Permanent 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

Atrium Project

Oil on Linen

Visit

Free Admission

Free 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

Accessibility

Exhibitions

Exhibitions & Collection

Calendar

Groups & Tours

Volunteer

Public Programs

Programs

Mission

History

Architecture

Leadership

Community Partners

About

Memberships

Legacy Society

Gala

Annual Report

Support

Cafe

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

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art looks toward the future with a new strategic plan and leadership additions.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Looks Toward the Future, Announcing a New Strategic Plan and Leadership Additions

PressRelease_KemperNewsAug2025.pdf

A Refreshed and Expanded Strategic Plan Sets the Museum on a New Course, With Clear Goals for Growth Over the Next Five Years

The Museum Welcomes William Gautreaux as Board Chair, Erica McGeachy Crenshaw as Vice Chair, and Appoints Mary Kemper Wolf to Lifetime Chair Emerita 

New Kemper Museum Chief Development Officer Jennifer Wampler Brings a Wealth of Experience from Prominent Kansas City Cultural Institutions

Kansas City, MO – Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art looks toward the future with a new strategic plan and leadership additions. Having celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024, during which time it named new Executive Director Jessica May (January 2024) and Chief Curator Jessica Hong (September 2024), the Museum has already begun a new era. With the new strategic plan, Kemper Museum has defined a fresh mission and vision, along with a detailed plan for growth and innovation over the next five years.

The Museum continues to build on the strong leadership team who will implement the plan, naming William (Bill) Gautreaux as Board Chair, Erica McGeachy Crenshaw as Vice Chair, and appointing Mary Kemper Wolf as a Lifetime Chair Emerita. Sheila Kemper Dietrich has also joined the board. New Chief Development Officer Jennifer Wampler joined the Museum in June. 

Says Executive Director Jessica May, “I believe the new Strategic Plan will set in motion a tremendous institutional transformation, retaining the founding principles set by Crosby and Bebe Kemper in 1994, while thoroughly capitalizing on the opportunities of our current cultural moment.

The Museum and its larger Kansas City community are in a moment of exciting transformation, and we are so fortunate that Bill Gautreaux and Erica McGeachy Crenshaw will provide the next generation of insight on the Kemper Museum’s board. In addition, Mary Kemper Wolf’s visionary leadership has been instrumental in shaping the Museum into the dynamic institution it is today.”

This new Strategic Plan is the result of a year-long collaborative and consensus-based process between the board, staff, and community members. The strategies it outlines form a comprehensive and ambitious five-year plan (2025-2029) that reflects Kemper Museum’s values and vision: to be an inclusive, innovative, and courageous leader in the field of contemporary art. 

It is organized around our four key pillars that align with the Museum’s core areas of work: Programming, Public Engagement, Philanthropy, and Governance & Management. Each articulates a clear mission and a set of initiatives designed to drive meaningful transformation, deepen audience relationships, and strengthen the institution’s long-term sustainability and relevance.

Pillar 1: Programming reaffirms the Museum’s dedication to championing great art and artists, emphasizing a broad spectrum of voices—from emerging talent to overlooked mid and late-career artists. It outlines strategies to build an innovative curatorial culture, activate flexible and welcoming museum spaces, and strengthen collection stewardship and future growth planning.

Pillar 2: Public Engagement focuses on expanding the Museum’s reach and relevance. Through storytelling, audience research, improved visitor experience, and strategic partnerships, this pillar aims to double audience participation over the next five years while enhancing the Museum’s visibility both locally and nationally.

Pillar 3: Philanthropy seeks to modernize the Museum’s approach to fundraising by aligning its development practices with the evolving philanthropic landscape. This pillar emphasizes building a culture of philanthropy that reflects the Museum’s potential for long-term community impact. 

Pillar 4: Governance & Management outlines efforts to cultivate a culture of entrepreneurialism, accountability, and inclusivity at all levels of the organization. This includes a renewed focus on internal communication, staff training and well-being, board engagement, and adaptive institutional leadership.

Adds Kemper Museum Board Chair Bill Gautreaux, “This is an exciting moment for the museum to deliver more impact, both regionally and nationally. I have long admired the museum’s legacy collection and how the artistic program builds on this year after year. This is all amplified by the intimacy of our space and the ability to dine in or host an event. The founders went way beyond their own collection and aspired for curatorial excellence in contemporary art...the art of our time. We will build on that vision supporting generations of artists and impacting the thoughts and feelings of people in all our communities.”

The Strategic Plan process was overseen by Melissa Cowley Wolf of MCW Projects. It is available to the public, at bit.ly/kemper-museum-strategic-plan-2025-2029.

Kemper Museum’s Mission, Vision, and Values statement is available here: https://www.kemperart.org/mission

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is proud to announce the appointment of new leadership to its Board of Trustees. William (Bill) Gautreaux will take on the role of Board Chair, and Erica McGeachy Crenshaw will serve as Vice Chair.

Gautreaux has served on the board since 2013, and is Managing Partner of MLP Holdings LLC, and Co-Founder and former President of Inergy LP, among other roles and board positions. Crenshaw is a former Wall Street equity research analyst at Goldman Sachs and Founder and former CEO of Execute Now!, among other roles and board positions.

Gautreaux succeeds former board chair Mary Kemper Wolf, who was appointed to the leadership role by her father, museum co-founder, R. Crosby Kemper, Jr., in 2012. Wolf’s transformative leadership reinforced and furthered the Museum’s primary mission of championing contemporary art, supporting innovative curatorial projects, and expanding its role in the Kansas City community as a free resource for all Kansas Citians. In recognition of Wolf’s contributions to the institution, the Museum board has appointed her Lifetime Chair Emerita.

In addition, Sheila Kemper Dietrich has joined the board. Dietrich is the Founder and CEO of Livliga, and an award-winning author, among other roles and board positions.

In June, Kemper Museum welcomed Chief Development Officer Jennifer Wampler, who brings a wealth of experience from such prominent Kansas City cultural institutions as the Kansas City Ballet and the Conservatory at UMKC (University of Missouri-Kansas City), among others. Jennifer has raised millions of dollars for new buildings for both the Ballet and the Conservatory.  Most recently, she completed a $20M endowment campaign for the Ballet.

Wampler’s appointment coincides with an important period of expansion for the Museum, including new fundraising objectives. In 2025, the museum completed a multi-year process of demonstrating its public charity status, concluding a significant period of growth for the family founded institution. Together, May and Wampler are charged with increasing the fiscal independence of the institution through community, foundation, and private support, and growing the museum’s overall impact within its regional and national community.  

Image: In Community "Sobremesa" A Talk & Tasting with Marissa Gencarelli, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Photo: Alyssa Broadus, 2025.

Bold. Inclusive. Contemporary. Since 1994, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art has been a creative force in Kansas City and beyond, championing today’s artists and sparking conversations that matter. As Missouri’s first contemporary art museum, Kemper has introduced generations of visitors to the most compelling global voices in modern and contemporary art. Admission is free, thanks to the generosity of supporting members. 

Home to a growing collection of nearly 1,500 works, the museum showcases both established and rising artists, with a strong emphasis on those from historically underrepresented communities. Housed in an iconic building designed by Gunnar Birkerts, Kemper Museum offers an ever-changing mix of exhibitions, installations, and bold new projects, presenting 8 to 10 major shows each year and a robust schedule of events. Its restaurant, Oil on Linen, features an art-inspired menu by Chef Ted Habiger, who is known for his commitment to local farmers and sustainable practices.

Kemper is more than a place to see art. It’s a place to engage. From hands-on family activities and artist talks to community partnerships and thought-provoking exhibitions, the museum’s free public programs invite people of all ages and backgrounds to connect, create, and be inspired. 

Kemper Museum is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information about the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, please visit kemperart.org.

Media inquiries: Meg Blackburn, meg@blackburncreative.com