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Kemper Museum is a free art museum in Kansas City, Missouri that presents global contemporary art.

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Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acknowledges it resides on the ancestral territory of the Osage, Kaw, and Otoe-Missouria, among other tribal nations forcibly moved to the region such as the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) nations. We recognize and support the continued vibrancy of Native communities and cultures today who continue to thrive, as well as the inherent sovereignty of tribal nations. We are compelled to serve and advocate for these communities in accordance with our public mission.

Kemper Museum acknowledges and respects the diversity of Native people connected to this land today. Many recognize the land and all beings who live within it as relatives. We acknowledge the earth we inhabit, the waters of the Blue River, the Kansas River, the Missouri River, and the plants, animals, and people supported by them. 

We acknowledge our responsibility to be good caretakers of the land we occupy. 

Click here to learn more about our land acknowledgment process.

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Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin’s color photograph focuses on Jimmy Paulette, who casually leans against an open doorframe. Brightly lit by a flash and framed from the knees up, Paulette wears shorts, a sheer top, and makeup from their previous drag ensemble. The mirror hanging on the opened door captures another drag queen in a similar state of undress, Tabboo!, who sits on the floor and appears unaware of the viewer. Unlike Tabboo!, Paulette stares directly at the viewer, giving us an intimate performance with their captivating eyes and soft smile. Goldin’s photograph of the two drag queens freshly returned from a pride parade in New York City captures the resilience of the queer community in a period fraught with the emotional turmoil and physical toll of the AIDS epidemic. 

PhD Student in Art History, University of Kansas  

Jimmy Paulette and Tabboo! undressing, NYC

Jimmy Paulette and Tabboo! undressing, NYC, 1991Nan Goldin