Whenever I’m in a big city, I try to visit their main public library, their Unitarian Universalist Church, and any contemporary art museums they may have. Our time in Kansas City was rather limited, so we only saw the library and the church from the outside, but I’m really glad that Dear Husband and I got to see this art museum.
According to their website, the Kemper was the first museum established to collect and present contemporary art in the state of Missouri. That’s shocking to me, because it has only been around since 1995. Basically, the whole state was experiencing contemporary art deprivation until then, but they probably didn’t even realize it (too busy farming, most likely.)
Better late than never, I say. The Kemper is about 23, 000 square feet of unique building design and fascinating contemporary art. (That’s rather small compared to two that I visited in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Institute of Art is a jaw-dropping 545,000 square feet, and the Walker Art Center is 65,000 square feet. But then Kansas City is no Minneapolis.)
During our visit, we were treated to two temporary exhibits. The first one, Spandita Malik: Jāḷī—Meshes of Resistance will remain at the Kemper through February 25th, 2024, and it is best appreciated in person. There is a fascinating back story to the exhibit that adds depth to the experience.
Malik is a photographer who traveled across Northern India, meeting with women who were survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. Once she got to know these women, she asked if she could photograph them in their homes. She then printed these images on some sort of tapestry, and had the women embroider within their own photographs. Since each community that she visited had a distinct embroidery style, each embroidered portrait is unique.
I’ve never seen work like this before. Since it combines my love of contemporary art with my love of textiles and activism, I’d give it three thumbs up if I could. Here are some of the photos we took of their work on display, but keep in mind that a two dimensional photo doesn’t do this textured art justice.
The second temporary exhibit will remain at the Kemper through January 7th, 2024. It’s called Julie Blackmon: A Life in Frame and it’s some of the most unique and playful photography I’ve ever seen. I’ll be following this photographer’s work from now on.
At first glance, her photographs are simple scenes of unremarkable everyday life in Springfield, Missouri. But you quickly realize that there’s something a little off about them. That’s because Blackmon isn’t just taking spontaneous images. She arranges the scenes she wants to photograph, using her long-suffering nieces and nephews. Her work often mimicks the styles of artists of the past, anything from 17th century Dutch painters to Diane Arbus. Into the mix, she adds unusual elements that tell stories about social issues such as feminism, climate change, and gun control.
I love how I could make up my own surreal stories about every image I saw. These photographs should be book covers or movie sets for Fellini films. They transport you to a strange new world. Here are some of our photos of this exhibit. (You’ll have to forgive some of the strange angles. It wasn’t easy keeping reflections off the glass. I wasn’t always successful.)
Naturally, the museum has a permanent collection as well, but I’ll let you discover that for yourself. Some things should be left to the imagination. But I will say that even driving by this place is a treat, because they have several outdoor sculptures:
This museum is well worth a visit. My only regret is that we didn’t think to drive past it at night. Check out this amazing photo from their website!
Are you wondering what to bring to Thanksgiving dinner? How about my book, Notes on Gratitude? Place your orders now! (Or any other time, since we’re on the subject.) And… thanks!
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