Janet Zweig and Dan Maginn

February 17—Janet Zweig, a New York–based artist working primarily in the public realm, and Dan Maginn, FAIA, a Principal with el dorado inc in Kansas City, have occasionally collaborated with each other on public art projects. “Public art” has the challenging call to thoughtfully engage while broadly appealing to a varied audience. Zweig and Maginn recognize and embrace this challenge. Zweig’s participatory, audience-activated work has been recognized with awards including the Rome Prize, NEA fellowships, and residencies at PS1 Museum. Maginn’s innovative architecture firm, recognized for its building designs and socially minded architecture projects, extends its practice to include collaborating with artists in the public realm. “el dorado’s public art experience is truly unique. . . . We understand the spiritual and emotional potential of public art in addition to all of its requirements regarding constructability, safety and maintenance.”

For Tuesday Evenings, Zweig and Maginn present individual endeavors and recent collaborations, discussing how architects and artists approach problems differently, how successful collaboration between them can unfold, and how collaborating results in surprising and engaging public art.

This popular series of lectures and presentations by artists, architects, historians, and critics is free and open to the public each Tuesday beginning again in September. Lectures begin at 7 pm in the Museum’s auditorium. Seating begins at 6:30 pm and is limited to 250; a live broadcast of the presentations is shown in Café Modern for any additional guests. Free admission tickets (limit two) are available at the Modern’s information desk beginning at 5 pm on the day of the lecture. The Museum galleries remain open until 7 pm on Tuesday evenings during the series.

Café Modern serves cocktails, salads, and appetizers on Tuesday nights during the lecture series.

Image: Prarie Logic, 2012, by Janet Zweig and el dorado architects, Commissioned by the City of Kansas City, MO.  ½ acre x 13 ft high. Prairie grass, boxcar wheels and track, aluminum, steel, gravel, performances.