Past Exhibitions
April 19 - May 17, 2008
2008 Annual BFA Exhibition
The 2008 Annual B.F.A. Exhibition will feature work by nearly 100 B.F.A. candidates from the Kansas City Art Institute, majoring in Animation, Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Interdisciplinary, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and New Media. Image: Ben McCullough
October 20– February 7, 2008
Past, Present, Future Perfect: Selections from the Ovitz Family Collection
The Ovitz Family Collection was begun in the late 1970’s by art collectors Michael and Judy Ovitz, recognized among the top art collectors in the world by publications including Art News and Art and Antiques. This exhibition includes a selection of recent acquisitions – from the Minimalist Dan Flavin to the most recent work of emerging American and European artists.
Artists: Jules de Balincourt, Michael Borremans, Jesse Chapman, Tim Eitel, Olafur Eliasson, Dan Flavin, Matt Greene, George Henry Longley, Daniel Lefcourt, Victor Man, Richard Prince, Anselm Reyle, Macrae Semans, Dana Schutz, and Jeff Wall.
image: Jules de Balincourt, Untitled, 2007, Oil and acrylic on panel
America Starts Here: Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler
June 9 – September 29, 2007
During their decade-long collaboration (1985-1995), Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler produced some of the most profound and influential conceptual art projects of the time, ranging from important public projects and site-specific installations to drawings and mixed media sculptures. Ericson and Ziegler, both alumni of the Kansas City Art Institute, redefined public art in a way that was welcoming to a diverse set of communities. Prior to Ericsonís untimely death from cancer at the age of 39, Ericson and Ziegler devised projects that altered sites subtly, using poetic language and wit to illuminate mainstream American contexts and highlight individual community issues.
America Starts Here, the first retrospective exhibition of Ericson and Zieglerís career, provides a critical analysis of the artistsí still under-appreciated position in the history of twentieth-century art. The exhibition includes sculpture, installations, models, and video documents of site-specific works.
America Starts Here: Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler, is a joint-project of the MIT List Visual Arts Center and the Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College, and is organized by Bill Arning and Ian Berry, in collaboration with Mel Ziegler. The exhibition and catalogue are sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; Peter Norton Family Foundation; The Judith Rothschild Foundation; and the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation.
image: Camouflaged History, 1991 by Kate Ericson and Mel Ziegler
Sum of the Parts: Surface Design Association Members Exhibition
May 29-June 4, 2007
Sum of the Parts features work by members of the Surface Design Association. The installation is designed to showcase innovative uses of textiles. Included in the exhibition are 202 pieces which collectively illustrate surface design, weaving, quilting, knitting, stitching, three-dimensional work, non-traditional materials and many other techniques and processes.
2007 Annual BFA Exhibition
April 21–May 19, 2007
This invitational exhibition includes work from all departments at KCAI, including: animation, art history, ceramics, creative writing, fiber, graphic design, illustration, interdisciplinary arts, painting, photography and new media, printmaking, and sculpture. The exhibition is organized by Assistant Curator Heather Lustfeldt and the Artspace.
Collecting Ink
Curated by Craig Subler
March 3 - 31, 2007
The exhibition is organized in conjunction with the Southern Graphics Council, the largest print organization in North America, established in 1972 to educate the public and promote awareness and appreciation of the art of making original prints, books, handmade paper and drawings. Kansas City will host the SGC’s annual conference March 21–25. This important citywide project will welcome thousands of visitors to Kansas City and include the participation and support of many local and regional institutions through a variety of exhibitions, public art presentations and workshops. Laura Berman, assistant professor of printmaking at KCAI, is the conference director.
2007 KCAI Faculty Biennial Exhibition: It's Only Natural
January 20 - February 17, 2007
It's Only Natural features work by 25 faculty members at KCAI from the departments of Painting, Printmaking, Photography/ New Media, Interdisciplinary, Ceramics, Fiber, Design, Graphic Design, Sculpture, and Foundations.
Cryptozoology: Out Of Time Place Scale
October 28 - December 20, 2006
Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale is curated by Mark Bessire and Raechell Smith and organized by the Artspace and the Bates College Museum of Art. A catalog of the exhibition is available. Artists include: Rachel Berwick, Sarina Brewer, Walmor Correa, Mark Dion, Sean Foley, Joan Fontcuberta and Jean Formiguera, Ellen Lesperance and Jeanine Oleson, Robert Marbury, Jill Miller, Vik Muniz, Rosamond Purcell, Alexis Rockman, Marc Swanson, Jeffrey Vallance, and Jamie Wyeth, along with Loren Coleman’s Future Museum of Cryptozoology.
2006 Charlotte Street Foundation
September 9 - October 14, 2006
Since 1997, the Charlotte Street Foundation has supported and recognized outstanding visual artists in Kansas City with individual artist grants. The Artspace is proud to present the 2006 Charlotte Street Foundation exhibition, organized by guest curator Dr. Maria Buszek, featuring new work by the 2006 award recipients: Anthony Baab, Deanna Dikeman, Justin Gainan, Elijah Gowin, and Aaron Wrinkle.
2006 Annual BFA Exhibition
April 13 - May 15, 2006
Since Featuring a range of new work by the Kansas City Art Institute's graduation class of 2006, with majors in Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Illustration, Interdisciplinary, New Media, Painting and Sculpture. Installed throughout the Artspace, the 2006 Annual BFA Exhibition is a special opportunity toexperience a range of exemplary, often surprising creations by some of Kansas City's most exciting emergin artists.
Humor Me
January 28 – March 18, 2006
From the light-hearted antics of artists creating visual and verbal puns to the transgressive tactics of artists investigating a host of serious subjects, Humor Me considers the complex and important role that humor plays in contemporary culture.
Artists include David Shrigley (Scotland), Kay Rosen (U.S.), Cary Leibowitz (U.S.), Peter Finnemore (Wales), David Hammons (U.S.), Ghazel Radpay (Iran, works in France), Yang Zhenzhong (China), Erwin Wurm (Austria), Joe Sola (U.S.), Adriane Herman (U.S.), Vik Muniz (Brazil, works in U.S.), Jules de Balincourt (U.S.), Tamy Ben-Tor (Israel, works in U.S.), Reza Farkhondeh (Iran, works in U.S.), Alexander Gutke (Sweden), and Jon Pylypchuk (Canada, works in U.S.).
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director
2005 Kansas City Flatfile
October 22 – December 17, 2005
An interactive, biennial exhibition featuring two-dimensional and time-based artwork by many of Kansas City’s best visual artists. Viewers may browse through artist portfolios within a flatfile cabinet or select video works to screen, engaging in a unique and personal viewing experience
Now Read On: Jesse Howard and Roger Brown
August 6 - September 17, 2005
Co-organized by H&R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute, The University of Missouri Kansas City Center for Creative Studies, and The Roger Brown Study Collection at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Jesse Howard & Roger Brown: Now Read On presents a selection of works - sculpture, painting, and hand-painted signs – by Howard and Brown from the collections of KCAI and SAIC.
Ghada Amer
June 1 – July 16, 2005
During the spring 2005 semester, Ghada Amer, visiting artist-in-residence at the Artspace, created new work in collaboration with students and alumni of the Kansas City Art Institute. This exhibition, featured the two new paintings created in Kansas City and a selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture, and photographic documentation of the artist’s Garden Projects realized around the world. Born in Egypt, Ghada Amer now lives and works in New York.
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director
2005 Annual B.F.A. Exhibition
April 9– May 15, 2005
New work by nearly 100 emerging artists graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute majoring in Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Illustration, Interdisciplinary, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Organized by Heather Lustfeldt, Assistant Curator and Jaimie Warren, Projects Assistant, Artspace
Shirin Neshat: Fervor
November 13 – February 19, 2005
Born in Iran and now based in New York, Shirin Neshat is an internationally-acclaimed artist recognized for her filmic works examining women’s roles in Iran and the phenomenon of veiling behind a black chador. The Artspace presents Fervor (2000), a 2 channel video and sound installation, and a selection of Neshat’s photographs.
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director
New, Two: 2004 KCAI Faculty Biennial
September 18 – October 30, 2004
The 2004 Biennial Faculty exhibition features new work, ranging in media, by recently- appointed faculty members at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Artists: Laura Berman, Rebecca Dolan, Russell Ferguson, Andrea Flamini, Carolyn Kallenborn, Brett Reif, DeAnna Skedel, and Michael Wickerson.
Organized by the Artspace
Digital Lounge
July 29 – September 2, 2004
Screenings: Thursdays 1:00, 3:30, 6:00; Fridays 1:00, 3:30; Saturdays 1:00, 3:30
The Digital Lounge presents curated programs of feature films, documentaries on art and artists, and art-related genres including animation, narrative shorts, and videos.
Organized by Amalia Mariño and the Artspace
2004 Annual B.F.A. Exhibition
April 17 – May 15, 2004
An exhibition of new work by over 100 emerging artists graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute majoring in Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Illustration, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Organized by Heather Lustfeldt, Assistant Curator, and the Artspace
2004 Kansas City Flatfile
February 7 – April 3, 2004
Originating in 2001 in conjunction with the Pierogi Flatfiles, this interactive, biennial exhibition features two-dimensional and time-based artwork by Kansas City artists. Viewers may browse through artist portfolios within a flatfile cabinet or select video works to screen, engaging in a unique and personal viewing experience. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to see a wide range of work by many of Kansas City’s best visual artists.
Organized by Jaimie Warren and the Artspace
2003 Charlotte Street Foundation Awards
November 15 – December 19, 2003
An exhibition of new work by the 2003 Charlotte Street Foundation Award recipients, including Leo Esquivel, Jennifer Field, Gear, Art Miller, Dean Mitchell, Donald Ross “Scribe”, and Jim Leedy, honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Artists: Leo Esquivel, Jennifer Field, Gear, Art Miller, Dean Mitchell, Scribe, and Jim Leedy
Curated by Heather Lustfeldt, Assistant Curator
UnNaturally
September 20 – October 29, 2003
UnNaturally features work by fifteen international artists who employ artificial materials to create simulations of nature. By exploring ways in which boundaries between nature and culture are often blurred, the artists raise provocative questions about our mediated environment. Sometimes through irony, the work in UnNaturally suggests that the natural world can be reproduced with man-made materials like any other mass-produced commercial product. Viewers are invited to consider the relationship between the artificial and the natural in our lives through an array of art, including photographs, sculpture and sound.
Artists: Chris Astley, Gregory Crewdson, Jacci denHartog, Allan deSouza, Keith Edmier, Inigo Manglano-Ovalle, Jason Middlebrook, Micoletta Munroe, Roxy Paine, Michael Pierzynski, Marc Quinn, Michelle Segre, Alyson Shotz, Frances Whitehead, and Clara Williams
Curated by Mary Kay Lombino, Organized by Independent Curators International
Wenda Gu: From Middle Kingdom To Biological Millennium
June 7 – September 6, 2003
One of the most important artists to emerge from China in recent decades, Gu was active in the Chinese avant-garde before emigrating to the U.S. in 1987. Since then, he has mined tradition and pursued innovation in works that deal intelligently with globalism and transculturalism to present an idealized unification of humanity. Best known for an ongoing worldwide art project entitled united nations, Gu has created a series of monumental, site-specific installations from human hair gathered from across the globe. The most recent of these installations, united nations – 7561 kilometers, was created especially for this exhibition. Other works in the exhibition, created between 1993 and 2003, include biological ink, carved stone, green tea paper, and ink painting.
Curators: Raechell Smith, Director, Artspace, Mark Bessire, Director, Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art and Diana Block, Director, University of North Texas Art Gallery
2003 Annual B.F.A. Exhibition
April 11 – May 17, 2003
New work by nearly 100 emerging artists graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute majoring in Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Illustration, Interdisciplinary, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Organized by Heather Lustfeldt and the Artspace
Affinities... Now and Then
February 1 – March 26, 2003
This exhibition explores the affinities of description and observation in the last several generations of creative photography, featuring contemporary works by national and international artists and historical works, emphasizing the relevance of historical precedents to some of the most notable concerns of today.
Artists: Andreas Gursky, Doug Hall, Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff, Rineke Dijkstra, Elger Esser, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Marc Rader, Edweard Muybridge, Walker Evans, Ed Ruscha, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Art Sinsabaugh, Harry Callahan, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Judith Joy Ross, Nicholas Nixon, Dorothea Lange, August Sander, Richard Avedon, Ken Ohara, David Levinthal, Harry Callahan, Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon, Joe Deal, Robert Adams, Joel Sternfeld, Stephen Shore, and Tod Papageorge
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director, Artspace and Keith Davis, Fine Art Programs Director, Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Gathering Influence: The Artist As Collector
2002 Biennial Kansas City Art Institute Exhibition
October 26 – December 18, 2002
Kansas City Art Institute’s 2002 biennial faculty exhibition featured work by 26 faculty members along with selections from their private collections and objects that influence them as artists.
Artists: Deborah di Blasi, Cary Esser, Tyler Galloway, Lester Goldman, Tom Gregg, Leeah Joo, Dr. Milton Katz, Jim Leedy, Richard Mattsson, Steve Mayse, Karen McCoy, Marcie Miller Gross, Hugh Merrill, Tim O’Neill, Jason Pollen, Jack Rees, James Reittinger, Jim Sajovic, Judith Sanazaro, Shirley Luke Schnell, Jane Shellenbarger, Gary Sutton, George Timock, Pauline Verbeek-Cowart, James Whitworth, and Michael Wickerson
Organized by the Artspace
Big & Beautiful
September 7 – October 16, 2002
An exhibition featuring large-scale works by national and regional artists including Louise Bourgeois, Deanna Dikeman, Alexa Horochowski, Julie Moos, Amy Myers, Kate Shepherd, Lorna Simpson, Kiki Smith, May Tveit, Kara Walker, and Andrea Zittel.
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director
2002 Annual B.F.A. Exhibtion
April 19 – May 18, 2002
New work by nearly 100 emerging artists graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute majoring in Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Illustration, Interdisciplinary, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Organized by Heather Lustfeldt and the Artspace
2002 NCECA Invitational Exhibition: Material Speculations
February 2 – April 3, 2002
Variations of and references to the history of ceramics, painting, sculpture and site-specific installation are all at play in Material Speculations. This exhibition includes the work of nine contemporary artists who explore the evolving conception of the materiality of clay Through recently created or new installations, each artist responds in unique and surprising ways to the expansive potentials of clay as an artistic medium.
Artists: Mary Jo Bole, Sadashi Inuzuka, Walter McConnell, Jim Melchert, Jeanne Quinn, Annabeth Rosen, Deborah Sigel, Jamie Walker, and Frances Whitehead.
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director, Artspace, and Michel Conroy, NCECA Exhibitions Director
Landfall Press: 1970-2000
November 9 – December 19, 2001
This exhibition presents an overview of prints and suites published by Landfall Press over the past three decades. Recognized as one of the foremost print workshops in the United States, Landfall Press was founded in Chicago in 1970 by Kansas City Art Institute alum, Jack Lemon. Over the years, Landfall Press has collaborated with a diverse range of artists to create works that reflect many stylistic and artistic visions, including representational, conceptual, political, and satirical.
Artists: Vito Acconci, Terry Allen, Robert Arneson, Roger Brown, Christo, Chuck Close, Robert Cottingham, Lesley Dill, James Drake, Vernon Fisher, Tony Fitzpatrick, Peregrine Honig, Tom Huck, Luis Jiminez, Sol LeWitt, Claes Oldenburg, Dennis Oppenheim, Jeanette Pasin-Sloane, Philip Pearlstein, Joseph Piccillo, Pat Steir, Kara Walker, William Wiley
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director
2001 Charlotte Street Fund
September 7 – October 24, 2001
This is the fifth annual Charlotte Street Fund exhibition, which honors the work of outstanding visual artists in the Kansas City area with an award and group exhibition. Each year, recipients are selected by a panel of local arts professionals and awards are announced in the spring. This exhibition features new and recent work by the 2001 award recipients: David Ford, Lester Goldman, Leeah Joo, Eric Sall, and Kati Toivanen. A Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Ken Ferguson, whose work will be included in the exhibition.
Curated by Kate Hackman, Editor, Review
Signs Of The Times
June 8 – July 18, 2001
Signs of the Times explores the role of text and signage in contemporary art. In very unique ways, Howard, Holzer and Pierson incorporate original, borrowed, or found text in works that formally mimic the strategies of mass communication. Each artist has adopted a familiar method for communicating information, creating an alternate site for contemplating the intended message. The texts featured range from simple, open-ended words and phrases, to observations on daily life, personal and autobiographical statements and overt political commentary.
Artists: Jenny Holzer, Jesse Howard, Jack Pierson
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director
2001 Annual B.F.A Exhibition
May 4 – May 19, 2001
New work by over 100 emerging artists graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute majoring in Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Illustration, Interdisciplinary, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Organized by Heather Lustfeldt and the Artspace
The 1970s: Suites and Portfolios From The Hallmark Collections
March 9 – April 25, 2001
The 1970s: Suites and Portfolios from the Hallmark Collection presents a selection of artist prints from the 1970s. An especially significant decade for printmaking in the United States, the 1970s witnessed an exciting surge in innovative collaborations between artists and print workshops.
Artists: Helen Frankenthaler, Frank Stella, Brice Marden, Roy Lichtenstein, Romare Bearden, Pat Steir, Cy Twombly, Sol LeWitt, Jennifer Bartlett.
Curated by Melissa Rountree, Curator, Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Pierogi Flatfiles
January 19 – February 28, 2001
Pierogi, a Brooklyn based gallery, was founded in 1994 by owner and operator, Joe Amrhein. With work by over 600 artists from New York and beyond, the Pierogi Flatfiles features artists’ works within portfolios inside of large flatfile cabinets, including works on paper, photography, and mixed media that viewers can browse carefully wearing white gloves. This unique and interactive process allows viewers to experience the art in a personal way. Pierogi Flatfiles was presented in Kansas City at the Artspace in 2001 in conjunction with the first Kansas City Flatfile.
Curated by Joe Amrheim, Director/Pierogi, NY, and Raechell Smith, Artspace.
Lee Boroson: Windowbox
November 10 – December 20, 2000
Lee Boroson, the first Artspace Artist-in-Residence, created a site-specific installation especially for the Artspace. Windowbox responds to the architecture of the gallery and addresses issues of design, aspects of navigation and perception, and the psychology of space. This installation, created with over 1,350 yards of translucent nylon fabric inflated by the building’s HVAC system and additional mechanized fans, alters and completely transforms the 3,000 square foot gallery space as it navigates viewers through a unique interior garden environment.
Curated by Raechell Smith
Under the Influence: New Art from L.A.
September 22 – November 1, 2000
Curated by Chris Acuna-Hansen, Director, AH Gallery, LA, this exhibition will feature new work by a group of young Los Angeles artists. This generation succeeds a once emerging, now established generation of California artists – including Charles Ray, Mike Kelly, Chris Burden, and Paul McCarthy – that helped to redefine contemporary art coming from California. The artists included in Under the Influence openly claim a wide range of influences upon their work. To art historical sources and more recent trends seen in art from California, they add things like popular culture, consumer culture, surf culture, and zine culture.
Artists: Michael Arata, Philip Argent, Maura Bendett, Lisa Bloomfield, Martin Durazo, Michelle Fierro, Chris Finley, Micol Hebron, Martin Kersels, Habib Kheradyar, Charles LaBelle, Kelly McLane, Megan McManus, Loren Sandvik, Stephen Shackelford, Brad Spence, Holly Topping, Dani Tull, Julie Zemel
Curated by Chris Acuna-Hansen, Director, AH Gallery, LA
New: Kansas City Art Institute Faculty
August 12 – September 1, 2000
This first biennial faculty exhibition organized by the Artspace featured site-specific installations by new faculty members at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Artists: Russell Ferguson, Adriane Herman, Leeah Joo, Paul Sebben, Juan Ormaza, Marjory Amdur, Pauline Verbeek-Cowart, Dwight Frizzell, Mark Sculer
Curated by Raechell Smith
Measure for Measure & The Contemplative Stitch
May 26 – July 7, 2000
The Contemplative Stitch featured 21 works by artists from the United States, Japan, Germany, Australia, and England. Curated by Ilze Aviks, this exhibition examined contemporary approaches to the stitch as image and technique in both large and small-scale works. Measure for Measure featured 26 examples of artist-designed yardage and presented the work of 22 artists from the United States, Germany, Hungary, and Canada.
Organized by the Surface Design Association.
2000 Annual B.F.A. Exhibition
April 28 – May 13, 2000
New work by over 100 emerging artists graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute majoring in Art History, Ceramics, Creative Writing, Design, Fiber, Illustration, Interdisciplinary, New Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture.
Organized by the Artspace
Flora and Fauna
March 3 – April 22, 2000
Esser’s conception for Flora & Fauna was prompted by her interest in plant and animal imagery in historical architectural ornament. Her investigation of the use and significance of such motifs from antiquity and their various manifestations within art of the present are prevailing themes in the exhibition Engaging the medium of ceramics, the artists create “hybrid forms” which explore human relationships with nature, culture, plants and animals. Perception, intuition, societal and environmental issues, and absurdism are addressed in various evocative forms, creating new insights and avenues for contemplation.
Artists: Adrian Arleo, Neil Forrest, Ovidio Giberga, Marilyn Lysohir, Keisuke Mizuno, Adelaide Paul, Chris Weaver
Curated by Cary Esser, Chair, KCAI Ceramics
1999 Charlotte Street Fund
January 14 – February 26, 2000
An exhibition of new work by the 1999 Charlotte Street Fund recipients, Nate Fors, Kee Sook-Lee, Michael Rees, Michael Sinclair, Bridget Stewart and Wilbur Niewald, the recipient of the Lifetime achievement award. This show represents outstanding visual work from Kansas City area.
Artists: Nate Fors, Ke-Sook Lee, Wilbur Niewald, Michael Rees, Michael Sinclair, Bridget Stewart.
Curated by Raechell Smith, Director
The Viewing Room
November 13 – December 18, 1999
This exhibition brings together a group of emerging international artists who explore relationships between the figure and its environment in video projections and installations. The artists actively investigate sources that include feminism, performance art, television, storytelling and music to define a new generation in video.
Artists: Janine Antoni, Lucy Gunning, Pipilotti Rist, Gillian Wearing
Curated by Raechell Smith