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Kansas City Art Institute Kansas City, United States

Imagine what the world has yet to see.

The Kansas City Art Institute is a college of art and design that provides a professional arts education to students seeking a bachelor of fine arts degree.

We recruit top talent to Kansas City from across the country and transform them into fearless creatives.

Founded in 1885, Kansas City Art Institute is the oldest cultural organization in Kansas City. KCAI offers 13 Majors majors–Animation, Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Fiber, Filmmaking, Graphic Design, Illustration, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Product Design and Sculpture.

KCAI in the Community

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• KANSAS CITY, MO

Kansas City Art Institute

• grade  C+ Overall Grade
• Rating 3.6 out of 5   335 reviews

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• Academics grade  B
• Value grade  C minus
• Diversity grade  A minus
• Campus grade  C+
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• Party Scene grade  B
• Professors grade  C+
• Location grade  A
• Dorms grade  C+
• Campus Food grade  B minus
• Student Life grade  B
• Safety grade  C+
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Welcome to the Kansas City Art Institute. We’re glad you are here. We’d like to get to know you and work with you to create a personal path for your future.

KCAI provides a rigorous, diverse curriculum and an immersive studio experience for students who are passionate about the realization of their ideas. Of all the schools you’ll explore, we’re confident that none offers more personal guidance, artistic tools and resources, or opportunities for creative stimulation than you’ll find here.

We invite you to schedule a visit soon.

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Kansas city art institute rankings.

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

• Best Colleges for Film and Photography in America 49 of 285
• Best Colleges for Art in America 53 of 736
• Best Colleges for Design in America 101 of 438
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Scholarship, most popular majors.

• Animation, Video Graphics and Special Effects 40 Graduates
• Illustration 32 Graduates
• Painting 21 Graduates
• Graphic Design 17 Graduates
• Arts 11 Graduates
• Cinematography and Video Production 10 Graduates
• Art History 8 Graduates
• Sculpture 8 Graduates
• Ceramics 7 Graduates
• Photography 7 Graduates
• Interesting 25%
• Hard-working 10%

Campus Life

• Artistic 57%
• Small but friendly 19%
• Fast-paced 5%
• Horrible education 5%
• Rigorous 5%
• Technically and conceptually challenging 5%
• Underfunded 5%

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Kansas city art institute reviews.

• Rating 5 out of 5   Excellent 65   reviews ( 19 %)
• Rating 4 out of 5   Very Good 120   reviews ( 36 %)
• Rating 3 out of 5   Average 115   reviews ( 34 %)
• Rating 2 out of 5   Poor 20   reviews ( 6 %)
• Rating 1 out of 5   Terrible 15   reviews ( 4 %)
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Kansas City Art Institute

4 year • Kansas City, MO

Kansas City Art Institute is a private institution that was founded in 1885. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 726 (fall 2022), and the setting is Urban. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Its tuition and fees are $41,924.

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You will have unrivaled access to a thriving arts community and working artists and designers from around the world. 

Our students are not watching the Kansas City art community happen before their eyes, they are actively participating and driving the conversation. Through exhibitions and commissions, you can begin your art career while you are still in school. 

Visiting artists and designers and your faculty are direct access to leaders in the fields that are most of interest to you and your practice. Meet active practitioners and begin building your network.

Faculty at the Kansas City Art Institute are celebrated artists and designers who are leaders in their field.

It's really important for the students to have access to, you know, working industry professionals, not only I think in the faculty, but also in the visiting artists that we bring in.

Students at KCAI have access to artists, designers, historians, and scholars, through more casual visits, like studio visits, field trips in the local area, meeting people in the design community, but also through the current perspectives lecture series, and the Center for contemporary practice.

Students have direct access to many of these artists who are invited to campus maybe working on a project together, maybe participating in department critiques of student work. And this is so we can introduce students to the widest range possible contemporary art practices.

Visiting artists sessions you have really are a great way to not only connect the students within the KCAI community itself, but also the larger art community in Kansas City, which is a really rich art community.

People who come to Kansas City know to expect a dynamic art community, lots of venues to visit and lots of talented artists that are choosing to live and work in Kansas City. There's so many opportunities for artists, studio spaces available, grants to support artistic practice and to fund special projects.

There are makerspaces that help supply tools and equipment that maybe you enjoyed while you're a student residency such as Beltre arts. There is urban potters Guild.There's also the Charlotte street foundation that has opportunities for cross pollination of ideas, connecting with others outside of your discipline, so that you can create and invent new ways of working.

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Explore Kansas City’s Best—and Most Soothing—Arts and Culture

Admire street art, art collections, and a sculpture park, and then explore the city’s creative culinary scene, for an inspiring trip filled with cultural experiences that are scientifically proven to relax you..

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Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Courtesy of Visit KC

Beyond its iconic barbecue, Kansas City entices visitors with its palpable creative pulse. And when you immerse yourself in this hotbed of imagination, you can reap the positive effects of art on well-being, including enhancing mood and reducing anxiety, backed by science .

Imagine stress melting away as you enjoy the fresh air on strolls past larger-than-life street art, admiring sculptures and beautifully manicured gardens, or exploring galleries and museums showcasing the city’s ever-evolving artistic spirit. In the evening, enjoy the full spectrum of originality that defines this community as you savor a healthful meal or inventive dishes at a James Beard Award–nominated restaurant. If you’re seeking a truly inspiring trip, this all-American city offers the perfect fusion of art, creativity, adventure, and wellness.

Kansas City’s murals and museums

A multifaceted world of art awaits in Kansas City, giving you the chance to engage in artistic and cultural activities like visiting galleries and museums, found to improve physical health and lower depression rates. Thanks to the city’s artistic riches, it’s easy to experience beauty and invest in your overall health.

With that in mind, your first stop should be The Crossroads Arts District . Once home to vacant warehouses, the neighborhood is now a testament to the fusion of art, music, and culture here. Along with visits to galleries, studios, and performance spaces buzzing with creative energy, you can attend First Fridays , one of the nation’s largest free art crawls spanning more than 20 blocks, where over 70 shops and galleries stay open late, transforming the district into a lively block party.

It’s also a busy hub for live performances. Head to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , a multi-venue center designed by Moshe Safdie, for a music, opera, theater, or dance performance. You’ll also find more live music at nearby local venues such as Green Lady Lounge , Black Dolphin Lounge , GrindersKC , and recordBar .

As you wander the streets of Kansas City, where buildings serve as canvases for local and international artists alike, you’ll find yourself amid a living gallery of murals . These larger-than-life artworks narrate tales of the city’s history, culture, and aspirations. From abstract splashes of color to intricate portraits, this street art tells stories of the past and future.

Kansas City is also home to world-class art museums. The sleek exterior of The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art , designed by Gunnar Birkerts, is a fitting setting for the forward-thinking art collection. The museum is a leading force in modern and contemporary art dedicated to enriching lives through exhibitions, education, and a commitment to showcasing established and emerging artists. You’ll always encounter something fresh and inspiring here, like interactive exhibits and avant-garde sculptures.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art , an architectural marvel, also houses a vast collection spanning centuries and cultures, including everything from classical masterpieces to contemporary installations. Explore the extensive collection of 34,500 pieces spanning upwards of 5,000 years of human history. From ancient Chinese ceramics to whimsical sculptures, each visit promises something new to see.

Embracing nature’s beauty

Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park

An outdoor extension of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park surrounds the museum itself. This open-air gallery integrates art with the outdoors (another proven plus for your health). Stroll through its manicured lawns and marvel at the many captivating sculptures from different eras and styles. The sculptures are thoughtfully placed within the landscape, creating a dynamic interplay between nature and artistic expression.

Then, walk just 10 minutes south and discover the tranquil Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden . This meticulously landscaped garden is a testament to the city’s commitment to beauty and nature. Here, art and nature converge to create a peaceful retreat for contemplation—stroll the pathways and admire the harmonious blend of seasonal blooms, sculptures, and water features. Whether you’re an art connoisseur or simply appreciate outdoor beauty, this park provides a refreshing haven for inspiration and peace of mind.

Savoring the city’s culinary canvas

Kansas City is home to a thriving restaurant scene

In addition to its own celebrated traditional style of barbecue, Kansas City’s restaurants thrive on pushing boundaries and redefining traditional Midwestern fare, welcoming innovation with open arms. The culinary scene is a sensory delight, from farm-to-table venues celebrating local ingredients to trailblazing eateries with global influences.

Kansas City has you covered when it comes to healthier dining options that promote wellness and creativity too. The vitality-packed menu at Ruby Jean’s offers fresh, nutritious choices like refreshing fruit smoothies and nourishing bowls. Gigi’s Vegan + Wellness Café , with its flavorful vegan creations, colorful salads, and rich desserts, is heaven-on-earth for plant-based eaters. The Laya Center takes a holistic approach, offering dishes that promote balance, vitality, and mindful eating.

Kansas City also offers plenty of options for omnivores, including James Beard Award semifinalists like Town Company , offering seasonal Midwestern dishes, and Waldo Thai with its creative Thai cuisine designed for sharing. At Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room , chef Michael Corvino crafts 10-course tasting menus featuring modern American dishes infused with global ingredients and techniques, including their renowned seaweed donuts.

Wherever you go, Kansas City is the ideal destination for a getaway that nourishes your senses and soul. Every facet of this city resonates with creativity, from the culinary delights that grace your plate to the vibrant artwork that adorns the streets. So, pack your curiosity and set out to experience the artistic heartbeat of Kansas City. Your mind, body, and spirit will thank you for it.

Covering the performing, visual, cinematic and literary arts in Kansas City

For KC Arts, A Decade to Remember

As “KC Studio” marks its 10th anniversary with the May/June 2018 issue, we look back on an extraordinary decade for the arts in Kansas City.

It began in the depths of a recession, following a 2007 that saw the opening of the new Bloch Building at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the addition of a stunning new contemporary art museum on the campus of Johnson County Community College.

A year earlier, in 2006, groundbreaking occurred for the project that would dominate the decade to come: The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, which opened on Sept. 16, 2011. The state-of-the art facility designed by leading international architect Moshe Safdie not only provided a performance home for the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera and the Kansas City Ballet, but soaring evidence of Kansas City’s commitment to the arts.

As the recession eased, the money flowed: The Kansas City Art Institute received a $25 million gift from an anonymous donor; KC Rep completed a $5.5 million capital campaign to renovate the Spencer Theatre; the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures completed an $8 million renovation; and the Kansas City Symphony completed a $55 million endowment campaign. And it doesn’t stop. Earlier this year, following completion of a $1 million endowment campaign, the Folly Theater announced a lead gift of $775,000 from the William T. Kemper Foundation in support of a major renovation campaign.

Funds and enthusiasm fueled an explosion of brick and mortar projects that made 2008-18 a decade to remember. In the East Crossroads, The Lyric Opera opened its new Richard J. Stern Opera Center in 2011, the same year that the Kansas City Ballet opened the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity just west of Union Station. The Crossroads consolidation continued with Mid-America Arts Alliance renovating its building in the Crossroads Arts District and ArtsKC moving its offices to Southwest Boulevard.

Projects and improvements occurred citywide: The Kansas City Museum in the historic Northeast neighborhood broke ground for an ambitious renovation. Kansas City Young Audiences got a new home on Main Street, and the Kansas City Art Institute opened a high-tech Fab Lab, the David T. Beals III Studios for Art and Technology, in the heart of the campus. Karbank Real Estate Company opened three performance halls in its renovated Karbank Buildings on Shawnee Mission Parkway.

The move toward bigger and better arts venues crossed the state line with the opening of the new Kansas Focus Gallery at Johnson County Community College’s Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, the renovation of the performance halls at the school’s Carlsen Center and the opening of the Johnson County Art and Heritage Center in the former King Louie building in Overland Park. In Lawrence, KU’s Spencer Museum of Art completed a major renovation.

Kansas City’s theater community caught fire with the launchings of the Fishtank, Spinning Tree, KC Melting Pot, The Living Room and the Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City. KC Rep inaugurated “Origin KC,” Kansas City Actors Theatre put down roots in Union Station, Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre bought the old Warwick Theatre, the Unicorn bought its forever home at 3828 Main St. and Musical Theater Heritage added two new venues in Crown Center. The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary by breaking attendance records with its production of “Hamlet,” starring Nathan Darrow. The Coterie, too, broke attendance records in 2016-17.

It was also a decade of notable exhibitions, beginning with the prescient “Black is … 
Black Ain’t” at H&R Block Artspace. The Central Library’s “Shakespeare’s First Folio” exhibit drew record crowds and the Kemper Museum’s “Magnetic Fields” show of African American women abstractionists attracted the museum’s first Andy Warhol Foundation grant. On the heels of its unveiling of the new Bloch Impressionist galleries, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art presented the city’s first major Picasso exhibition. The American Jazz Museum’s “The Legacy Plays On!” mounted in conjunction with the museum’s 20th anniversary was one of the decade’s dozens of events celebrating the staying power of KC’s arts institutions.

Artists were honored, audiences grew, dynamic new leaders replaced departing ones and big plans were made. Readers can watch the decade unfold in the following pages, a timeline of cultural milestones submitted by more than 50 Kansas City arts organizations.

 A Decade of Cultural Milestones

The Charlotte Street Foundation launches its Generative Performing Artist Awards as a parallel program to the Visual Artist Awards, awarding $141,500 to 19 Kansas City performing artists through 2017.

UMKC Theatre collaborates with the Kansas City chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to create the historical drama “Quindaro” under Tony Award-winning director Ricardo Khan.

Park University International Center for Music student Behzod Abduraimov, 18, wins the 2009 London International Piano Competition.

The Truman Library Institute commemorates Harry S. Truman’s 125th birthday with a year of celebrations, including special museum exhibitions, a congressional reception and community events.

The H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute presents “Black Is . . . Black Ain’t,” a prescient exhibit exploring issues of race, curated by Hamza Walker.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art hires Julián Zugazagoitia as Director/CEO. His energy and commitment to community partnerships grow museum attendance to more than a half-million annually.

The Charlotte Street Foundation , in collaboration with the Spencer Museum of Art, becomes one of only four arts organizations in the country to be selected by the Andy Warhol Foundation to receive regrant funds, creating Rocket Grants.

Founders Rusty Sneary and Shawnna Journagan open The Living Room Theatre , focusing on new works by Kansas City playwrights performed by Kansas City actors, at 1818 McGee in the Crossroads Arts District.

“Diana: A Celebration” draws more than 105,000 people in a span of 15 weeks, affirming Union Station Kansas City as a premier location for large, world-class, international touring exhibitions.

Zhou Long, Distinguished Professor of Music Composition at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, wins a Pulitzer Prize in Music.

Kansas City Ballet celebrates the opening of the Todd Bolender Center for Dance and Creativity, 500 W. Pershing Rd., as the home of the dance company and ballet school and as the creative center for the dance community.

On September 16, Kansas City gains worldwide attention with the opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , designed by award-winning architect Moshe Safdie. The center is the new home for mainstage productions by its resident arts organizations: the Kansas City Symphony , the Kansas City Ballet and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City .

The Kansas City Symphony plays the first nights of the newly opened Kauffman Center, accompanying Placido Domingo and Itzhak Perlman.

The Lyric Opera of Kansas City opens its new home, the Richard J. Stern Opera Center at 1725 Holmes St., which includes the Beth Ingram Administrative Building and the Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building.

Starlight Theatre celebrates the 10th anniversary of its ongoing Blue Star Awards, recognizing achievement and excellence in high school musical theater, with 46 participating Kansas City area high schools producing 48 musicals in the 2011-12 school year.

The Folly Theater holds a “Light the Lights” Gala celebrating the installation of a new marquee sign.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City appoints a new General Director and CEO, Deborah Sandler, who creates the Resident Artists Program and brings in top operas including “Dead Man Walking” and “Everest.”

Featuring a modified boxcar in a field of prairie grass, “Prairie Logic,” commissioned by Kansas City’s one percent for art program from New York artist Janet Zweig and KC’s el dorado inc., is installed on the sixth-floor roof of Block 110 Garage at 10th and Walnut Streets.

KCPT premieres PBS Arts: “Homecoming: The Kansas City Symphony Presents Joyce DiDonato” to a national PBS audience.

Frommer’s cites the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art as one of the most significant cultural attractions when the publication lists Kansas City as one of its top 10 world travel destinations for 2012.

The NAACP (Olathe, Kansas, branch) cites the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art as Diversity Advocate in Education of the Year.

Mary Kemper Wolf, daughter of Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art founders Crosby and Bebe Kemper, is named chairman of the museum’s board.

A spacious new changing exhibitions gallery joins the ceramic and printmaking studios at Belger Crane Yard Studios , 2011 Tracy Ave.

Mid-America Arts Alliance celebrates the purchase and subsequent 2013 renovation of its building in the Crossroads, an outward expression of the permanence of the organization.

As of December, more than one million visitors had experienced an event at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts , with visitors coming from all 50 states.

Narong Prangcharoen, who earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance in 2010, is awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Spinning Tree Theatre produces the Kansas City premiere of the Broadway musical “Hello Again” and hosts five-time Tony Award-nominated composer/lyricist Michael John LaChiusa at a sold-out performance and talkback.

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art marks its 20th anniversary.

The Kansas City Symphony plays at Kauffman Stadium for Game 6 of the World Series, Giants at Royals.

The Linda Hall Library was the only cultural institution in North America to recognize the significance of the Panama Canal’s centennial in 2014 by mounting a major exhibition and year of related programming.

The Center for Arts and Letters at Rockhurst University celebrates 25 years of providing a unified calendar of cultural programming to Kansas City, from visual and performing arts to presentations from the world’s top intellectual and literary figures.

After a multi-million-dollar campaign, Unicorn Theatre purchases its current home at 3828 Main Street, creating a forever home for the arts in this midtown KC neighborhood.

ArtsKC Regional Arts Council moves its offices to the heart of the Crossroads at the Northwest corner of Baltimore and Southwest Boulevard to amplify its mission to unleash the power of the arts for the benefit of our region.

Union Station celebrates its 100th Anniversary with a “Kansas City Celebrates at Union Station” event, including a spectacular digital mapping projection by Quixotic showcasing 100 years of Kansas City history.

For the Harriman-Jewell Series 50th Season Gala Concert, Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez sing a duo-recital world debut in celebration of the Series’ legacy as a performing arts presenter of international importance.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre Executive Director Angela Gieras and team successfully complete the $5.5 million capital campaign to renovate the Spencer Theatre on the UMKC Campus following the successful opening of the downtown Copaken Stage in 2007.

Kansas City Actors Theatre becomes a core tenant at Union Station by moving their offices and producing four shows a year there, giving them a solid, visible presence in the city’s cultural landscape.

After years of searching for a permanent home, Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre purchases the Warwick Theatre in November.

Bach Aria Soloists ’ celebration of their 15th anniversary included the commission and premiere of “Dialogue,” written by award-winning composer Narong Prangcharoen and performed by BAS to great acclaim at the International Composition Festival in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Friends of Chamber Music celebrates its 40th anniversary during its 2015-2016 Season, “Encore! Encore!”

The Kansas City Art Institute receives the “Great Gift” of $25 million from an anonymous donor via the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation to create endowed scholarships, endowed positions and improvements to the college.

KC Rep launches OriginKC, a nationally acclaimed program led by Director of New Works Marissa Wolf, which supports the creation, development and production of new work from diverse playwrights.

Following an $8 million renovation, the Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City reopens as The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures , with new exhibits and interactives featuring the world’s largest collection of fine-scale miniatures and one of the nation’s largest collections of antique toys.

ArtsKC introduces a regional cultural plan, incorporating input from more than 1,800 arts and cultural organizations, government representatives and the public, to define regional priorities for cultivating and enhancing our region’s arts and cultural life.

Nearly 800,000 Royals fans fill the front of Union Station and the downtown streets of Kansas City in November for the Kansas City Royals World Series Championship Parade & Celebration.

In March, Park University International Center for Music graduate student David Radzynski is appointed concertmaster for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College celebrates its 25th anniversary and completes a renovation of its performances halls.

The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art opens the Kansas Focus Gallery thanks to gifts from the Barton P. and Mary Davidson Cohen Charitable Trust.

Arts patrons and community leaders reflect on the past and celebrate the future of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph, Missouri, at the museum’s 50th Anniversary Golden Gala.

The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas completes a major renovation that increases access to collections, expands educational spaces and infuses the building with natural light.

Clarinetist and UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance D.M.A. alum Andrés Salguero wins a Latin Grammy for Best Children’s Album.

Under the artistic leadership of Devon Carney, Kansas City Ballet premieres a new “Nutcracker” as well as the company’s first ever full-length “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty,” completing the canon of Tchaikovsky ballets.

The Kansas City Art Institute opens the David T. Beals III Studios for Art & Technology as an innovation lab for 3D printing, rapid prototyping and more that addresses technology in art and design for the 21st-century student.

More than 10,000 attendees celebrate the Kauffman Center ’s free fifth-anniversary celebration, BravoKC: Kauffman Center Turns Five, Live! , a thank-you to all who helped make the Kauffman Center a cultural cornerstone in Kansas City.

The Epsten Gallery welcomes Israeli artist Yuval Yairi as its first international Visiting Artist in Residence in conjunction with “Surveyor,” a solo exhibition of Yairi’s photographic work.

The Belger Arts Center goes global with “Art of the Americas,” curated by Licia Clifton-James, and “Desire,” curated by Linda Lighton, encompassing work from every country in Central and South America and artists from Europe, Asia and Africa.

To help celebrate Heartland Men’s Chorus ’ 30th Anniversary , the group embarks on a road trip across Kansas, spreading peace, love, understanding and acceptance through song.

In the face of overwhelming popular and critical response, Fishtank Theatre extends production of “Marilyn/God” by Rosary Hartel O’Neill, starring Heidi Van as Marilyn Monroe, from three weeks to nine.

The Kansas City Artists Coalition celebrates its 40th anniversary of connecting artists and audiences with a block party and an exhibition featuring more than 100 artists.

The Kansas City Public Library ’s Central Library draws a record-breaking attendance — more than 108,000 people — to events and exhibits for the year, highlighted by the 23-day, sole Missouri exhibition of a rare, nearly 400-year-old copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio from the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C.

Sculptor Jesse Small’s “Beacon,” a public memorial to the 2014 shooting victims at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom , is installed on the Jewish Community Center campus in Overland Park.

Theater critic Robert Trussell leaves the “Kansas City Star,” completing a decade-long decimation of the newspaper’s salaried staff of professional fine arts critics.

Karbank Real Estate Company opens three new performance halls in its renovated Karbank Buildings at 1900/2000 Shawnee Mission Parkway .

Kansas City Young Audiences opens its renovated new home at 3732 Main Street, providing more children access to the transformational power of the arts.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opens the Bloch Galleries , housing the popular Impressionist/Post-Impressionist collection of Marion and Henry Bloch.

The Charlotte Street Foundation launches the Neighborhood Artist Residency, an 18-month pilot program located in the Troost Corridor of Kansas City.

Kansas City Black Repertory Theatre , founded by Damron Armstrong, begins its second season.

The American Jazz Museum celebrates the 20th anniversary of its opening, commemorated in the exhibit “The Legacy Plays On!” continuing to April 2018.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures presents “Miniature Masterworks,” an unprecedented juried showcase of fine-scale miniatures featuring artists from around the world.

Park University International Center for Music graduate student Kenny Broberg wins the silver medal at the 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, following in the footsteps of his mentor at Park, Stanislav Ioudenitch, who won the gold medal in 2001.

The Heart of America Shakespeare Festival breaks attendance records and produces “Hamlet,” starring nationally prominent KC native Nathan Darrow , in conjunction with 25 for the 25th, an event series celebrating HASF’s 25th anniversary.

MTH Theater at Crown Center completes construction on two additional venues and presents more than 500 events/performances attracting more than 33,000 visitors.

In June, the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center opens in the newly renovated former King Louie building on Metcalf.

Mayor Sly James announces the launch of “ Open Spaces ,” Kansas City’s first art biennial, centered in Swope Park and curated by Dan Cameron.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art presents the first Picasso exhibition in Kansas City , and is the only U.S. venue for “Through the Eyes of Picasso,” which explores the inspiration and working process of one of the world’s best-known artists.

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art receives its first grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in support of the exhibition “ Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today .”

Following a two-year comprehensive architectural design and strategic planning process, the Kansas City Museum , operated and managed by the City of Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation Department since 2014, kicks off construction on the creation of a leading-edge, 21st-century museum of Kansas City’s history and cultural heritage.

With its 2016/17 season, the Coterie tops the 100K mark for the first time in its 39-year history, serving 103,284 people in a single season through professional stage productions, acting classes, in-school workshops, touring productions and other community outreach programs.

Kansas City Actors Theatre has its best-selling show in the company’s history with its production of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None.”

The Folly Theater dedicates its performing hall to C. Stephen Metzler in honor of reaching a $1 million endowment campaign goal.

The Kansas City Symphony completes its historic $55 million endowment campaign.

KC Melting Pot Theatre continues to raise the bar of excellence with two shows selected by PerformInk as Kansas City’s Best Shows of 2017.

The Folly Theater receives a lead gift of $775,000 from the William T. Kemper Foundation to begin a renovation and update of the main lobby (pictured in this rendering) and Shareholder’s Room to provide a better “Folly Experience” to its patrons.

The Kansas City Art Institute breaks ground for the new 250-bed Student Residence and Dining Hall, made possible by a $10 million lead gift from an anonymous donor.

Theater League/Broadway Across America draws record-breaking season ticket sales for Broadway Across America and “Hamilton,” coming to the Music Hall in summer 2019.

Theatre for Young America presents the 32nd annual production of “The Toughest Kid in the World,” created by TYA in 1986 and presented to over 100,000 attendees to date, promoting knowledge and discussion about conflict resolution, bullying, violence prevention, and peace in the world.

The 2018/19 season at KC Rep marks its 10th anniversary under the leadership of Artistic Director Eric Rosen.

Powell Gardens celebrates 30 years as Kansas City’s botanical garden, a 970-acre facility including themed gardens and world-class architecture.

Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey celebrates 30 years of Ailey Camp, an award-winning, six-week camp where students of all backgrounds come together to learn life and leadership skills through dance and social activities.

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Alice Thorson is the editor of KC Studio. She has written about the visual arts for numerous publications locally and nationally.

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The Picture Show

An immersive museum in kansas city allows kids to explore their favorite books.

Katie Currid

Lindsey Anderson sits down to read Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina to her children Orion, 6, Arthur, 4, and Thora Hoke, 1, inside the exhibit inspired by the book inside The Rabbit hOle, an immersive museum dedicated to children's literature, in North Kansas City, Mo. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

Lindsey Anderson sits down to read Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina to her children Orion, 6, Arthur, 4, and Thora Hoke, 1, inside the exhibit inspired by the book inside The Rabbit hOle, an immersive museum dedicated to children's literature, in North Kansas City, Mo.

In children's museums around the country, there are a lot of similar exhibits: the water exploration table, the kid-sized grocery store, the colorful jungle gym. But at The Rabbit hOle, an innovative and immersive museum dedicated to children's literature that opened on March 12 in North Kansas City, Mo., you won't find those things, which is exactly what co-founder Pete Cowdin intended.

"There's so much repetition, there's so much sameness, because most of the exhibits and most of the museums around the country for children are built by a handful of design companies," Cowdin says. "All those things are fine, but I do think that there's room for a different kind of experience."

Cowdin co-founded The Rabbit hOle with his wife, Deb Pettid, after years as booksellers and owners of a beloved Kansas City children's bookstore, the Reading Reptile. Now, the two are leading a revolutionary space in a 150,000-square-foot former warehouse, employing over 20 full-time artists and fabricators to bring children's books to life in interactive exhibits.

Casey Sackin explores the entrance to the museum. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

Casey Sackin explores the entrance to the museum.

A mouse on a bike from the book Anatole , by Eve Titus, rides around a display of Paris. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

A mouse on a bike from the book Anatole , by Eve Titus, rides around a display of Paris.

"We want to bring more critical culture to children's literature," Cowdin says, "not in a way to tear it down, but to call up the things that are actually taking away from the art of picture book making or the art of creating literature for young people."

The museum has the rights to over 70 works from the last century of children's literature, and works with the writers and illustrators or the estates of those books to bring them to life in unique and interactive exhibits. The museum features exhibits based on well-known children's classics like Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, Curious George by H.A. and Margret Rey, Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans, and, perhaps most popular, a recreation of the actual room from Goodnight Moon , the book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, where children and adults alike can explore the great green room.

Neon rabbit signs adorn the top of the building housing The Rabbit hOle. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

Neon rabbit signs adorn the top of the building housing The Rabbit hOle.

Madelyn Williams, 20 months, leads her mother, Nancy, through the kitchen from Blueberries for Sal , by Robert McCloskey. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

Madelyn Williams, 20 months, leads her mother, Nancy, through the kitchen from Blueberries for Sal , by Robert McCloskey.

But the museum also features lesser-known children's books, such as Perez and Martina , a story based on a Puerto Rican folk tale by Pura Belpré and illustrated by Carlos Sanchez, or Uptown , by the late John Steptoe, which brings a storefront from Harlem to life, created in collaboration with Steptoe's children.

"It's our mission to inspire the reading lives of children and adults," says Emily Hane, The Rabbit hOle's development and grant manager. "We want to be a place where kids can really discover the types of stories that they like that they've maybe never been exposed to before — whether it's because they've never seen a picture book with a kid who looks like them, or heard cultural stories that might resonate with their own household."

Left: Cal Kreiling, 16 months, watches a mouse on a bike from the book Anatole . Right: Parker Crawford, 18 months, knocks on the door to a tree inside the museum. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

Left: Cal Kreiling, 16 months, watches a mouse on a bike from the book Anatole . Right: Parker Crawford, 18 months, knocks on the door to a tree inside the museum.

In the museum, patrons enter through a burrow and rabbit hole, and can play in the kitchen from Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal , or take a nap against the tree from Esphyr Slobodkina's Caps for Sale . They can then pick up the book the exhibit inspired and enjoy the pages they've seen brought to life. Cowdin says kids are really the leaders in the space.

"We're not telling parents and children how to use the space and what they should [do], we're asking them to explore, and to find the books that are there and to find the exhibits and to experience exhibits and then to come together again around the book to read the book," says Cowdin. "The whole goal of the project is to bring young people — but also parents and educators — closer to the story."

The museum was inspired by places like the City Museum in St. Louis or art installation Meow Wolf, which make art-forward spaces that don't have a "right" or "wrong" way to interact with the exhibits.

Patrons peruse books inside the bookstore of The Rabbit hOle. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

Patrons peruse books inside the bookstore of The Rabbit hOle.

Left: Fabricator Gen Goering paints the walls of an exhibit before the museum opened to the public. Right: Rabbit feet and arrows mark the sidewalks outside of The Rabbit hOle. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

Left: Fabricator Gen Goering paints the walls of an exhibit before the museum opened to the public. Right: Rabbit feet and arrows mark the sidewalks outside of The Rabbit hOle.

"If all we did was make a beautiful place for children, it would be rare, honestly," says Cowdin. "We've done more than that and we'll continue to build on that."

On top of the book exhibits, The Rabbit hOle also features a bookstore and will soon host author talks and open a room for making crafts based on the museum's exhibits. The museum also has plans to open a resource library for educators and scholars, and will also have rotating exhibit spaces and a story and print lab, with room to host residencies for authors and illustrators.

"Whenever you're talking about children's culture, there is this [idea of], 'Oh, it's good enough. It's for kids, you know, just make it cheap. They don't really deserve anything beautiful'," says Hane. "And that's the exact opposite of how The Rabbit hOle feels. We believe that kids deserve something beautiful. Yeah, it's going to be durable. Yeah, we're going to be able to sterilize it and clean it and everything. But just because it's for children, doesn't mean it is a lesser art form."

A team of fabricators work on the exhibit inspired by the book Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor in January, before the museum opened to the public. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

A team of fabricators work on the exhibit inspired by the book Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor in January, before the museum opened to the public.

The museum features an exhibit bringing to life the room from the classic children's book Goodnight Moon , written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. Katie Currid for NPR hide caption

The museum features an exhibit bringing to life the room from the classic children's book Goodnight Moon , written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd.

Katie Currid is a photographer based in Kansas City.

• Children's Museums
• children's books
• Kansas City

Kemper Museum Block Party 2024

May 04, 2024 Time: 12-4pm

Region: Country Club Plaza, Midtown

Address: 4420 Warwick Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64111

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Related Organization: Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

Celebrate one of the most creative blocks in Kansas City at the Kemper Museum Block Party!

On the occasion of the museum's 30th anniversary, this free family festival will feature a 1990s theme to celebrate the museum's founding decade. More than a dozen community partners will enliven the event with music, food trucks, artist demos, and interactive art activities for the whole family. Participants can also head across the street to see the exceptional work of student artists at the Kansas City Art Institute’s End of Semester Exhibition + Sale! 2024 Kemper Museum Block Party Programming Partners Corvette Club KC Mural Demo with JT Daniels DJ Joe “The Mad Scientist” & DJ Ice Kole Global FC Face Painting by the Kansas City Art Institute Animation Club Kemper Museum Teen Arts Council Kona Ice Caricatures by Gardner Littleton Midtown KC Now Smoke N Seoul BBQ Sugar Skull Grill Viva La Tinta x Kemper Museum Shop 2024 Kemper Museum Block Party Media Sponsors KCUR and Classical KC

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