Does your company have news to share about a renovation, promotion, new offering or award? Send it to dklaus@visitkc.com with "Member News" in the subject line. Submissions will appear on this page (updated quarterly).

Nelson-Atkins CEO announces retirement

Marc F. Wilson, who led The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art through a dramatic transformation and major expansion in recent years, has announced that he will retire as Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell Director/CEO, effective June 1, 2010. Wilson has held the position since 1982. During his tenure as the Museum’s fourth director, Wilson’s achievements for the Nelson-Atkins have been prodigious. The Museum’s collection has been greatly deepened, and curators have reached exceptional levels of scholarship and presentation of works of art. Wilson led the way during three decades to raise institutional standards for collecting and conserving works of art, building membership and financial support, reaching out to the community with education programs, and building what has become one of the country’s finest public art reference libraries. For more information, contact Randy Attwood at rattwood@nelson-atkins.org.

Rhythm & Ribs to take hiatus in 2009, return in 2010

Organizers of Kansas City’s blues and jazz festival, Rhythm & Ribs, announced today that the event will not occur on June 19-20, as planned. Citing fundraising made tougher by the challenging economy corporate sponsors are working in, the annual festival will take a break in 2009 and will return on Father’s Day weekend in 2010. Since 2005, Rhythm & Ribs has been a non-profit, community-oriented festival designed to showcase some of Kansas City's world-renowned cultural traditions – jazz, blues and BBQ – and has grown to become the city’s biggest celebration of “the heart, the soul, and the sauce.” Festival leaders, sponsors and followers had been working toward the fifth annual event at one of KC’s great cultural centers, the Historic 18^th & Vine Jazz District. For more information, contact Andrew Zender at azender@kcjazz.org.

Kansas City Rep announces new Managing & Producing Directors

Kansas City Repertory Theatre is pleased to announce two new promotions within the company: Cynthia Rider has accepted the position of Managing Director and Jerry Genochio will serve as the Rep’s Producing Director. Now in its 44th season, Kansas City Repertory Theatre is its region’s only member of the prestigious national League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and serves as the professional theatre in residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). For more information, contact Laura Muir at muirl@kcrep.org.

Kansas City Sports Comission celebrates 20 years

The Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year by continuing to build membership and public involvement as one of the finest sports commissions in the United States. President Kevin Gray was the first paid staff member of the organization in 1989 after civic leaders decided to hire someone to lead the organization fresh from the 50^th Anniversary Celebration of the 1988 NCAA Men’s Final 4. (Kansas City has hosted more NCAA Final Fours than any other city in the United States.) For more information, contact Lila Brown at lila@jenningspr.net.

District Art Annual returns to Power & Light

Hundreds of artists will converge on downtown Kansas City in the second District Art Annual, June 26 - 28, 2009. The Kansas City Power & Light District hosts the three-day juried art event, which brings together an eclectic mix of the nation’s most talented artists from around the country and locally, who will collectively display more than $15 million in artwork. The artists were juried by an independent panel of expert judges, and hand-selected from hundreds of applicants based on quality and diversity. All of the artwork is original and handmade in America. For more information, contact AnaBelle Dweck at anabelledweck@att.net.