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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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KANSAS CITY, MO–Today Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and its chef partner Ted Habiger, a three-time James Beard Foundation Award nominated chef and entrepreneur with a decades-long commitment to local farmers and sustainability, announced a new concept for the museum cafe, which begins operations as Oil on Linen this week.

“As I was developing a new concept for this space with my partner Tiffany Thompson, we began to relate the creative process that goes into my menus and restaurants to what was happening in the museum,” said Habiger. “From the name, to the menu, to the art, organic connections continued to emerge between cooking and artistic practices and their ability to tell stories and bring people together.”

The new menu celebrates Habiger’s artful approach to the aesthetics, influences, and origins of a dish. Like the museum’s exhibition calendar, the menu will change, and visitors will often find links between the two, like the Lucía Vidales quesadilla, which Habiger developed with the Monterrey, Mexico-based 2025 Atrium Project artist while she was working on her site-specific installation that opened with a ticketed dinner by Habiger in September.

The new aesthetic and artwork honors both the restaurant’s past and the vibrant contemporary art community in Kansas City today. The Toledo chairs designed by Jorge Pensi that were original to the Jennifer Maloney Courtyard when it was first enclosed have returned, but visitors will find all new artwork on view in that space, as well as new Custom-made artisanal furniture for Oil on Linen by Kansas City-based designer Matt Castilleja. Works by artists including Sanford Biggers, Ronald Jackson, Annie Lapin, and Joiri Minaya among others from the Kansas City-based, internationally acclaimed collection of Bill and Christy Gautreaux are now on view in the Courtyard, alongside a durational drawing titled “set in place (mis en place)” by Kansas City-based artist Kevin Townsend. This drawing performance began in September and is taking place over more than 200 hours, evolving in full view of diners with each dot capturing the cafe’s dynamic energy. Oil on Linen collaborated with Petrichor Projects, which is led by Thompson, to design and organize this space. Frederick James Brown’s floor-to-ceiling site-specific installation of more than 100 paintings, titled History of Art, remains on view in the café gallery as it has since 1994. In the installation, Brown both paid homage to the artists and styles throughout history that influenced him, and contextualized his own work within that history.

Beginning this week, Oil on Linen will be open Wednesday–Sunday from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. staying open on Thursdays for small bites from 3–4:30 p.m. and dinner service beginning at 4:30 p.m. with a last seating at 7:45 p.m. The weekly dinners will feature prix fixe menus with the option to order a la carte.

“We are thrilled to have Ted invigorate Kemper Museum’s beloved dining program with Oil on Linen,” said Jessica May, executive director. “Not only will he continue the tradition of providing museum visitors with a world class dining experience in a truly special atmosphere, but he will strengthen the thoughtful links between art and food and the importance of both to building community.”

Located in Kansas City, Missouri, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is a leading presenter of global modern and contemporary art in the region. As the first contemporary art museum in the state, Kemper Museum has connected Midwest communities with the artists of our time since 1994. The museum cares for nearly 1,500 artworks by hundreds of artists in its growing Permanent Collection. A rotating selection of these works are on view in the museum’s Gunnar Birkerts-designed building, alongside rotating special exhibitions. Each year, the museum presents eight to ten exhibitions and major projects, with a special focus on emerging, mid-career artists, as well as artists from historically excluded groups. An active calendar of creative public programs provides meaningful engagement opportunities for visitors of all ages and backgrounds.

Kemper Museum is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Admission, parking, and public programs are always free, thanks to the generosity of members and other donors.

A three-time James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef Award nominee, Habiger is a chef, restaurateur, sommelier, and entrepreneur with a decades-long commitment to local farmers and sustainable practices. He led Cafe Allegro, Kansas City's top Zagat-rated restaurant (1996–2000), served as sous chef at Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe in New York City (2001–2003). Habiger is the owner and chef at Room 39, which opened in 2004 and recently joined the new CPKC Stadium as a vendor for the Kansas City Current. In addition to Room 39, Habiger is chef partner at Ánima, a restaurant in Mérida, Mexico, and he owns a commissary kitchen in Kansas City that supports local food trucks and entrepreneurs.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Chef Ted Habiger announce Oil on Linen