These 9 stories shaped Columbia's arts and culture scene in 2022
Recapturing an entire year of cultural activity in Columbia is like trying to wrap your arms around wind. There's always a hum emanating somewhere; always color being mixed and applied; always motion toward something new and uplifting.
Still certain stories from 2022 warrant at least one more nod, having shaped our collective memories and affected the way we see ourselves — and others see our community.
Here are nine of the most significant arts-and-culture stories of the year that was — in no particular order.
1. After pandemic edition, True/False Film Fest returns to "normal"
After mounting its 2021 edition outdoors, in late spring, in an effort to be COVID-safe, Columbia's homegrown, internationally-known nonfiction festival returned to its March date and downtown digs.
While the fest still took purposeful precautions, True/False 2022 resembled a return to normal. The films we saw while indoors comprised a subtly strong lineup: from the Wes Anderson-esque volcanic romance "Fire of Love" to "After Sherman," a lyrical portrait of the Black American church's resilience; Chicago crowdpleaser "Let the Little Light Shine" to the quiet, neighborly charms of Warsaw, Poland and "The Balcony Movie."
More:True/False 2022 pulled viewers into true stories shared on screen
2. Roots N Blues owners honored for blazing a trail
In 2021, Roots N Blues festival owners Shay Jasper and Tracy Lane sowed, then harvested real change. The pair programmed a lineup with female representation in every slot: from headliners Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow to locals such as Sifa and Violet and the Undercurrents.
The concert industry took notice and Roots N Blues' momentum carried over into 2022; Jasper and Lane accepted invites to speak at industry panels and were named among a field of 2022 Women of Live honorees by Pollstar magazine.
"We are finally in a position where we have the autonomy to make real change. Not just talk about it, but actually do it," Lane told the Tribune earlier this year, of their approach and its result. "So let’s go big and let’s get the attention of the industry. We proved that this is financially viable."
More:How Roots N Blues festival owners are making music history
3. Compass offers community music hub
Growing beyond an already-significant slate of camps, showcases and workshops, Compass — an area music education organization — found a physical home in 2022, and with it, turned the volume dial up on its work. The space, part of the Hillel building at the University of Missouri, houses a now year-round slate of lessons, practice spaces and a substance-free listening room featuring both local and traveling musicians.
Beloved area musicians Phylshawn Johnson, Audra Sergel and Violet Vonder Haar drew on their collective experiences to shape the space into a place musicians want to be.
More:Newly opened Compass Music Center will be hub for concerts, private lessons in Columbia
4. Columbia authors keep bookshelves stocked
Columbia's literary community never takes a year off, consistently delivering offerings that ripple well beyond our community. 2022 brought a particular potent collection of words to bookshelves, however. In the poetry realm, Caylin Capra-Thomas delivered one of the best books of the year with "Iguana Iguana"; Lynne Jensen Lampe and Barbara Leonhard excavated complicated family histories, gender roles and more with affecting lyricism in "Talk Smack to a Hurricane" and "Three-Penny Memories," respectively.
Phong Nguyen's "Bronze Drum" was an exemplary work of historical fiction, introducing many readers to an epic Vietnamese story; while author Robert Hodgson dropped an entire trilogy of novels revolving around faith, gender, church authority and more; and Neal Fandek furthered his pulpy, private detective series about the gumshoe Peter Pike.
Elsewhere, MU professor emeritus Berkley Hudson created a remarkable work of personally meaningful history, joining archival photos and fresh, thoughtful reflections in "O.N. Pruitt's Possum Town"; and Donna Kozloskie contributed an appropriately blurry portrait of musician Cat Power to the iconic 33 1/3 series.
And these were but a few of the books to rise out of Columbia this year; only a significant set of library stacks could contain the output.
More:How Columbia author Phong Nguyen brings an ancient Vietnamese epic to life
5. TRYPS founder takes a bow
Like characters in some of the fantastic fairy-tales she staged, Jill Womack sprinkles magic everywhere she goes. The founder of TRYPS' Children's Theater created countless opportunities for Columbia children to let their not-so-little lights shine on stage; TRYPS has deepened and widened the theater community here, cultivating talent that would grow up to enrich other stages in other towns.
After 24 years at the helm, Womack announced her retirement this summer, bequeathing the role to Corey Dunne. Womack always held her belief that children's theater is theater, full stop — a standard that animated TRYPS productions throughout her pioneering run.
More:TRYPS founder Jill Womack to retire after 24 years leading children's theater
6. The Missouri Symphony hires its third music director ever
For only the third time since its founding in 1970, the Missouri Symphony has a new musical director. After a several-month span uniting the orchestra's Hot Summer Nights festival and an on-the-job interview process, conductor Wilbur Lin was named the Columbia institution's music director designate.
In a late-fall interview with the Tribune, Lin stressed his desire to internalize Columbia's values, then replicate those values in melody and rhythm. Struck on a previous visit by "how open, how progressive, how curious this community is," he wants the music — a mixture of classical canon and new composition — to honor those traits.
More:Wilbur Lin named third music director in Missouri Symphony history
7. New leadership steers Columbia institutions
Certain Columbia institutions stand like trees: earthy and wise, we track who we've been by standing in their shade and counting the rings. Several of these stalwarts, like the Missouri Symphony, are under new leadership from people with deep Columbia ties.
With nearly 50 years on the air, KOPN is Columbia's true community radio station, by and for the people. A radio lifer — as well as a musician and filmmaker — Jet Ainsworth now tunes the station's frequency, arriving with balanced interests: keeping what makes KOPN great, but also using new tools to show off and amplify that greatness.
While not brand new in her post, the Columbia Art League's Kelsey Hammond enjoyed a first this year — Hammond mounted her first Art in the Park, CAL's sprawling summer arts bazaar, after a two-year pandemic hiatus. Hammond, who has served Columbia as an artist, gallery owner and part of the force behind Yellow Dog Bookshop, brought her characteristic humor and insight to the festival.
More:Jet Ainsworth set to boost KOPN 89.5 FM signal as new executive director
8. Local musicians invigorate Roots N Blues
Roots N Blues never scrimps on local talent, but this year's roster including a particularly vibrant list of Show Me State artists. Second-chance country star Meredith Shaw opened the entire festival Friday evening; The Kay Brothers delivered rollicking bluegrass; Sifa gave the Saturday roster a spark; and J. ARTiz brought his sprawling MO' Soul Collective and a family feel to the lineup. Missouri natives Kassi Ashton and Jen Norman rounded out the local appeal.
More:Columbia artists lead the Roots N Blues lineup into a Show Me State sound
9. Skylark's Alex George earns bookselling honor
Alex George is one of Columbia's truest literary citizens: a successful novelist, founder of the Unbound Book Festival and owner of Ninth Street haven Skylark Bookshop. It's in this latter role that George earned a well-deserved honor, named named Midwest Bookseller of the Year by the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association.
The association praised George's commitment to building literary community and his clear love for storytelling.
More:Skylark Bookshop's Alex George named Midwest Bookseller of the Year
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 9 stories that shaped Columbia's arts and culture scene in 2022
