Collection

4420 Warwick Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64111

Contact

Kemper Museum Policies

The Kemper Museum website uses cookies. By continuing to use the site, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.

Hours

Employment

Docent Portal

Policies

News

Accessibility Statement

Accessibility

Atrium Project

Oil on Linen

Visit

Free Admission

Programs

Location & Directions

Plan Your Visit

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

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art

The Arterie

Exhibitions

Exhibitions & Collection

Calendar

Groups & Tours

Volunteer

Public Programs

Mission

History

Architecture

Leadership

Community Partners

About

Give

Memberships

Legacy Society

Gala

Annual Report

Support

Café

Museum Shop

Special Event Rentals

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.

Land Acknowledgement

Join

Celebrate

Shop

Alice Neel

Alice Neel’s Portrait of Sid Duffy depicts an aging, bespectacled white man seated in a wooden chair with a relaxed pose and a slight smile. Neel describes the man’s clothing through loose, painterly brushstrokes but gives more definition to his face and hands, accentuating his wrinkles and veins. This emphasis on the sitter’s human aspects is characteristic of Neel’s portrait style, rooted in her stated desire to identify with each of her subjects as a “complete person.” Although Sid Duffy’s exact relationship with Neel is unknown, the viewer can grasp a sense of his personality through Neel’s depiction of him. His calm demeanor, comfortable pose, and warm expression could suggest an unpretentious and friendly man. His casual attire communicates disinterest in formalities—a quality with which Neel may have identified as an unconventional artist whose style defied contemporary trends.

Rebecca Lampe
MA Student in Art History, University of Kansas
Fall 2025

Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection

Portrait of Sid Duffy

Portrait of Sid Duffy, 1973Alice Neel