Title: Charlie's Serenade Location: Historic 18th & Vine Artist: Kiera C. Blanchard Sponsor: Kansas City Star Renowned jazz musician Charlie Parker would be ‘udderly’ proud. Charlie’s Serenade is a mixed media painting with a dual focus on illustrating the Charlie Parker story and treating the environment with the abstract elements of push and pull. “I address the layered, staccato nature of Parker’s music while providing a surreal, tranquil atmosphere to capture the moment that still resonates,” said artist Kiera Blanchard. The artist’s inspiration for “Charlie’s Serenade” came from an anecdote shared in the recent Ken Burns Jazz documentary. “Apparently, Charlie was driving through the countryside with some friends when one of them mentioned that, “farm animals really dig music”. Charlie yelled at them to stop the car, jumped out and proceeded to give an extended serenade to the entranced bovines. This image struck me in a number of ways. I was immediately impressed with the strong reflection of his character. It’s a perfect example of the impulsive, passionate qualities that made his music transcend what had been done before and change the course of Jazz music forever.” Artist Kiera Blanchard’ commissions have included set and graphic design, and she has exhibited in various galleries and venues including the Hobbs and The Hummingbird galleries.				This cow was sold in the internet auction hosted by Amazon.com that began on October 5, 2001, immediately following the close of the live auction and ran for approximately three weeks. Send a Postcard

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