By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
March 9, 2011

An Affair of the Arts isn’t some ho-hum fundraiser dinner.

Not only will the March 10 event feature a variety of acts from the Lincoln College Preparatory Academy and Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, it will establish funding for the Kansas City Missouri School District’s (KCMSD) first-ever education foundation.

“This foundation will provide the resources for attracting and retaining effective building leaders, specifically principals,” said event organizer Leslie Scott. “Research has shown that those individuals are really critical to the success of a school. So, we want to be able to attract the highest building leaders we can to ensure the success of our scholars.”

KCMSD Board of Education President Airick West echoed Scott’s sentiments and added that it will also help attract and retain effective teachers, as well as provide funding later on for booster clubs, scholarships, band and other school-related activities and organizations.

Although KCMSD currently uses the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation to fund various projects, what the district doesn’t have is a 501(c)3, West said.

“Most school districts of our size have an education foundation to assist the district with expenses that are critical to the success of public education, but for which there are either inadequate state funds, or for which state funds can’t be used,” he said. “It’s just a reminder that in order for urban public education to be successful, it’s going to take all of us contributing in small ways, whether it is a few dollars here or there or a few hours there. It doesn’t work unless we all get involved.”

Cost to attend the March 10 fundraiser, An Affair of the Arts, is $75 per ticket, which includes dinner and entertainment. An Affair of the Arts will be held at the Kansas City Marriott Muehlebach Tower, 200 W. 12th St., Kansas City, Mo. Art viewing and sale begins at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and finally an entertainment showcase at 7:30 p.m.

Bobby Watson, local jazz musician and University of Missouri-Kansas City professor, will emcee the event, along with Lincoln student Angela Pearson.

Lincoln and Paseo student art will be on display and for sale, featuring a variety of 2D and 3D media.

“As artists at Paseo, they’re really learning throughout their career there how to to be an artist and this is just one more experience of how it’s like to be a professional,” Scott said. “It’s a nice capstone for their career for them to be able to participate in an event like this.”

In addition to art, entertainment will include the Paseo Concert Band, Lincoln Chamber Choir, Paseo fashion show led by the fashion and costume design students, Paseo Chamber Orchestra, Paseo dance department, recitations by Paseo’s creative writing students and the Lincoln Wind Ensemble.

Another performance will be of “spoken word” by a Paseo student, Scott said.

“He (student) does a spoken word performance while there’s a dancer behind him. It’s really quite something. It’s pretty amazing,” Scott said.

To register or to sponsor a table of 10 for $1,000, visit http://kcmsdscholarshowcase.eventbrite.com or pay at the door.