Tag: Making Movies

‘Night Without Borders’ opens coffee house doors to honor heritage through harmony

By Tommy Felts / October 7, 2025

Culture transcends borders, said Danny Soriano, surrounded Friday night in a popular Crossroads coffee shop by music, dance, art, food, and drinks that all shared a common link: Latino flavor. “Whether it’s Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, we all come together as Latinos, as Hispanics, and celebrate our heritage,” said Soriano, who organized a…

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KC arts groups ‘left reeling’ after MO governor slashes millions from budget

By Tommy Felts / July 2, 2025

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Months after area arts and culture nonprofits saw a loss of funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Gov. Mike…

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Federal arts funding cuts hit AMERI’KANA festival in KC’s northeast; organizer says the show will go on

By Tommy Felts / June 12, 2025

Creating space for healing and connection in Kansas City’s historic northeast is too critical to abandon, said Enrique Chi, whose nonprofit — and a popular music and arts festival — faces federal funding cuts targeting heritage-related initiatives that don’t align with the priorities of President Trump. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently rescinded $85,000…

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PBS docuseries puts KC creator at the intersection food and ‘transformational travel’

By Tommy Felts / December 28, 2023

Food travel is about more than getting the most exotic or expensive social media-worthy photo of a meal to share for superficial clout, said Jim Kane, emphasizing the transformation power of connection when someone truly allows themselves to use food as a lens for understanding culture. “Before the pandemic, there were a lot of checklists…

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It’s science: Music moves young minds, says singer-turned-nonprofit leader; festival to showcase how diversity of song shapes community

By Tommy Felts / August 9, 2023

A Kansas City non-profit’s punk rock move to improve teens’ mental wellness through song is getting an extra jolt from a $100,000 gift — funds that support the organization as it plans an upcoming music and arts festival in the city’s Northeast, as well as promotes scientific efforts to show how rock and roll impacts…

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