Words by Brian Hearn Cover Photo by Jennifer Wetzel
Calvin Arsenia has been on stage since the age of thirteen
"first in church and only in the church," growing up in Olathe, Kansas singing in choirs, learning guitar and piano along the way. By his late teens, his commitment to his faith led him to Scotland on a two-year missionary trip. He put his religious beliefs into practice by building bridges between the church and the arts community.
He often went to open mic nights in Edinburgh to perform and share his faith. It was an experiment in walking prayer, applying love to the wild world. Through that process Arsenia came out to himself and to his friends.
Calvin Arsenia continues to grow with each performance.
music was still a driving force
— “Nobody was looking for a tall black harpist in KC”
Calvin ArseniaSpring 2015
I have to figure out how to do this
It was 2015 when Arsenia returned and moved to Kansas City. Though he grew distant from his church community, music was still a driving force in his life. He paid his bills as a construction estimator. He took up playing the harp and was performing at open mic nights while working with a life coach who helped him learn the mechanisms of strategic planning and actionable steps. Finally he told himself, “I have to figure out how to do this.”
Arsenia doesn’t remember exactly who told him about Artist INC but he recognized that it was a vehicle to advance his creative dreams. “Nobody was looking for a tall black harpist in KC,” he stated wryly. However, in his Artist INC cohort he soon found an understanding and diverse group of supportive artists. He was fortunate to have Beau Bledsoe, a fellow musician with years of experience playing multiple instruments and musical genres, as his small group facilitator.
I loved that Artist INC was such a cross section of different artists and media.
“I loved that Artist INC was such a cross section of different artists and media. The presentations were really universal. Their prediction about collaborations happening within our group was so true,” Arsenia recalled. Shortly after the program, he worked with sculptor and jewelry designer Cydney Ross, who made wearable art that inspired him to ask, “That’s so fabulous, what event could I create to have a reason to wear this?” Similarly, Arsenia’s imaginative approach to fashion saw him donning crowns designed by metalsmith Sydney Pener, yet another member of his cohort. Collaboration, in fact, has been at the heart of his artistic development.
Calvin ArseniaSpring 2015
It goes far beyond his instrument
Unlike most any other singer songwriter
To experience one of Arsenia’s shows is unlike most any other singer songwriter you’d encounter on the coffee shop or bar circuits. He began producing shows that he didn’t see anyone else doing – what he refers to as “curated environments.” It goes far beyond his instrument and a mere set list. His approach emerged from the practical reality of creating art in the digital age of free content and copycat culture. Taking cues from his artistic heroes, innovators like Bjork, Arsenia thought carefully about how to always bring something new to his performances, how to make them special experiences that can’t be pirated.
Arsenia thought carefully about how to always bring something new to his performances
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It’s about emotional execution, not musical
He’s as concerned about his audience as himself, inviting them to share and co-create an emotional journey together. “I come from the land of ceremony; liturgical imagery is my palette. I want that total immersion – a utopia of emotions, I can’t get there by myself, nor do I want to. It’s about emotional execution, not musical.
HeadlightsCalvin Arsenia2018
2018
Calvin ArseniaSpring 2015
I’m going to the edge of eternity.That’s where the impact is.
So I’m making it, creating that ceremony, that sanctuary, with real feelings, in a safe, non-judgmental space,” he explains with the self-assured passion of an evangelist.
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Back to youCalvin Arsenia2019
EquallyCalvin Arsenia2019
ToxicCalvin Arsenia2019
2019
Don't ExplainCalvin Arsenia2020
2020
Artist INC// Artist Profile// Obituary exercise
Visualize
Arsenia visualized his life as an international harpist and performer.
THE Artist INC obituary exercise
For his Artist INC write-your-own-obituary exercise, Arsenia visualized his life as an international harpist and performer. He’s well on his way, having performed his “harp driven surrealist soul” across nine different countries and in numerous genre-bending recordings. The last few years have also brought him enormous acclaim: locally, as two-time winning Best Musician in Kansas City, as well as nationally, from the likes of Billboard, Grammy.com, and National Public Radio, to name a few.
In it for the magic
Fame and fortune were never Arsenia’s goal. He confessed he’s in it for the magic, not the money. Success has felt at times like a limo ride and other times like a covered wagon. “We can’t over-identify as artists; we are business people; we’re humans. We have to reconcile all of our parts.” That means keeping his practice simple with his bedroom serving as his studio. His real work space, however, remains the stage where he can connect with his audiences—building bridges of empathy through art.
Calvin ArseniaSpring 2015
You Have Us
It’s the same sense of honest community Arsenia discovered in Artist INC; “We’re all in this together. It’s hard, it’s messy. You’re not gonna figure it all out today, but you have us.”
