Oracle's Stance on The Current Stadium Proposal

((This post is taken from some of Laura’s social media comments on the subject and we felt as a team that it represented our position well. So we are reposting it here to share with all of you.))

Ok. For those of us who work and/or live in the Crossroads the past several weeks have been a constant non-stop discussion about the stadium and hustling to advocate for our community. In a friend's post I addressed someone's "Vote Yes" when he claimed that P&L is what made the Crossroads... I kinda snapped and responded. So here is my stance as someone who has lived in KC my entire life, and spent a good majority of it working in some capacity or another within the Crossroads Arts District: (TLDR: Vote NO)

"I am so sorry. But every time there is a large Chiefs or Royals related event... all of the small businesses in the Crossroads suffer. Power and Light did NOT "revitalize" the area... it has been a problem in the community since it's been here and is a failing business model... it contains only non-local businesses itself and has filed bankruptcy multiple years in a row. If stadiums "revitalize" the city they are in... then why is the area around the current stadiums not thriving? Displacing businesses IS displacing people. Large corporations are oblivious to the realities of artists, small businesses, and the service industry. Relocating is MORE than just getting a new location and a few thousand to keep quiet. We all have worked decades to create this ARTS district. The Crossroads ARTS district is what has put KC in the national spotlight for well over a decade now. Parking IS going to be a problem. We will all lose clients and customers because of no parking. And their survey of 30,000 parking spots is insane. All of us who live and work down here can tell you that parking is hairy on even an AVERAGE weekend night. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE listen to the people who actually live here and work in LOCAL KC businesses that this is not ok. I love the Royals... but they don't need to steal our already thriving district out from under our feet.

P&L opened the end of 2007... this district has been building and developing an identity for way longer than that. People who go to P&L are not really the same crowd that support and shop the Crossroads. A good number of the clientele for the small businesses actively avoid the P&L area as they come into the district. They tell us this. Often. People who go to P&L tend to stay within that section which means their money is going to non-locally owned businesses. Baseball fans when going to a game will go to the game. They aren't also going to get brunch, have their nails done, shop for jewelry and lingerie, or visit galleries. They will go to the game, eat and drink either within the stadium, go home. Perspective of those on the ground working here every day without the extra-resources of owning land and buildings with which to bargain... our livelihoods are on the line. They truly are. Not to mention the beautiful culture and community we have worked hard to develop and build to what it is now and what we hope to continue to nurture within our community as a whole. Our historic buildings are beautiful. Our small grassroots unique businesses are beautiful. We are a hometown with heart and we do love our Royals history as well... they need to try a DIFFERENT less disruptive space and the finances need to be really reevaluated because the numbers do not work in the community's benefit at all." - Laura Pensar

{ Oracle's Grand Holiday Party - Part 3 }

:: Dec 22nd :: 4pm-9pm :: Wanna know our line up for our Holiday Party?! Dang, I am excited - check out these women ::

 

Hungry Foxes

Hungry Foxes is alternative folk artist, Hannah Albina. Her music is meditative yet raw. She sings from her heart and plays from her gut. Currently residing in Kansas City, Hungry Foxes is about to begin work on her first album.

hungryfoxes.bandcamp.com/music

Margo May

“Inspired by everyone from Loretta Lynn to Lykke Li, Margo May has been writing songs since she was 15. Because she was underage at the time, May slowly gained some traction in her hometown, Kansas City, by playing whatever coffee houses and venues would let her on stage. That was a comfortable place for May as she’d worked in professional theatre as a kid. Now that she’s older, May balances her love of acting with her passion for pop, crafting songs than span a spectrum which mirrors her influences. “At the end of the day, though,” May has said, “I know my strength and it is folk music.” Despite appreciating the immediacy of pop, May also understands that folk music ages well. It’s also a lot more portable and playable for a solo artist on the rise, and it suits the sound of heartbreak a bit better.”  -The Blue Grass Situation, 2015

margomay.bandcamp.com

 

Teri Quinn

A Northern girl with a Southern heart living in the Mid-West, Teri Quinn writes tunes that are sweet yet savory. With her clawhammer banjo playing and old time hollerin', she mixes an old fashioned sound with a modern grit. Drawing inspiration from moon phases and matters of the heart, her enchanting presence is sure to bewitch you.

Ana Maldonado

Ana Maldonado will play beautiful music to make your heart sing.

See you all Friday the 22nd!

{ Oracle's Grand Holiday Party - Part 2 }

:: Dec 22nd :: 4pm-9pm :: If you saw our previous post, here is another sneak peak of the rest of the artists that will be attending our grandiose Holiday Party!  Come join us and these talented women for our extended holiday hour and last minute shopping that will be perfect for some  fun time and family friendly event (especially for those out of town guests)! We will be turning Oracle into a mini market of our local artists and locally made goods, along with live music of some super talented KC musicians! 

:: Here's a sneak peak of four out of seven local makers attending ::

 

Amanda Lee - Pleasesendword

PleaseSendWord brings you small batch witch crafted herbal medicines. All work rooted in a belief in body sovereignty and radical autonomy. Self care as ritual / ritual as self care. for magic. for medicine.

She has spent years of study to come back to Kansas City with her knowledge of green witchery, salves, teas, and tinctures. More info here http://www.pleasesendword.com/home

Evie Englezos - Sweet Destructor

Sweet Destructor is Evie Englezos,- printmaker turned ceramicist and volunteer wildlife rehabber. While working she thinks about earth and the natural world, the beauty of mystical thinking, death and humankind's desire to cheat it, past and future histories, ancient and recent mythologies, science and fiction and fantasy, the joy of creation and the necessity of destruction. You know, the regular stuff.
http://sweetdestructor.bigcartel.com

Teri Quinn - Rattlebone Design

Sustainably sourced creations with natures curiosities. Teri Quinn creates works of art out of materials gifted to her by our sweet mother nature. From statement jewelry to wall art, she packs in her magic to grace your home or body. She will also be part of our magical musicians songwriters that will be playing for the evening, more info to come.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/rattlebonedesign 

Tara Tonsor - Lost & Found Design

Midwestern vibes, nature-enthusiast, and a curious wanderer. This is Lost & Found Design. Tara Tonsor started this company in 2006, taking apart found jewelry, hand-me-down items like my grandmother's charm bracelet, and thrift store sales. Five years later, discovering laser cutting. Blending graphic design & illustration, she translates hand-drawn artwork into new technology techniques. Using natural materials such as wood, leather, and bronze paired with modern design, Lost & Found Design has now branched from jewelry into home goods, and can personalize items you see listed.
lostandfounddesignus

See you all Friday the 22nd!

{ Oracle's Grand Holiday Party - Part 1 }

:: Dec 22nd :: 4pm-9pm :: We will be having a grandiose Holiday Party and extended holiday hour for not only last minute shopping but a fun time and family friendly event for the family! We will be turning Oracle into a mini market of our local artists and locally made goods, along with live music of some super talented KC musicians! 

:: Here's a sneak peak of three out of seven local makers attending ::

 

Laura Tyler - Sticks and Stones

Laura Tyler, creator of Sticks and Stones Ceramics, is a Kansas City artist who is influenced by the desire to collect nature and to bring it into domestic spaces.  Laura grew up fascinated by her grandmother’s home collections, taxidermy covered walls, and plant filled rooms.  Now, as an artist, she finds influence from her grandmother’s home collections of nature.  Laura collects animal bones, arrowheads, shells, and rocks that act as references for her work.  These collections are manifested through Sticks and Stones’ sculpted clay skull mounts, dinnerware sets, and rock-like planters.  She strives to continuously find ways to bring Midwest flora and fauna into her ceramic work.

Andrea Bledsoe - Recrudescence

Located in Kansas City, MO Andrea Minnette Bledsoe specializes in still/motion styling and jewelry design. She utilizes molten metals, electroplated flora, as well as vintage and modern elements to create limited runs of unique adornment. Her styling and design work has been featured in branding campaigns, music videos, runways and creative media content.
See more at.... www.ambstyling.com

Sandy Leppin - Rook and Owl Studio

Rook and Owl Studio is a one-person operation producing artwork that is one part goth, one part nerd, and one part trickster for eccentric and curious souls. The Studio is run solo by Sandy Leppin, a multidisciplinary artist who has worked for years in various theaters across the United States as a scenic designer, scenic artist, and properties artisan. With her extensive background in combining craft and vision, she uses Rook and Owl Studio as a space where history, mythology, humor, and pop culture spark into life through fresh lenses. Leppin is an ArtistINC Kansas City fellow. She has also received two Kennedy Center Commendations for Achievement in Scenic Design, the Mordecai Gorelik Award for Excellence in Scenic Design, and was included in the Toronto World Stage Design Exhibition.
See more at.... http://rookandowlstudio.com