project from House of DOV with live music from Family Junket, in the Charlotte Street Stern Theater on July 11 from at 7:30 PM. This performance is co-presented by No Divide KC and Charlotte Street as part of the Queer Narratives Festival.
Circle of Apathy:
a firmament a fantasia
“In the beginning there was nothing. Then there was everything.”
In Circle of Apathy, the new dance project from House of DOV with live music from Family Junket, the ensemble explores the cycles of growth and disintegration intrinsic to nature, and works together to build physical structures which increase in precarity over two acts as the group strives toward expansion. “Through creative process, we’ve sought to understand our own place within the greater ecology of our landscape, and to experience the human body as a metaphor and microcosm of the natural world,” says Drew Lewis, creative director of House of DOV.
Family Junket’s five musicians blare dense soul with moments of ambience: voices wail, altered by a vocal pedal; saxophone, flute and violin harmonize over precomposed loops; djembe, drum kit and percussion punctuate echoing acoustic piano. House of DOV’s seven dancers push against seemingly immovable forces, find new hand and footholds, and creep forward like a vine up a brick wall. A woman walks through an increasingly dense wood until the brush closes around her entirely. When all paths disappear from sight, a figure steps blindly forward, trusting that there will be a stepping stone beneath their foot.
Before the dancers take the stage at Charlotte Street, we invite you to the Queer Narratives Festival Kickoff & House of DOV Opening Party on July 10th. Join us for an immersive opening party, co-presented by No Divide KC and Charlotte Street.
Circle of Apathy is a "hypnotic" study of growth and disintegration. At this kickoff event, we bring that spirit to the party. Join us for:
- Ambient Soundscapes: Live improvisational textures from Chicago’s own Family Junket.
- Artist Meet-and-Greet: Connect with Creative Director Drew Lewis and the House of DOV ensemble.
- Festival Kickoff: Help No Divide KC launch the Queer Narratives Festival with high energy and deep intention.
