Night & Day Events

1 Thursday

Yee haw, buckaroo, it's time for the Cowboy Music Roundup at the 1859 Jail Museum. The Jackson County Historical Society presents music featuring outlaw ballads, cowboy tunes and poetry, and classic country music. Bands include Pick and Hammer, Cowboy Trio, and Tommy & Bobby Campbell and the Sugarfoot Band. But the fun doesn't end there. The gates open at 5 p.m. with guided tours of the Jail Museum. Concessions include chuckwagon fare: barbecue beef, hot dogs, beans, and slaw. Music begins at 6 p.m. and continues until 9:30 p.m., pardner. Admission is $10. The 1859 Jail Museum is located at 217 N. Main on historic Independence Square in Independence, Mo. For more information, call 816-252-1892.

2 Friday

Oscar Micheaux, born in Metropolis, Ill., was a coal miner, a stockyardsman, and a porter before becoming a homesteader in Gregory, S.D., because he believed the only independent future for a black man lay on the plains of the Western frontier. Micheaux wrote about the experiences of his life and began selling his first novels door-to-door. Later he decided that his books would make better movies than the ones that portrayed black people in a negative light. After being turned down by numerous production companies, he started the Micheaux Book and Film Company in Chicago to produce his films independently. As a part of Vintage on the Vine, the Gem Theater is celebrating Micheaux by showing two of his films at the vintage price: 25 cents. Showing will be Swing (1938), a musical story and tribute to African-American music from Alabama to Harlem, and Lying Lips (1939), a nightclub murder mystery. The shows begin at 5 p.m. The Gem Theater is located at 18th & Vine. For more information, call 816-474-VINE.

3 Saturday

Peter Max has been called the "cosmic artist of the '60s," second to only Andy Warhol in coming to mind when someone mentions pop art. His work is the essence of "pop," having a commercial flair as it graces Boeing airplanes, race cars, Kentucky Derby memorabilia, postage stamps, World Cup logos, the stage for Woodstock '99, and various cause-oriented posters. His vibrant work has paid homage to The Beatles, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and the Dalai Lama, but his trademark piece is an annual re-creation of the Statue of Liberty, which he has painted for 25 consecutive years. Max will be in Kansas City today from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Gallery, 4845 W. 119th St., where he will present his Millennium Series. More than 100 of his pieces will be on display for purchase. For more information, call 913-469-8001.

4 Sunday

Everybody would like a window to the world. Some people have claimed to find one; some think it's the Internet. It all comes down to perception. Photographer Uta Barth, German-born and now an L.A. resident, brings her window's view to The Gallery of Art at Johnson County Community College. nowhere nearis an exhibit of large-scale color photographs featuring a large window in the artist's home with a view overlooking her yard. Some of the images focus on the window and frame itself, while others focus on items outside of the window, such as trees and clouds, and still others focus on rain streaks or fingerprints on the window. Some of the photographs were shot at night, some during the day. Barth's window to the world explores the seemingly banal but may give a deeper look at life. The exhibit will remain up through July 12. Johnson County Community College is located at 12345 College Blvd. For more information, call 913-469-8500, ext. 3972.

5 Monday

Pot-making can be entrancing. No, not that kind of pot -- pottery. The throwing of a pot seems to defy logic -- and gravity -- and when it's done right, it looks easy. It's not. That's why Red Star Studios has something for everyone interested in clay, from beginning pottery classes to professional workshops. Today begins the Steven Hill Workshop for the intermediate to advanced potter. "Functional Stoneware/Single-Firing" will differ from Red Star's regular classes; there will be an intensive six-day hands-on workshop with nearly unlimited access to the studio. The first three days will focus on thrown and altered pitchers and mugs, as well as explore form, spouts, and handles. On day four, it'll be kiln time, and days five and six will be about single-firing and glazing techniques. The Steven Hill Workshop asks you to throw out 360 bucks, which covers the cost of glaze, firing, and 25 pounds of clay. The workshop runs daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through June 10. Red Star Studios is located near the intersection of I-70 and I-35 at 821 W. 17th St. For more information, call 816-474-7316.

6 Tuesday

From afar, an erupting volcano inspires oohs and ahhs like a Fourth of July celebration. But, mysterious and beautiful as they are, their bubbling gases and oozing rivers of fire inspire a deep sense of respect and fear for those living around these centuries-old links to the molten center of our savage planet. Savage Planetbegins today on KCPT Channel 19 with a four-part series about the stunning beauty and power of Earth. Tonight at 7, the series begins with a look at "Volcanic Killers." Each Tuesday through June at the same time, see "Deadly Skies," "Storms of the Century," and "Extremes." Actor Stacy Keach narrates this new series and takes you into the eye of the storm and on the trail of avalanches, meteors, lightning, and erupting mountains. For more information on KCPT's local programming, call 816-756-3580 or go to www.kcpt.org.