Guest post by Timarie Harrigan, Manager of Development and External Relations

. . .and well, it was really cold there! But luckily the freezing temps could not deter arts lovers in Kansas City. There was a phenomenal turn out at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center last week for the opening of our latest stop in the Art.Write.Now Tour up until February 22. Around 1,000 people showed up over the course of the night!

I got to the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center as soon as I landed in KC. Or maybe after a BBQ sandwich. No shame, I was in Kansas City! To be totally upfront, I was overwhelmed by the exhibition before I even made it up the main staircase. It was my first time seeing an Art.Write.Now exhibition and I was beyond excited. And you know what? There was totally a reason to be. The show is stunning.

Going into this, I was aware that Kansas City was an arts city. The streets are lined with galleries, there are fantastic museums, and enough music to go around. But still, I could not have anticipated the enthusiasm and interest that I saw during the AWN opening. I felt very lucky that we were able to be a part of February’s First Friday event too. Galleries and other arts venues stay open late to give locals the opportunity to experience the latest exhibitions. It happens every First Friday of every month, all year long.

I spent the night chatting with students, parents, artists, writers, and local gallery owners. Every single one of them talking about how impressive the works were, whether hung on the wall, pulled up through one of the Amazon Kindles in the room, or played on a screen. And, we were lucky to have two Scholastic Award-winning artists, who were also featured at the exhibition, in attendance.

Before the close of the night had even arrived, every single National Catalog and copy of The Best Teen Writing of 2012 was gone from the table. Even my ‘extra’ copies.

Next stop, the Fort Worth Library in Fort Worth, TX. We hope to see you there!