Salina Arts & Humanities
Amado Espinoza and Karen Lisondra will be in residency Nov. 7-8 in Salina area schools through the Arts Infusion Program of Salina Arts & Humanities.
The residency includes a community performance that is open to the public at no charge from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 in the Sunflower Financial Theatre of Theatre Salina, 303 E. Iron Avenue.
Espinoza and Lisondra are returning to Salina after performances on the main stages and children’s stage at the 2019 and 2022 Smoky Hill River Festival. Espinoza is a Bolivian artist who invites the listener to share a journey through his innovative musical poetics. A master of African and Arabic percussion concerts, Espinoza has been received with shouts of enthusiasm and a standing ovation.
Lisondra grew up in the Kansas City area and has traveled the world performing theatre, circus, and dance, winning national awards for her work.
The pair began working together and married in Bolivia before moving back to Kansas City.
The pair are the 2022-23 Arts Infusion Sharon Benson Visiting Artists. Sharon Benson served as the Arts Education Coordinator for Salina Arts & Humanities from 1994-2014. During that time, Benson worked with local and nationally known artists to develop programs to support the existing school curriculum. Her passion for the power of arts education to present thoughtful, curriculum-based encounters between students and the arts provided an excellent foundation for the Arts Infusion program. A teaching artist is designated each year to provide educational programs and content that reflect cultural diversity, while connecting the arts to new and established audiences in relevant ways.