Kansas City MO, February 25, 2026: Charlotte Street is pleased to announce the selected projects from its 2026 Open Call for exhibitions and programs, which invite artists, curators, and cultural producers to propose new ideas for the Charlotte Street Gallery and Stern Theater. This year, Charlotte Street welcomes 3 exhibitions and 6 events/programs to its annual calendar through Open Call.
The 2026 Open Call exhibitions include Queer Ecologies II curated by SK Reed, Lily Erb, Maven Kennedy, and Bianca Brandolino, Midwest Swang curated by Mueni Loko Rudd, and Digital Prairie curated by Steve Gurysh and Poppy DeltaDawn. The exhibitions will be on view in the Charlotte Street Gallery in the following order: Queer Ecologies II, March 21-May 2; Midwest Swang, May 23-July 11; Digital Prairie, August 15-September 23.
The 2026 Open Call events and programs include Love Under the Moonlight from Unique Hughley, The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$ from Eric Avery, Wordlessly from Liat Roth, COLD GRAVY BOWL II: THE COLDEST BOWL from True Lions (Alison Hawkins & Fritz Hutchison), Nightshades Experimental Animation Festival from Nora Snyder, and OPEN HOUSE with CLOUDS Dance Company from Olivia Emert of CLOUDS Dance Company. The events and programs will take place in the Charlotte Street Stern Theater in the following order: Love Under the Moonlight, February 14; The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$, May 2026; Wordlessly, August 14, 15, and 16; COLD GRAVY BOWL II: THE COLDEST BOWL, August 27, 28, and 29; Nightshades Experimental Animation Festival, November 6 and 7; OPEN HOUSE with CLOUDS Dance Company, December 11.
These exhibitions, events and programs will join Charlotte Street’s existing 2026 calendar. In the gallery this includes Stand Up, Fight Backcurrently on view in the gallery, and a new exhibition curated by Elizabeth Spavento, Charlotte Street’s Co-Executive Director which will open in November of this year. On the events and programming side, these projects will join our existing series In(SITE), ProdoLAB, EMAS Presents, and Artist Markets, as well as other collaborations like next month’s performance of Sunset: A Cyber Lament with The Hinterlands on March 7. Together, these projects reflect the organization’s ongoing commitment to supporting artist-led experimentation, collaboration, and community dialogue across Kansas City’s contemporary art landscape.
2026 Open Call Exhibitions
Queer Ecologies II
curated by SK Reed, Lily Erb, Maven Kennedy, and Bianca Brandolino
Opening Reception: March 21, 3:00-5:00 PM | On View: March 21-May 2, 2026
Queer Ecologies II is the second iteration of an exhibition spotlighting Queer artists from the Midwest who engage with the natural world through multidisciplinary practices. Co-curated by Kansas City–based artist SK Reed and Chicago artist Lily Erb, this expanded edition builds on a 2024 exhibition at Purple Window Gallery and brings the project to Kansas City. Featuring returning and newly selected artists working across fiber, ceramics, photography, and other media, Queer Ecologies II explores the interconnections between Queerness, ecology, and the Midwest landscape.
Midwest Swang
curated by Mueni Loko Rudd
Opening Reception: May 23, 3:00-6:00 PM | On View: May 23-July 11, 2026
Midwest Swang brings together Black contemporary artists from across the region whose practices reflect the creativity, pride, and cultural innovation of the Black Midwest. Taking its name from the 1999 St. Lunatics track, the exhibition considers how Black identity, style, and expression are shaped by both place and diaspora. Through painting, installation, video, and sculpture, Midwest Swang celebrates the everyday genius of Midwestern life—its music, neighborhoods, and histories—while inviting audiences to reflect on belonging and regional identity.
Digital Prairie
curated by Steve Gurysh and Poppy DeltaDawn
Opening Reception: August 15, 3:00-5:00 PM | On View: August 15-September 26
Digital Prairie brings together artists examining the intertwined relationships between technology and land through practices such as weaving, basketry, 3D scanning, and computer-aided design. Drawing inspiration from the pioneering digital landscape works of Colette Bangert, the exhibition considers how technological processes mirror natural systems while revealing the ecological and historical consequences of innovation on the American prairie. Through material, digital, and land-based practices, Digital Prairie asks how technology might shift from an extractive force toward a regenerative one—reimagining computation as a form of care.
2026 Open Call Events and Programs
Love Under the Moonlight
hosted by Unique Hughley
February 14
Love Under the Moonlight is an evening of love, rhythm, and creativity in the Charlotte Street Stern Theater. From poetry to spoken word to live performances and contests, Love Under the Moonlight will bring the love all night long. Get in on couple games, win prizes, and take the mic during an open mic. Expect an intimate atmosphere filled with community, connection, and unforgettable moments.
The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$
by Eric Avery
May 2026
The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$ is an interactive, multidisciplinary performance exploring the concept of reparations through participatory design. Structured as a “choose-your-own-adventure” event, the piece invites audiences to engage through performance, conversation, and reflection. Grounded in the California Reparations Report, the project transforms policy into lived dialogue, offering space for collective healing and exchange through open rehearsals and public engagement.
Wordlessly
choreographed by Liat Roth
August 14, 15, 16
Wordlessly is an immersive dance performance that unfolds in the round, transforming audience and performer relationships through movement, song, and proximity. Featuring live singers performing traditional Jewish nigunim—wordless melodies—the piece explores the many forms of love and connection. Audience members are seated in a circle, surrounded by dancers and sound, becoming both witness and participant in a shared, breathing choreography.
COLD GRAVY BOWL II: THE COLDEST BOWL
by True Lions (Alison Hawkins & Fritz Hutchison)
August 27, 28, 29
A sequel to their 2024 stage production, COLD GRAVY BOWL II continues the surreal saga of country showman Amos Biskit, whose onstage accident unleashed chaos between worlds. Blending live music, drag, and theatrical spectacle, True Lions return with a wild, satirical sequel exploring fame, greed, and damnation—set to a raucous soundtrack that reimagines bluegrass through heavy, genre-bending performance.
Nightshades Experimental Animation Festival
organized by Nora Snyder
November 6, 7
Nightshades spotlights experimental animated shorts by artists from the Kansas City area, showcasing inventive approaches to the medium beyond industry conventions. Through techniques ranging from stop motion and unconventional digital processes to nontraditional narratives, the festival celebrates animation made for the vision of the artist. Screened in the Stern Theater, Nightshades offers audiences an immersive big-screen experience and opportunities to engage with local animators through discussions and Q&As.
OPEN HOUSE with CLOUDS Dance Company
organized by Olivia Emert of CLOUDS Dance Company
December 11
OPEN HOUSE is an evening-length contemporary dance work centered on connection, collaboration, and community. Presented over a weekend run, the project includes a public participatory party inspired by Marta Minujín’s MINUCODE, inviting community members into conversation around relationships, belonging, and shared experience. These interactions, documented visually and integrated into the performance, inform the choreography, sound, and projected media, creating an immersive work in which audiences become an integral part of the artistic process.
More about the selection process:
Applications were submitted and scored through the online submission platform, Submittable. This year’s jury reviewed and rated 22 proposals for exhibitions and 39 proposals for events and programs.
The jury panel for exhibitions included Corey Antis, Sally Paul, and Aleah Washington.
The jury panel for events/programs included: Lindsay Clipner, Diallo French, and Jane Sylvester.
Charlotte Street administers the selection process, but staff are not voting panelists.
For interview requests contact Amanda Middaugh at [email protected] or 816-994-7734.
ABOUT CHARLOTTE STREET
Charlotte Street centers Kansas City’s most forward-thinking visual artists, writers, and performers—acting as the primary incubator, provocateur, and connector for the region’s contemporary arts community, and its leading advocate on the national stage. Since 1997, Charlotte Street has distributed over $3 million in awards and grants to artists and their innovative projects and has hosted countless exhibitions, performances, convenings, and conversations connecting and challenging Kansas City’s contemporary art ecosystem. For more information about Charlotte Street, its awards, programs, and initiatives, visit www.charlottestreet.org.
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View the press release as a PDF here.
