We have been fortunate to have a wonderful article featured in the Kansas City Star! Thanks to Lisa Jo Sagolla for a great article on the American Fusion Project. If you would like to read the article, please click on the following link!
High Plains Public Radio features: AFP
Today, August 25th, the radio segments on the artists of the American Fusion Project will air on HPPR! Cindee Talley has done an incredible job of capturing each artist. I can't wait to hear her work this week!
The web stories and radio segments are online at: http://hppr.org/
You can also hear them broadcast at 1 pm this afternoon and at 3pm this afternoon at 91.1 fm KANZ in the Garden City area.
They’ll be broadcast during our classical music afternoon.
Another big THANK YOU to Cindee Talley and the HPPR staff for supporting the American Fusion Project!
American Fusion Project receives a $3,740 grant from Western Kansas Community Foundation!
Featured here with Shea Sinclair - Executive Director of WKCF.
We would like to give a special thanks to Melinda Hitz, the 457 School Board Foundation and the Western Kansas Community Foundation for granting approval on our final grant request! Once again, the community of Garden City has gone above and beyond to help the American Fusion Project on its way to our Kansas Tour.
THANK YOU!!
Cleo Person:
I've been a lucky world traveler so far this summer! After performing with some of my Juilliard classmates in Prince Edward Island, Canada, I've been in Europe exploring Italy and the Netherlands, and studying cooperative business structure in Spain. Now I'm back in New York, as a councilor for Juilliard's summer program for high schoolers. Then I'll be performing in Chicago before finally bringing our exciting project to Kansas!
Videographer: Richard Ross
We are incredibly grateful to Richard Ross for joining our Kansas Tour! He will be with us from the beginning of the tour in Garden City, through our final stop in Kansas City, Missouri capturing every moment. I for one am definitely looking forward to seeing our project at work through his eyes.
I am very excited to be a part of this project. It is great that so many different areas of artistic study are coming together and creating something new. I am glad that I will be able to bring another aspect of art to the table: video. Capturing artists at work is something that I really enjoy doing. I can't wait to capture this process and performance to be able to show everyone.
High Plains Public Radio
HPPR’s tag-line is “in touch with the world, at home on the high plains” and this project fits perfectly into that idea. As a young adult, Kristen has accomplished quite a lot and has had the opportunity to live and travel all over the world. When she was accepted into Julliard, she acclimated well to life in New York City but she never forgot where she started…in Garden City, Kansas. The way Kristen is fusing together performing arts is nothing short of genius! The way she and her fellow artists are bringing together classical music, dance and poetry, and showcasing their gifts in Kansas, is genuine. The American Fusion Project is just the beginning for these talented performers. HPPR will be following the careers of these performers for many years and we are so excited to be on this journey with them, no matter where the road leads.
Deborah Oyler
Executive Director
High Plains Public Radio
In the booth with Cindee!
Sharing the story of the American Fusion Project.
High Plains Public Radio is now interviewing each artist of the American Fusion Project set to air the last week of August! It has been an incredible experience working with Cindee Talley over the past few weeks. Hear more about Cindee's experience with the artists below!
Thank You to HPPR for their support of the American Fusion Project!
Cindee Talley's personal thoughts:
Let me tell you why the American Fusion Project captures me. The concept of the undertaking caught my attention, but actually, it’s not the project at all that captures me, even though the idea is innovative and wonderful. It’s the beautiful, unique individuals I’ve been talking to that simply draw me. I can’t wait to get a glimpse of how they see the world through their performance. Honestly, I can’t wait to meet each of them, and I’m an introvert. I have a friend who says you just need to step out on your journey and keep stepping out, having faith that doors will open where you need them to open, and everything you need will be met. She takes this to the extreme, (in my opinion), backpacking across Central America, India, Europe.. the world. She has the most amazing adventures, and never, not even once have the pieces failed to fall into place.
I see that kind of faith in Kristen. She has a vision of something that’s never been done before. She has moved it from an intangible idea to reality with hard work, determination, and creativity. Think about that in context. She’s building this huge bridge between two worlds: artists and audiences; New York and Kansas.
She has imagined a structure that provides a foundation for artists while giving them creativity to self-expression, yet somehow creating a method that makes art in these varied forms personal and accessible for everyone.
To accomplish this type of task generally requires an army, but here is this collection of youthful energy, coming together like parts of a whole making it happen.
I visualize Jiyang in his pensive, reflectiveness with the heart of a pianist, and the eye of a painter capturing the essence of each individual with his still images.
Taylor, who left home to study dance and felt so alone, but her aloneness brought her closer to her partner, gave her faith, and a course she uses to chart her life.
Richard, the life-longer performer, using that perspective in an effort to chronicle this remarkable story on film.
Maria, the spark that bubbles over with the can-do of nothing is impossible.
Colin, with his reserved passion for performing, collaboration, teaching, and innovating in the most humble of ways.
Cleo, the dancing astronaut, the daughter of engineers, who longs to dance in space to eliminate all the barriers that separate the human race on earth.
Kyle, who believes every person has an inner artist, and dances not only because he wants to, but because he has to.
Gabe, the true southern gentleman who faces down a blank page and his internal struggles of others’ perceptions and expectations to tell the stories of life.
My couple words have turned to many.
The reason I feel this is something to share with the High Plains Public Radio community is: The mission of HPPR is to be in touch with the world, at home on the High Plains, a bridge, of sorts from the High Plains to the world, and vice versa. American Fusion is a lane on the bridge, working to be an artistic bridge between the world of artist and audience through personal experience and relationship.
My part in this endeavor is tell the story authentically, and to share the voyage with everyone who desires it.
Why are you excited for this project? Let us know in the comment box below!
Jake Alan Nelson:
Life has taken me across the big blue sea, with adventure after adventure. My travels have taken me through cities in Turkey, Italy, Germany and Austria. So here's a snap shot of my travels!
1st pic - train station downtown Berlin my friend said "catch the sun" and I thought of our project
2nd pic- at Topkali Palace in Istanbul
3rd pic at the Aya Sophia Mosque. where I teared up thinking of the crazy things that those walls have seen
4th Semi finals World cup in front of the Reichstag the inscription says "for the German people"
5th Top of the Castle Ankara, The capital of Turkey
Taylor Hansen "Johnson"
This summer, I have been exploring a variety of different physical activities. I absolutely love hot yoga and have been studying that practice a bit. I have also been working on my stamina by running every day (or at least trying!), biking, and hiking. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where I got to climb mountains and take in all the beauty of the west. But I have to say, the most exciting part of my whole summer was/is getting married! I have had such a blast in the past 3 months and am extremely blessed for all that has taken place!
Workshops with children in Africa as a part of Art Powers Arusha.
Kyle and Cleo in Florence, Italy.
Another stop in Europe!
Kyle Weiler
I spent four weeks teaching arts workshops in Tanzania, Africa. What an incredible experience! After my time in Africa, I met some friends in Italy and backpacked Europe for two weeks (it was my first time out of the country so it was a wonderful adventure.) I am now interning at the Minneapolis Children's Theatre working on the musical Bare. Following my work in Minneapolis, I will be performing in Chicago with other Juilliard dancers before I make my way to Kansas for the American Fusion Project. Looking forward to meeting you all in September!
The Project is moving forward, as our group is a recipient of The Juilliard Summer Grant of $2,300! We are making progress on raising funds for our tour. Any and all contributions are welcome!
We are excited to announce that the American Fusion Project has been awarded an Arts grant of $2,500 by the City of Garden City. Thank you for supporting the American Fusion Project!
If you are interested in supporting our Project, please visit our online donation website below.
A big THANK YOU to the USD #457 School Foundation for awarding the American Fusion Project with a $4,000 grant. Special Thanks to Ms. Vanderhoff and Melinda Hitz for presenting our project to the board.
It was an overwhelming moment when I first opened this card from Debbie Wharton, and saw the message with their generous gift. This was the first official contribution, one that encouraged us to keep moving forward. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Wharton!
The second round of our announcement receptions took place in Garden City, where Maria once again flew to Kansas to help share The American Fusion Project. It was a new experience to share my home in Garden City with a friend and colleague I met in New York. It was fun to experience the NYC bubble meet my Garden City roots. Maria loved it! Thanks to all who could make it!
Maria and I had such a great time in Kansas meeting everyone and performing over Christmas break! Our KC venue was Steve and Mary Smith's home at Lake Quivira. It was the perfect atmosphere to share the vision for The American Fusion Project for the first time. Thanks to everyone who could make it out that night. Enjoy the pictures!
Photo credit: Emily Kippes
