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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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Edra Soto’s installation the place of dwelling, is commissioned for Kemper Museum’s tenth annual Atrium Project and is a direct response to the original 1994 Gunnar Birkerts architecture.

Edra Soto: the place of dwelling

Edra Soto (b. 1971, Puerto Rico) alters and recontextualizes common functional objects—wrought-iron screens, plastic lawn furniture, and electric fans, ubiquitous in her native Puerto Rico—to create objects and environments that celebrate the voices of working-class communities. Soto’s installation, the place of dwelling, is commissioned for Kemper Museum’s tenth annual Atrium Project and is a direct response to the original 1994 Gunnar Birkerts architecture. Addressing the tabernacle-like center atrium, Soto’s installation invests the space with personal memories of her Catholic upbringing, a gesture that both questions methods of colonial indoctrination and celebrates sacred sites filled with signs and symbols offering guidance and direction. By infusing elements of vernacular design with sacred symbolism, Soto proposes a correlation between art museums and churches as similarly charged spaces for the discovery of higher meaning.

Organized by Kevin Moore, Independent Curator 

Artist & Curator Conversation | Edra Soto and Kevin Moore

On January 29, 2026 at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, artist Edra Soto and Independent Curator Kevin Moore had a conversation about Edra Soto's new installation in the Museum's Atrium, "the place of dwelling".

Featured Artworks

Edra Soto is a Puerto Rican-born artist, educator, and co-director of the outdoor project space The Franklin, in Chicago, where she lives. Through architecture and design, Soto’s work invites conversations around socioeconomic and cultural oppression, the erasure of history, and loss of cultural knowledge. Soto has had recent public commissions from the Public Art Fund at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza in Central Park, NY (2024); Noor Riyadh light festival, Saudi Arabia (2024); and Now + There at Central Wharf Park, Boston (2023). Her work is in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Pérez Art Museum, Miami; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. 

$50,000 USA Fellowships for 2026 awarded to 6 visual artists

Art Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2026

The Bad Bunny chairs taking over the art world

Celebrate the opening of the "place of dwelling", a new installation by Edra Soto, created for Kemper Museum’s 10th Annual Atrium Project

Edra Soto: the place of dwelling — Member Preview & Artist Talk

Experience the Kemper Museum’s collections through the unique perspectives of Kansas City contemporary artists.

Beyond the Studio: Chantel Guzman-Cupil

Join the Kemper Teens for an engaging printmaking workshop in collaboration with local print studio and shop Two Tone Press!

Teen-Led Saturday: Printmaking with Two Tone Press

Featuring hands-on art-making activities, guided mini-tours of the galleries, storytelling and more, Kemper Museum invites you for an art-filled day of fun for everyone!

Spring Break Family Day

Join Executive Director Jessica May for a casual gallery talk focused on current exhibitions, and stay for lunch at the museum's restaurant, Oil on Linen.

Director's Gallery Spotlight

Experience an evening of activities inspired by exhibitions, "The Atrium Project: 10 Years, 10 Stories" and "Edra Soto: the place of dwelling".

Open Drawing +

Exhibitions are always free thanks to the generosity of members and other donors. Join or donate today to support free access to contemporary art.

Edra Soto, the place of dwelling (2025). Porcelain, sintra, wood, paint. 54 1/2 x 54 1/2 x 4 1/2 in. 138.4 x 138.4 x 11.4 cm. © Edra Soto. Photo: Morgan Lehman Gallery.