Kansas City, MO — National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter has announced the first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $10,000 to Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company for the re-staging of Southern Exposure by Artistic Director, Mary Pat Henry. Art Works is the Arts Endowment’s principal grantmaking program.
Southern Exposure will be presented October 4 & 5, 2019 at White Recital Hall at the Performing Arts Center on the campus of UMKC. Considered one of WHCDC founder/artistic director Mary Pat Henry’s masterworks, Southern Exposure is a multi-media dance theatre piece which will be transformed into an hour -long evening work with 16 dancers, 2 actors with archival film and images from artist William Christenberry ’Clan Room”.
In the past few years a 21st civil rights movement has grown fueled by grief and rage of black Americans of all ages. “The re-staging, community and audience engagement and performances will provide the opportunity to enrich a dance theatre work of social significance, while fostering mutual respect for all persons and broadening understanding American society,” stated Ms. Henry.
“The arts enhance our communities and our lives, and we look forward to seeing these projects take place throughout the country, giving Americans opportunities to learn, to create, to heal, and to celebrate,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
