Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band may be traveling to Kansas City on a Greyhound bus from Tennessee to perform at the Starlight Theatre. (After all, “Missouri Loves Company.”)
But Starr’s artwork will make a stop in Kansas for an exclusive engagement during Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-3.
The Leawood Fine Art Gallery, 11709 Roe Ave. in the Camelot Court Shopping Center, will host the Ringo Starr Fine Art Show. The exhibit will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday. Admission is free.
Leawood Fine Art is one of only three galleries to host the Starr Art Show during the All Starr Band U.S. tour. Gallery owner Mike Dean said scoring Starr’s exhibit was due to his friendship with Scott Segelbaum, who promotes art exhibits through his company, Rock Art Show.
Dean, who has worked at the gallery for most of its 28-year history and has been the owner for the past nine years, said Segelbaum contacted him back in 2016 about possibly hosting the Beatles Cartoon Pop Art Show, which featured the work of famed animator Ron Campbell.
“He thought that Leawood would be a good spot to promote Ron, so we had Ron here,” Dean said.
The Campbell exhibit was a success, and that collaboration led to Dean and the gallery hosting the very popular Dr. Seuss exhibit in September 2016. Dean said 400-500 people came to see rare artwork created by the children’s book author and illustrator.
Segelbaum contacted Dean this year about hosting the Starr Art Show, assuming the former Beatle could be talked into taking his art show on the road.
“I was the logical choice if Ringo was willing to agree to show his work, and all the proceeds that Ringo makes goes to his charities,” Dean said. “So that’s Ringo’s thing. He wants to sell his work and donate to charity.”
Starr is giving all sales proceeds to the Lotus Foundation, which promotes various social welfare initiatives. Segelbaum said that those who purchase specialty high-end pieces will also have the chance to meet Starr backstage before his show.
“It is a special opportunity for the art show patrons as a way of saying thanks to people who support his charity,” Segelbaum said via email.
Dean said he hopes Ringo Starr’s exhibit will also give him and the Gallery additional exposure.
“When these types of shows come to town, they end up at Leawood Fine Art,” he said.
