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Susana Bruhn is the founder of GUILDit, an organization that helps artists grow their businesses and work to expand the arts. She is also a visual artist, poet, and owner of FluidUI Web Services.

Susana is firmly rooted in the Kansas City arts scene, having shown in Kansas City galleries and worked at the Kansas City Art Institute as well as Hallmark. In addition, she founded a local design group, held board positions, and curated art shows.

She knows what it takes to be a successful and dynamic creative entrepreneur. She values community and connection when creating, sharing, and making a living from art. We are thrilled she is joining us for the Writers Conference this year, providing two sessions on networking.

Fun fact: Her work was chosen to appear on the show ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover.

View a 2-minute video of GUILDit celebrating 7 years of growing KC Art/Biz.

-- written by Jesseca Bear, adult services information specialist

Johnson County Library and the Johnson County Parks and Recreation District (JCPRD) each strive to serve a growing Hispanic population with great outreach and enrichment resources.

Now, the Library and Culture Division of JCPRD are collaborating for the first time on a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration event, highlighting the Hispanic community’s rich diversity and amazing cultural contributions.

The celebration, free and open to the public, will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, 8788 Metcalf Ave. The Library will present a Walk & Read exhibit on the front lawn and will have a table with Library card applications and other patron information.

Attendees can savor delicious food from local restaurants and enjoy a community arts activity and musical entertainment. The Johnson County Museum will be free to explore that evening. 

This is JCPRD’s fourth annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration but the first to involve the Library. Representatives of both agencies are thrilled to work together.

“We love working with the Center,” said Elissa Andre, the Library’s external communication manager. “It’s really great to have County partners. We share a mission about education and bringing exciting things to the community.”

Susan Mong is Superintendent of Culture for JCPRD, which includes the Johnson County Museum, Theater in the Park, Fine and Performing Arts and Public Art. She worked for Johnson County Library from 2007 to 2017. She was so impressed with the Library’s intentional relationship-building in the Hispanic community and has that same vision for JCPRD’s Culture Division.

“We had been looking for partnership opportunities with the Library out of this building,” Mong said. “Really trying to make sure we complement and cross-pollinate audiences.”

The event is open to all ethnicities and ages and no reservation is required.

“There’s a desire for us to not only make the Latino community feel welcome here, but also help members of our community that don’t have exposure to that to learn, celebrate and engage,” Mong said.

The Library hosted a well-attended Walk & Read exhibit and informational table at the Arts & Heritage Center’s Juneteenth celebration June 11. Both agencies hope the Oct. 12 collaboration will prove just as successful.

Other key partners for the Oct. 12 event include El Centro, the La Mega Radio Station, the Olathe Leadership Lowrider Bike Club and the Olathe School District.

Edgar Palacios, founder of the Latinx Education Collaborative, will emcee the event. Performers will include Voces Festivas, a new adult Spanish language choir led by Leilani Velasco.

Johnson County’s Hispanic population has grown from about 39,000 in 2010 to about 54,000 in 2020, now comprises nearly 9 percent of the county.

Mong said the Johnson County Museum has established a Latino Collecting Initiative to make sure that segment of the population and its cultural contributions are represented.

“There is a very intentional desire to reflect that story better in the Museum,” she said.

The Library also has a specific team of professionals devoted to serving Hispanic patrons, with robust bilingual services, early literacy programs and a Spanish language collection.

The Library’s Walk & Read will be on display Oct. 12-16 and will feature the books Pepe and the Parade by Tracey Kyle and Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera. The Library has also compiled suggested reading lists and other resources to celebrate the month.

It’s another grand Throwback Thursday where we encourage you to time travel through Johnson County's history. JoCoHistory is a collaborative presentation of the history from the Johnson County Museum, Johnson County Library and many JoCoHistory partners. Explore historical photographs and documents about the people, places and organizations of Johnson County, Kansas, from the 19th century to the present.

Collection spotlight: Johnson County Museum Aerial Photographs

About this collection: More than 8,000 color slide transparencies that are aerial views of Johnson County. The collection consists of 45 dated sets. The sets range in quantity from just a few transparencies to several hundred, dating from April 1980 to July 2002, and each set systematically documents the county from west to east. The sets were typically taken twice a year, in the spring and fall, to document agricultural land-use. Each transparency centers on two square miles.

Todays staff pick, Bright Star, is from our librarian Zachary!

"Based on the romance between English poet, John Keats (played by Ben Whishaw), and Fanny Brawne (played by Abbie Cornish).  Keats, not considered a successful writer during his life (dying at only the age of 25), is not considered a suitable husband for a woman of Brawne's status. Likewise, Keats' writing cohort (Paul Schneider), believes Keats needs to focus more on honing his craft than trivial flirtations. Directed by the Academy's reigning Best Director, Jane Campion, this film was a delightful discovery that sprung out of exploring her catalog of work. Campion's work is striking in how it can feel so sensory. Touch...smell...even taste...engaged by her delicate and meticulously crafted imagery. Their romance, intertwined with the beauty of exploring language and poetry made for a compelling, beautiful love story."

This week at the Library, you can join us at:

Library OnDemand – Available anytime you like.

Your doorway into live and archived programs. Arts & Culture, Career & Finance, Community Matters, Writers and more!

Walk and Read at Franklin Park  – Monday, Oct. 3 - Oct. 9, Anytime

Johnson County Library and the City of Prairie Village invite you to visit the Walk and Read program at Franklin Park. Halloween Night and Head to Toe will be posted.

Meet the Author: Celeste Headlee – Tuesday, Oct. 4, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.   

Communication has increased in our technological age, but it can often feel as if meaningful conversation and civility are in short supply. Celeste Headlee, author of We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter, will share science-based fundamentals of communication and discuss how prioritizing civility facilitates inclusive and productive communities and civic engagement. Headlee will also provide concrete actions to enhance relationships and build self-confidence through improved communication.

One-on-One DNA & Genetic Genealogy Help – Friday, Oct. 7, 9 a.m. - noon

Visit the Johnson County Genealogical Society at www.jcgsks.org to schedule an appointment. A volunteer will contact you by email to set up an in-person or a Zoom session link for you prior to the scheduled date.

And much more happening this week »