Date & Time: First Fridays Openings: April 1 and May 13, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Location: Event Space at JavaPort, 208 W. 19th St., KCMO

This group art exhibit features the works of local women artists who all share the common challenge of remaining true to their creative existence as they are pulled in different directions to meet the demands of artistic fulfillment, relationships, motherhood, and economic survival.

Featured artists will include: Jaime Aguirre, Elizabeth Berkshire, Nedra Bonds , Lori Buntin, Janet Davidson-Hues, Nicole Emanuel, Samantha Fernandez, Sara “MissConception” Glass, Allison Hedgpeth, Christel Highland, Ritchie Kaye, Sara Sally LaGrand, Judith G. Levy, Anne Lindsey , Elaine McMilian, Tanya McNeely, Yvette Morton, Rhoda Powers, Tasha Rose, Tammy Smith, Mirna Stubbs, Holly Swangstu, Arzie Umali and Sherry Whetstone.

Sponsors include: Spaces Magazine, The Roasterie, Boulevard Brewing Company, Abundant Tomorrow, Arts KC, OfficePort, Event Space at JavaPort, Annedores, Pistol Threads, STUFF, Missouri Sewing Machine Co., UMKC Women’s Center, Toy & Miniature Museum, UMKC, Charlotte Street Foundation, Moxie Catering, and Print Time.

Chicago Business Journal recently recognized OfficePort Chicago as a potent, cost-effective asset for small businesses faced with recession budgets.

“Asking rents have fallen at many Chicago-area business centers, creating opportunities for small businesses, startups and freelancers who otherwise couldn’t afford an office.

Before the economy crashed, prices at many of these shared office spaces were out of reach for entrepreneurs with more ambition than capital. That’s starting to change, as many centers, or executive suites, as they’re also known, offer discounts or incentives to stay full.”

View the full article here.

“The birth of OfficePort KC became a positive new business that was a direct result of what seems to be a negative business scenario. “There (in Kansas City) we had a company that ran out of business. So we had a whole building that became vacant all at once. We also had the entire furniture along with it,” says Michael Edmondson, Co-founder of OfficePort and a realtor. An empty space, existing office furniture, and dynamic open office design and layout became the recipe for a co-working environment catering to entrepreneurs. “We are entrepreneurs ourselves. We want to keep the prices low and keep the business transaction as simple as possible,” says Michael, who understands the direct needs of start-up companies, small businesses, independent contractors, or freelances when it comes to overhead and the costs of running a business.”
Full article: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/arch-x-perience/2010/08/co-working-the-new-office-cube.html

This Month, Teng-Kee Tan, PhD, Dean and Harzfeld Professor of Technology Entrepreneurship at UMKC’s Block school will be talking and moderating a discussion about Innovation with Purpose. Dean Tan is a world-renowned academic that is turning the Bloch School into one of the nation’s top programs in Entrepreneurship.

Don’t miss this one!!! Limited seating, RSVP via facebook required, limit 50 people.

For your Twitter fiends, follow the conversation with @officeport.