KC Studio Arts Brief - September 2023

Local Composer Award M-AAA Artistic Innovations Grant

Composer Stacy Busch was among 14 award recipients of the annual Artistic Innovations grant from the Mid-America Arts Alliance . She is a first-time recipient of this award, which is for $15,000.

Busch collaborates with the Owen/Cox Dance Group for a new work, “She Breathes Fire,” which premieres in October. The work is written for a vocal octet of women and non-binary voices and electronics. “‘She Breathes Fire’ offers a new folkloric story of the heroines’ journey in a fantasy world where women rule. This tale seen through the eyes of women provides an alternative history that is in stark comparison to the heroism that has been internalized in our world,” described the release.

“As humans, we become the stories we tell ourselves, and these artists are our region’s lead storytellers for what it means to define the present and create the future of America’s heartland,” said Todd Stein , president and CEO of M-AAA, in the announcement. For information about performance dates visit www.owencoxdance.org. — Libby Hanssen