Theme: Smokescreens: things aren't as they seem

We’ve been taught to look at the world through a fixed, cloudy lens. Sometimes, we don’t see the world for what it is: because the reality is unusual, uncomfortable, or brilliantly unique. It’s easier to hide that reality behind a smokescreen of half-truths and lies than to embrace it. Break through the smoke. Shed some light.

Medallion Theater at Plexpod
300 E 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64111
Kansas City, Missouri, 64111
United States

Cameron Hanson

Medical Student

Cameron Hanson was born in Seattle, Washington and is a second-year medical student at the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

Carolyn Kovar

Public Policy Analyst

Carolyn Kovar is from the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, a full-time student at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, and a published essayist in Lucerna. Working in a bustling local congressional office, Carolyn has insight on how policies and laws are carried out throughout Kansas City, especially for the communities East of Troost Avenue.

Casey Holden

Photographer and Artist

Casey Lee Holden was raised in a rural town in northeast Oklahoma and currently reside in Kansas City, Missouri. A Kansas City Art Institute alum and a member of the Archive Collective, Casey was the co-founder and curator of the Red Lady Gallery in the West Bottoms for several years before taking a position at the Institute.

Darrien Case

Spoken Word Poet

Darrien is a 9-time Kansas City Poetry Slam Champion and represented KCPS at the 2018 National Poetry Slam. He was awarded "Best Newcomer" by the Music and More Poetry Foundation in 2018.

Franco Brothers

Musicians

Alfonso Franco and Francis Franco are up-and-coming young musicians that perform contemporary music with classical instruments.

Kyle Smith

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Builder + Nonprofit Founder

Kyle J. Smith hails from Mexico, Missouri and is a Truman State University alum. Kyle is a seasoned Kansas City entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, with affiliations such as KCSourceLink and the Kauffman Foundation’s 1 Million Cups. Kyle is the co-founder of Determination, Incorporated, a new nonprofit creating a pathway to opportunity for formerly incarcerated people through entrepreneurship.

Veronica Clay

Spoken Word Artist

Veronica Clay is a published author and spoken word artist, receiving the Merit Award for Spoken Word in the National Fine Arts Festival. While studying English at Rockhurst University, Veronica works to shed a light on the ill-explored biracial experience in America.