(CLICK ABOVE ICON) There is SO MUCH buzz in the air about what is going on this year in politics. We are TRULY witnessing history and being a part of it is an extraordinary thing. I took some time with the book “Dreams From My Father”, I was moved by the words and the story. It felt like I was learning about a family member, in many ways learning about myself. That is what story telling is about, that is why I love being a story teller/children’s book author/illustrator. You can step into the shoes of another person and feel what it is like to a degree. It is NOT an easy task to share with the world WHO you are WHAT you stand for. You, I, We, are only human… I DON’T CARE what kinda superstar the world SAYS you are… we are all failable and subject to the same ups and downs. The nuggets of thought and story telling from “Dream From My Father” prompted me to want to reach out to others in my community to say, “come on out and let’s tell stories”.

JUST DOWN THE BLOCK a building that had been vacant for months is now filled with a BUSTLING staff of volunteers, gearin’ up for CHANGE… I extended an invite to them to come on down to Dream Studio and now we are reaching out to you. JOIN US, let’s talk… let’s learn… LET’S DREAM!!!!

THURSDAY AUGUST 14th 6pm
711 East 31st Kansas City MO. 64109
Email us if you need at: info@shaneevans.com

Evans has inspired many through his lectures that take you through creative journeys both about his work and just adventures in his life. Schools from Brazil to California, sitting in villages in Africa to small town schools in the midwest Evans always finds a way to relate to his audience through art. Schools, libraries, universities, PTA groups have all asked Evans to share his works. With over 20 books to his credit including Disney’s SHANNA SHOW and SHANE’S KINDERGARTEN COUNTDOWN, Evans is working to inspire children of all ages.

If you have not been to been to a Dream Studio event you do not know what you’re missing, the last event was a variety pack of the arts featuring spoken word by some of the BEST poets in the area, and music from some of the most TALENTED musicians in town. The night started off as always preparing the space for an evening of inspiration. As the studio is used to create art during the days, to transform the studio into a space for the performing arts it requires that 50 plus chairs are brought in. Refreshments and beverages are prepared, and when the doors are opened a constant flood of people come through the door from 7pm to 8pm when the event kicks off. Lewis Moten set the pace introducing poets with humor and style. The poets opened the floor with a bang!!! Young poets came to the forefront and really brought the energy up, Tyler Brown and Robert Brown shook it up along with dancer Reggie Simmons, STARTING the event getting a standing ovation. Gustona Ayabar, from the Dominican Republic, came with a latin flare and style that got the crowd moving in the spoken words rhythm. Kynan Ramsey, WOW, he really got the audience tied into the word and holding on for the ride as his tongue took us on a journey. We were introduced to an AMAZING surprise as a young poet JUST 5 years old came up and BLASTED the audience with knowledge beyond her years. Savonne Standifer brought grace and color to the stage with colorful words and a shinning personality. The night was capped off by music from saxophonist “Cnote” and LB with Jaun-Dre music… The next event is something that you do not want to miss…. join us!!!

Evans has spoken with thousands of students over his illustrative career from California to Brazil, kids have delighted in the works that Evans has brought to children’s books. Since the opening of Dream Studio hundreds of visitors have been through the doors for art shows theater shows and music shows. The inspiration has filled both visitors as well as the artist. A group of students came to Dream Studio from a local grade school and they brought energy and enthusiasm for the arts. Taken in by the space lit up to illuminate the art of Evans, the students walked through the gallery awing over the colors inspired by the world through the hands of Evans. Evans is known for his slide presentation that takes viewers all over the world, through photos taken by Evans that show images from Africa to Europe. After the slide presentation students drew pictures and sighted their dreams writing them down in a short essay. All of the students left with a variety of “dream…” shirts and a GREAT BIG SMILE on their faces. It was a great day at Dream Studio!!!

Mr. Anthony David who has written with the likes of Indian Arie and has toured with super star Sade makes a stop at dream studio. Mr. David performed an inspired set of music for over an hour and had the audience captivated with his musical story telling as well as his unique and soulful voice. Evans brought in the musician as part of the celebration of Black History Month sharing with a diverse audience soul music of our times.

Upon the arrival of Mr. Anthony to COLD Kansas City from warm Miami where the singer songwriter just played a number of gigs, Evans and David met for the first time. They quickly connected as artist and crafted how the evening would unfold at dream studio. Arriving to the studio earlier in the day, David sound checked along with dream studio technical guru Sean Raspberry. Song check is always an interesting time at the studio as it is often times the first introduction to the musicians sound in the space. It was an amazing to hear the vocalist bring some of the amazing tracks to life first hand.

As the day forged on and we got all in order for the event things fell into order as “dream teamers” came into the studio to make sure that set up of the studio was taken care of, which includes food set up as well as audience set up.

The crowd arrived in (many already familiar with the David’s music) and anxiously awaited a night of incredible entertainment. As is customary at dream studio events, Evans opened the event with the “Spirit of Giving”. Patron are asked to donate what they can to a cause that dream studio will then offer to the respective causes such as True Light Resource Center that assists the homeless in Kansas City or UMECS and organization based out of Northern Uganda against child soldering, that Evans is looking to pattern up with in 2008.

Upon all of the introduction Mr. David sat calmly in the stole and put on a show that all were moved by. Song after song had the audience finger snapping, toe tappin’ and head bobbing. In between the dialogue with between Anthony and the audience was laugh provoking fun.

At the end of the set fans were given the rare chance to meet with the performer and have their CD’s that were for sale signed.

Evans and David then embarked on a 40 minute long interview where the artists talked about the arts, laughed and further enjoyed the spirit of soul music.

In the course of one week, we’ve been all over DC, in the schools sharing our visions, accomplishments, and struggles giving hope to today’s youth, on the streets informing the community of our goals and passions to reshape the minds and hearts of the people, on the radio discussing the importance of our causes and necessity of the community’s support, performing excerpts from my debut album “More” at numerous venues touching the souls of humanity with positive words and powerful messages, and within our nations very own capitol building sharing our views and ideology with former Kansas City Mayor now Congressman Emanuel Clever. All in efforts to support our CauseChange benefit concert headlined by the music and writings of San Francisco native, Jsun Jasper, me. If three individuals can rally a city with a message of hope, peace, love, education, freedom, and pursuing one’s dreams, imagine what can be accomplish if we all work together in hopes for a better tomorrow. We’ll be giving an encore performance here in Kansas City at Dream Studio. Join us while we bring in the holiday with our message of peace, love, hope, and the pursuit of dreams with featured artist Jsun Jasper accompanied by the inspirational sounds of the Juan-Dre Music Group. Children welcomed. This is an event for all ages.

Cause marketing and communications executive/United Movement to End Child Soldiering board president/and founder of CauseChange, John Chambers – children’s book illustrator / artist / designer Shane Evans - and singer / songwriter / play write Jsun Jasper have teamed up in an effort to bring together and engage diverse communities in causes and events that foster dialog and reflection on our individual and collective roles in affecting positive change within our local communities and across the globe. Through art, music, theatre, spoken word, grassroots outreach, cause and social networking, this dynamic trio is setting a course to change the world.

The trio is currently organizing, sponsoring, hosting, and performing in a benefit concert to raise money for a local and international non-profit organization: Reach for College, a local non-profit that works to increase the number of traditionally disadvantaged students who pursue and complete post-secondary education in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and the United Movement To End Child Soldiering (UMECS), which supports secondary, college, and post-graduate education for former child soldiers, child mothers, and youth affected by the 21-year conflict in Northern Uganda - in addition to other school-based peace education and guidance/counseling programs. The benefit concert will feature the music and writings of San Francisco native, Jsun Jasper.

We chose DC for the first event because its residents live in the nexus of power and bare witness to the decisions that affect the lives of millions of people in America and across the globe.

Through the course of the week leading up to the concert, we’ve been all over DC – speaking and performing in local schools where we’ve shared our visions, talked about the challenges struggles we’ve faced, and offered guidance and inspiration to youth of all ages. We’ve also taken our message of change to the streets, open mics, radio stations, and even Congress, where we’ve met with a Kansas City Congressman Emanuel Clever.

The response from audiences of all stripes has been incredible. In regards to my music, I’ve been asked what genre I fit into. Conscious soul music comes to mind, but its really conscious music that I hope speaks to people’s soul, touches their humanity, inspires them to love, and calls on them to search for MORE in their hearts and not in their pocketbooks.
If three individuals can rally a city with a message of hope, peace, love, education, and freedom, imagine what we can accomplish if we all work together to change the world with a real and meaningful message that starts in our hearts.

Oct.16-20th

When you come back to the city of New York, there is always a moment of readjustment. In the initial approach into the city, literally, flying over head starting at the bottom of Manhattan flying on the west side the pilot of the Midwest airliner gives a full view of the city by air. Tiny statute of liberty, tiny Brooklyn Bridge in the distance, all the familiar places in NYC start to come into focus one by in. The tip of Manhattan Island starts to come into view. The first things that my eyes search for is the site of the twin towers. Always with a feeling of awe when I pass over the site of the MAGNITUDE of what happened there and the SIZE and SCALE of what is missing. Flying north bound, empire state building, the new Yorker, Broadway, the hustle the bustle, it’s all starting to come back to me.

You step off the plane and you are in the pace. A New York cab is going to cruise me into the city from Queens then let the fun begin. You step into the cab and you see the changes, a credit card machine and a mini TV, funny I remember the days when there was hardly a way to open the window in the back, now I’m watching commercials.

I hit the ground running having made appointments with publishers. It is ALWAYS a wonderful thing to connect with people face to face. No matter how many phone conversation and emails pass hands it is always refreshing to sit across from someone and build ideas. Head downtown to Broadway and Houston, a busy intersection of the city that I have always loved. There is always an amazing painted advertising on the massive buildings there; I love to imaging how they put that up there. The painters looking at a brick by brick creation… I am sure they can’t wait to step back and look at their canvas to see what they have created.

The first meetings of the trip went great, taking in the city every step I take; it is always an amazing array of sights!

The rest of the NYC days are filled with subway rides, reconnecting with friends, sketching, poetry readings, basketball games, cab rides, train rides, subway concerts, people watching, good food, lights sounds, ACTION!

On Oct. 18th I attend the society of illustrators show. A wonderful event where people come together for a night and celebrate the art of children’s books. You get to meet the people that you have only spoken with on the phone in person. You get to shake hands with the LENGENDS of illustration, like Joe Santore , Ashley Bryan, Dily Evans founder of the Original Show and see friends and colleagues that you have meet throughout the years. I connected with my Syracuse University professor the legendary illustrator Murray Tinkleman who was a big influence in the careers of thousands of illustrators: www.hartfordillustrationmfa.org (Check out the MFA program that he established.) In addition I spoke with Jerry Pinkney, he is TRULY a legend in the field of children’s books and has been a big influence to me as an artist. We shared admiration of work and creative struggles one of those moments in life that one cherishes. In addition I was blessed to have my extended family come to the event the Klein’s, Alex my roommate from college, his wife, his son who just turned 1 that day and his parents Fred and Joanne, that was really a treat for me. NYC is always an adventure.

It seems like a mini lifetime has passed since the day that dream studio has opened. All of the people that have come through the space thus far is amazing. Hundreds of people have come through the space thus far and it has been a true blessing for the space. On Oct. 15th we brought Jsun from the Bay Area Ca. to the space. Jsun is a dynamic performer, singer songwriter and poet who brought the house to their FEET!!! It was an amazing tale of music and performance. Jsun backed by Jaun-Dre music, the musical twins Jaun-and Dre Williams, those young men are SUPER TALENTED… I also grabbed my guitar and took up some back ground vocals. Even being a part of the event did not stop the message from touching me to tears. We plan to bring Jsun back in Dec. for an encore performance DO NOT MISS IT!!!

Oct. 28th, Haiti and the message to the world came to dream studio and blessed it dynamically. A unique play that takes the audience through 700 years of history in an hour. The play exposes the destruction and acculturation of the Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans, which resulted in a transfer of wealth and natural resources to Europe. During the drama the Native American, European, and African characters experience a transformational awakening through which they realize their physical and spiritual losses, as well as their mutual need for one another. The three characters then offer each other gestures of compassion and forgiveness, ultimately recognizing the need for healing and reconciliation. Dream studio was transformed into a play for the night. We opened the doors to an event that brought in another standing room only event. Bird Fleming and young members of the traditional music society opened up the show with spirit moving drum. Then two members of the audience who also dance with the society moved by the sprit further blessed the space with traditional African dance, SO JOYOUS! After introductions the theater trio transformed dream studio into an amazing journey through time. After the play people were moved to tears, the group and the audience engaged in a heart felt conversation about ways to approach healing amongst us as humanbeings. The fund raising event was for The Memory Village and the first project of N a Sonje Foundation. It is envisioned as a participatory, historical village where people from Haiti and around the world will have the opportunity to relive pre-colonial America, medieval Europe, and Africa from just before the turning point of 1492 through the period of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the ensuing 500 years, to the present. By experiencing, in person, the historical re-enactment of capture, sale, shipment, and enslavement of the African people through the revolution to the present day, history itself becomes internalized in each participant, thus fulfilling the intentions of the N a Sonje Foundation to provide a medium for personal and collective transformation and healing.

One of the members of N a Sonje shared with me more information about the area that dream studio was built on. From 1830-1850 the land housed a plantation with over 100 slaves. This was an amazing notion to start to ponder as much of the work that I represent reveals stories in the history of African Americans. Imagine the day-to-day life of the people that once walked the ground where dream studio now stands. Lives that were chained and without freedom that same land is now blessed with messages of healing.

I have been honored to have these wonderful events and I want to continue to urge people to participate in events in the future. THANK YOU ALL!!!

We are opening our doors to all. We look to have our first public opening a learning event. To share the process of the creating this studio and the body of art that hangs on the walls. We intend to have some wonderful surprises for you all this evening as well as an ARTIST TALK at 8pm. Music and refreshments will set the tone for people discussing the work on hand, books will be signed by the artist, prints, tshirts and originals will be available for sale this evening as well.

Please join us for this premier event that will set the tone for a revival in this up and coming area of the city.

Dream Studio: 711 East 31st Kansas City MO. 64110

Post the opening event we have been slowly setting up the interior of the workspace. We have a number of events planned as well as a FULL workload so it will be the second phase of the challenge. We have scheduled some overseas work and relaxation travel in early August. There will surely be unique body of work that comes from it more to come on those adventures.