For Adults

Free hands-on workshops, films, lectures, and performances are scheduled throughout the year. The Museum strives to represent artists and visitors of diverse genders, nationalities, artistic influences, media, and ethnicity. Admission is always free and the Museum is fully accessible in order to warmly welcome visitors with special needs. Groups of ten or more may schedule free docent-led guided tours of the Kemper Museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions, to see more information visit the Museum's Tours page.

Programs in Conjunction with José Lerma: La Venida Cansa Sin Ti

Artist Talk José Lerma: La Venida Cansa Sin Ti

Friday, August 19, 2016
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
5:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
FREE

5:00 p.m. | cash bar in Museum Atrium
6:00 p.m. | Artist Talk in Meeting Room Gallery

Artist Talk is in conjunction with the site-responsive installation:

José Lerma: La Venida Cansa Sin Ti
August 19, 2017–June 26, 2017

José Lerma, Spanish-born, Chicago-based artist, presents a commissioned site-responsive project for a prominent location in the Kemper Museum Atrium. Upon visiting the Kemper Museum and Kansas City, the artist found inspiration within the art upon the walls of the Museum and the architecture within the surrounding community. Frederick James Brown’s commissioned project for the Kemper Museum’s Café Sebastienne, particularly the patterns and repeated motifs that appear within the massive grid of paintings, inspired Lerma to make his own historical representation of Brown’s The Ascension (1982) in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The painting will be created using custom stencils that imitate the Andalusian style of tiles found in the stairs throughout the Country Club Plaza. Internationally, Lerma’s commission opens on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of the twinning of Kansas City and Seville as sister cities.

Major support was provided by exhibition Lead Sponsors, Christy and Bill Gautreaux.

Everyone is welcome to attend this free event.

Programs in Conjunction with Siah Armajani: Bridge Builder

An Evening with Artist Siah Armajani

Thursday, September 8, 2016
Kansas City Public Library—Plaza Branch, 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO
6:00 p.m.
FREE | Registration Required

Iranian-born Siah Armajani is a leading figure in conceptualizing the role and function of public art, including its incorporation in bridges. His mixed-media work Kansas City No. 1 was donated to Kansas City’s Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art two years ago, and is the centerpiece of the exhibition Siah Armajani: Bridge Builder on display at the museum from September 8, 2016, to January 22, 2017.

On the eve of the exhibit’s opening, Armajani – who designed the Olympic cauldron for the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta – discusses his work and efforts to promote cultural connectivity by intertwining social science, art, and architecture. The talk will take place at Kansas City Public Library—Plaza Branch.

Reservations required, RSVP now!

 

Siah Armajani: Bridge Builder Opening Reception

Friday, September 9, 2016
Kemper Museum | Charlotte Crosby Kemper Gallery
5:00–7:00 p.m.
FREE | No registration required

Friday, September 9, 5:00–7:00 p.m. cash bar and music by Hermon Mahari

Double Visions: Community Bridge Building and Special Screening of Our Divided City

Friday, October 7, 2016
Kemper Museum
5:00–6:30 p.m.
FREE | No registration required

Friday, October 7, 2016, 5:00 p.m. cash bar and film screening, 6:00 p.m. presentations and discussion

A special first-time screening of Our Divided City by Kansas City-based documentary filmmaker Michael Price. Following the screening Price will be joined by Imani Jacqueline Brown and Carl Joel Williams, founding members of Blights Out in New Orleans for presentations and discussions addressing community bridge building through their respective projects. 

Lecture: Paul Losensky

Friday, November 11, 2016
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
5:00–7:00 p.m.
FREE | No registration required

Friday, November 11, 2016, 5:00 p.m. cash bar, 6:00 p.m. lecture

Paul Losensky, associate professor of comparative literature at Indiana University, deepens the discussion on the poetic representations of the Ḩasanābād (now Khaju) Bridge in the city of Esfahān, Iran, giving perspective on the significance of the bridge in Persian culture.

Workshop: Persian Calligraphy

Sunday, November 13, 2016
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
1:00–3:00 p.m.
FREE | All ages | RSVP to reservations@kemperart.org, Subject: Calligraphy; Space is limited to 25.

Instructors Habib and Sameneh Arjmand lead a dynamic workshop on the art and poetry of Persian calligraphy. 

Curator-led Tour with Erin Dziedzic

Thursday, December 8, 2016
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
4:00–5:00 p.m.
FREE | No registration required

Visit the exhibition Siah Armajani: Bridge Builder with curator Erin Dziedzic for a lively and informative discussion of Kansas City’s influence on the artist’s bridges and highlights of Armajani’s more-than five decades of bridge making.

Programs in Conjunction with 2016 Charlotte Street Visual Artist Award

Presentations and Discussion: 2016 Charlotte Street Visual Artist Award Recipients

Thursday, September 29, 2016
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
5:00–7:30 p.m.
FREE | No registration required

Thursday, September 29, 2016, 5:00 p.m. cash bar, 6:00 p.m. presentations 

Artists Shawn Bitters, Madeline Gallucci, and Rodolfo Marron III present an overview of their individual projects followed by a brief discussion. 

Performances: J. Ashley Miller (Jametatone) and Eddie Moore (Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle)

Friday, October 28, 2016
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
7:00 p.m.
FREE | No registration required

​Friday, October 28, 2016, beginning 7:00 p.m.

Kemper Museum presents an evening of music with 2016 Charlotte Street Generative Performing Artist Award Fellows J. Ashley Miller (Jametatone) who uses frenetic guitar playing to create improvisational works of manic and delightful lyricism, and pianist Eddie Moore (Eddie Moore & The Outer Circle), playing material from his new piece “Kings & Queens,” which blends American music and Afro influences. 

 

2016 Charlotte Street Visual Artist Award Exhibition: First Fridays Opening

Friday, September 2, 2016
Kemper at The Crossroads
5:00–9:00 p.m.
FREE | All ages | No registration required

Join us in celebrating the opening of the 2016 Charlotte Street Visual Awards Exhibition with artists Shawn Bitters, Madeline Gallucci, and Rodolfo Marron III.

Music at the Museum: Cubanisms

Friday, December 16, 2016
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
6:00 p.m–7:30 p.m.
FREE | All ages | No registration required

Friday, December 16, 6:00 p.m. cash bar and performance

Michael McClintock’s Cubanisms is the only authentic Cuban septet in Kansas City. Showcasing the native Cuban tres, a guitar-like instrument, Cubanisms joins together some of the best musicians in the Midwest to bring the culture, dance, and festive music of Cuba to life. 

Audio Tours

To hear insight from the artists themselves, an exhibition audio tour is available inside The Kemper app. Download the app via iTunes or the Android marketplace to hear the artists speak about selected works.

Tour: Gallery Conversations

Every Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Kemper Museum | FREE

The Gallery Conversations tour is offered every Saturday. Join a Kemper Museum docent for a lively discussion and tour of the Museum’s current exhibitions. These tours serve as our only "drop in" opportunity to have a guided tour each week.

No reservations are required. Meet at the Visitor Services Desk.​

Talks and Conversations

Featured artists and exhibition curators often speak at the Kemper Museum’s opening receptions for its special exhibitions. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the exhibitions' works and artists' working method. Visit the Museum's Talks page for more information.

Workshops

Hands-on workshops for adults have included watercolor painting, acrylic portrait painting, monotype printing, wire sculpture, collage, mixed media, and creative writing. Led by area artists, these workshops provide creative opportunities that expand on themes and media present in Kemper Museum exhibiting artists' works. Learn to express yourself, work with new materials, and consider new processes and ideas.