KC Studio Monthly Arts Brief – January 2025

Kemper Museum Unveils New Dining Concept

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art launched its new dining concept, Oil on Linen, in early November. Three-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee Chef Ted Habiger , owner and chef of Room 39, is the culinary craftsman behind the café’s creative direction. Habiger developed the café’s concept and menu with art and community in mind, while exploring connections between cooking and artistic practices. Consumed through body, mind and senses, both food and art tell stories and bring people together.

As chef partner at ánima in Mérida, Mexico, Habiger sources ingredients and applies techniques influenced by the regional cuisine of other cultures. Habiger conjoins this with his long-standing commitment to using seasonal ingredients from Midwest farms. The Lucia Vídales Quesadilla unites crispy queso Oaxaca, roasted honey nut squash, huitlacoche, tomato-pepper salsa and pinto beans. Habiger developed this dish with Vídales, a Monterrey, Mexico-based artist who exhibited work at the museum. The fall menu includes grilled salmon served with seasonal fare, such as persimmon, butternut squash, pomegranate, walnuts, arugula and pickled shallot.

Tiffany Meesha Thompson, EMBA of Petrichor Projects designed the space in collaboration with Oil on Linen. The café’s aesthetic and artwork honors both the restaurant’s past, where departed Chef Maloney Jennifer led Café?Sebastienne for years, and Kansas City’s contemporary art community. Familiar touchstones include the Jorge Pensi-designed Toledo chairs and Frederick James Brown’s floor-to-ceiling, site-specific installation of more than 100 paintings. New features include custom-made artisanal furniture by Kansas City-based designer Matt Castilleja and Kansas City artist Kevin Townsend’s durational drawing “set in place

(mis en place),” a drawing performance executed over 200 hours in view of diners. Artworks by Sanford Biggers , Ronald Jackson, Annie Lapin and Joiri Minaya from the acclaimed collection of Bill and Christy Gautreaux are also on view in the Courtyard.

Oil on Linen hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. On Thursdays, guests may order small bites from 3 to 4:30 p.m., and prix fixe dinner service begins at 4:30 p.m. For more information, www.oil-on-linen.com. — Pete Dulin

Teri Rogers Film Grant Recipients Announced

In October, ArtsKC - Regional Arts Council announced the recipients of the Teri Rogers Filmmakers Grants and Teri Rogers Screenwriting Award.?

These awards are in honor of Teri Rogers, a woman who “dedicated her life to uplifting women creatives in Kansas City,” stated the announcement.?

The grantees in filmmaking are Eva Louise Hall for her film “Pluck” and Mel Sangyi Zhao for “Cougar,” with each receiving $10,000 and additional mentorship opportunities. The screenwriting award of $1,000 went to Jean-Jacques Corbier Corbier for his script “High Value.”?

“We are thrilled to support these talented filmmakers and screenwriters through the Teri Rogers Film Grants,” said Dana M. K. , CEO of ArtsKC, in the announcement. “Investing in diverse and creative voices not only enriches the Kansas City arts community but also serves as a testament to Teri Rogers’ legacy of uplifting women and fostering a thriving, inclusive environment for artists.” For more information visit artskc.org. — Libby Hanssen

Keep up with more arts news in Kansas City and the surrounding regions at kcstudio.org. KC Studio – All arts. All the time.