Community Students Attend Van Gogh Alive Thanks To District Partnership and Grant

Van Gogh Alive opened at Starlight Theatre just under a month ago and since then thousands of patrons have enjoyed the reveled 19th century painter's works in a multi-sensory experience inside Starlight's Cohen Community Stage House. Now, students from Kansas City Public Schools will receive the opportunity to experience this unique exhibit thanks to a partnership between the school district, Starlight and the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation.

Starlight's Philanthropy team applied for the $25,000 grant with the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, and Kansas City Public Schools covered the cost of transportation, which allowed more students to attend the exhibit. In total, more than 800 middle and high school students will have attended Van Gogh Alive between November 9-19. Patrons have also had the opportunity to make individual donations when purchasing tickets to the exhibit.

"The exhibit at Starlight is a brand-new way to experience the works of one of the most well-known artists of all time," Alex Jones, Starlight's Vice President of Community Engagement, said. "This partnership takes students out of the classroom and into an immersive learning environment where they can explore the world of Vincent van Gogh."

Starlight's Community Tickets Program, one of the historic theatre's oldest initiatives, provided the framework for making Van Gogh Alive more accessible for audiences, including Kansas City Public Schools students. Since it's inception in 1950, Starlight's Community Tickets Program has provided thousands of tickets per year to groups who would otherwise miss out on enjoying the arts.

Created by Grande Experiences, Van Gogh Alive is is no ordinary art exhibition. Traditions of tiptoeing through silent galleries and viewing paintings from afar in quiet contemplation are forgotten as visitors find themselves interacting with art in ways they never imagined. From start to finish, visitors are surrounded by a vibrant symphony of light, color, sound and fragrance that has been called an 'unforgettable' multi-sensory experience. Van Gogh's masterpieces come to life, giving visitors the sensation of walking right into his paintings, a feeling that is simultaneously enchanting, entertaining and educational. Adults and children delight in the super-scale show, viewing artworks from new angles and discovering unique perspectives.

For Van Gogh Alive, Starlight has transformed its stage house into the world of the reveled 19th century painter. Patrons wander through the exhibit on the same 12,000 square foot stage they see live Broadway productions and concerts performed on each summer.

Van Gogh Alive is on display at Starlight through December 31. Starlight is the only official ticketing provider of Van Gogh Alive and tickets may only be purchased by calling the Starlight Theatre Ticket Office at (816) 363-7827, or by visiting kcstarlight.com.

Discount prices for groups of 10 or more are available by contacting group sales department at 816-997-1137 or groups@kcstarlight.com.

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