By The Shout

Exploration Place and TKAAM collaborate on Black History Month display

In celebration of Black History Month, Exploration Place is collaborating with The Kansas African American Museum for the fourth consecutive year on an outdoor celebration. During February, Exploration place will project portraits of Black STEM leaders on the side of their island building.

The display will change weekly throughout the month, and includes Roy Moye III, a German-born singer and aerospace engineer now living in Wichita. Moye founded STEMusic, an organization using music to engage minority youth in STEM disciplines. Wichitans may remember Moye from the 2017 Riverfest, when he sang the John Legend part on "Glory" during Common's set.

The display can be viewed for free along the Arkansas river walk. 

Wichita filmmaker Wade Hampton and Art Brut Films release new short film 'Destroy the Bones'

Breaking news from Wichita media

• On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council voted unanimously to reject an amended occupancy request from the owner of the Crown Uptown Theater. Owner Mike Brown has threatened to sell or tear down the historic building if he is unable to increase the occupancy, which is currently 850. (Shaheer Naveed for the Wichita Business Journal)
• In another unanimous vote, the City Council voted to restructure a $200K loan agreement that was key to reopening the Starlite Drive-In. Operator Blake Smith, who has run the 72-year-old South Wichita institution since 2019, said ticket sales have been down since the pandemic. The theater reopens for the season on February 14. (KFDI)
• Sarah Bagby is looking to sell Watermark Books & Cafe, the 47-year-old store she has owned since the late '90s. "The store is listed for $247,400, which doesn’t include an approximately $250,000 inventory." (Carrie Rengers for The Wichita Eagle)

What we're reading

Our editors' favorite outside media of the week

We loved Ksenya Gurshtein's observations on Rachel Epp Buller’s audio piece "Winter Walking." Gurshtein explores the fundamental human importance of walking, and how the Kansas landscape — which "does not inspire immediate rapture" — is (for that very reason) especially conducive to the meditative demands of a walk. You can experience Epp Buller's audio narrative at Wichita parks Chisholm Creek South, Pawnee Prairie, Swanson, and Oak through the end of the month.

This artist reaches out through audio work to walkers visiting Wichita parks • Kansas Reflector

When I encountered artist Rachel Epp Buller’s audio piece “Winter Walking,” installed outdoors as part of an exhibit, it struck a chord.

Kansas ReflectorKsenya Gurshtein

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