Student Groups & Activities

Students at KCAI often seem happiest when working late into the night in their studios, but opportunities abound for other types of experiences throughout the academic year.

Year-round

Student Assembly – All students are automatically members of Student Assembly, whose mission is to serve as the liaison between the student body and faculty, staff, administration and trustees of the college. Student Assembly elects officers, meets regularly during the academic year, maintains a presence on Facebook and allocates funds to various student organizations, including Ampersand, the KCAI student newsmagazine. Student Assembly sponsors a variety of activities and awards. Activities include voter registration drives and debate-watch events during presidential election years and the annual presentation of the Jolly Turtle Award, given to the administrative department that students determine has been the most helpful. Student Assembly hosts annual student forums with the college president, who delivers a “state of the college” report and joins with other top administrators to respond to student questions. Members of Student Assembly accompany the president of the college on campus walkabouts.

Xenos Society – Open to all students at KCAI, the Xenos Society celebrates diversity and strives to enhance and expand the community through explorations of individual experience in art and culture. Its mission statement: “By forming connections between these reflections and society at large, we hope to begin the process of enriching and contributing to the world around us in a more informed and understanding manner.” During the academic year the Xenos Society hosts a number of events, ranging from films, soccer tournaments and piñata contests to salsa dancing lessons.

Sculpture Club - The sculpture club is an organization that aims to reach out to all campus departments in the hopes of finding ways to recycle and share materials (swap and scrap), as well as creating cross-departmental workshops to educate others about sculpture. 

Print Club - The mission of the Print Club is to heighten awareness of printmaking processes and generate funds to subsidize print-related activities and scholarships for members. This includes attending conferences, planning guest lectures, demos, etc. 

Chrysalis - Chrysalis is a Christian collective where all faiths and beliefs are welcome.  Through weekly prayer and discussion, students are encouraged to strengthened their identity and learn to live out of grace, bettering not only one’s life but the lives of others. 

BACC: Black Artist Culture and Community - Black Artist Culture and Community is an organization that utilizes artistic talent to encourage cultural diversity at the Kansas City Art Institute. This is accomplished through student leadership, mentorship programs, community services and campus activities.  BACC recognizes that African-American students are a minority on the KCAI campus; thus, they seek to foster a sense of community among all students of color.  BACC serves as a liaison between students and administration, giving African American students a voice on the issues that are most pressing to them as well as serving as a resource to make sure the social, cultural and educational needs of students are met. 

A QUILTBAG APP: Aromantic, queer, undecided, intersex, lesbian, transgender, asexual, gay ally, polyamorous, panromantic - A QUILTBAG APP’s primary purpose is to provide a safe space for discussion and moral support regarding aromantic, queer, undecided, intersex, lesbian, transgender, asexual, gay ally, polyamorous, panromantic issues pertinent to students.  The group promotes awareness and visibility first within their community and then within the campus and surrounding community by creating an atmosphere of acceptance, tolerance, self-pride, support, and understanding. 

LOCAL: Latino Organization for Culture, Arts, and Language - The mission of LOCAL is to advance awareness and appreciation of the variety of Latin American and Spanish cultures.  Through the exploration of language, arts, music and philosophy, LOCAL hopes to bring together people of diverse cultural backgrounds. They intend to work on dispelling ignorance; promote respect and understanding; and help KCAI successfully move toward its strategic goal of world citizenship.

Jam Club - Jam Club is a club in which musicians can interact and play with one another. The purpose is to be an outlet for musicians to create new music and improv at KCAI. 

ArtPlay - ArtPlay is a registered student organization supported by the Community Arts and Service Learning program.  ArtPlay is a group of community artists who also happen to be students. They volunteer to teach classes and facilitate arts activities for children and adults facing difficult life situations in the Kansas City area. They believe that art can help heal and strengthen communities and that, as students at the Kansas City Art Institute, they have the perfect opportunity to be creative teachers.  ArtPlay builds skills within a community through classes and utilize this newfound artistic power to create pieces that beautify an area and empower the people they reach.  ArtPlay members volunteer the number of hours their academic schedule permits. Current ArtPlay sites include a domestic violence shelter for women and children, a non-traditional high school for at-risk students, a daycare center that cares for and teaches hundreds of disadvantaged children in one of the poorest parts of the city and a high school that is learning to make art using sustainable methods and materials.  Art classes are at the heart of ArtPlay. Participants sew, draw, paint, sculpt and garden. They create environments that help children see themselves as creative individuals who can color and shape their world with the guidance of caring adults.

Alternative Means - Keeping in mind that the community at large is “home," Alternative Means promotes “home grown ideas and alternative means.”  The group encourages a self-sufficient lifestyle and thrives on supporting cyclical systems.  The mission is to empower the student body to find alternatives to current linear systems. 

Community Connection Day (August)

A highlight of the orientation experience at KCAI is Community Connection Day. At the start of the fall semester, entering freshman and transfer students are grouped into teams that spend a day partnering with local community service organizations. Partner organizations have included a community rain garden, a food bank and a youth arts organization. The experience helps students forge friendships and provides them with a glimpse into the life Kansas City, a metropolitan area noted for community involvement and public-private partnerships. 

Bicycle Club, soccer and dodge ball

Fall and spring are ideal times for sports activities on and off campus. Among the most popular at KCAI are bicycling, soccer and dodge ball. KCAI students who play soccer and dodge ball compete in intramural leagues, with many games hosted on the KCAI campus. The campus Bicycle Club not only organizes rides in cooperation with the Kansas City Bicycle Club but also operates a bicycle repair shop on campus, with workshops held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays in Baty House, the liberal arts building.

Hispanic Heritage Month (September/October)

Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans and celebrates Hispanic culture. It begins each year on Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and also celebrates declarations of independence by Mexico (Sept. 16) and Chile (Sept. 18). On campus, celebrations have included music performances, Movie Night and tango lessons.

Day of the Dead parade (October)

Led by Russell Ferguson, director of the School of the Foundation Year and a 1988 printmaking graduate of KCAI, this much-anticipated annual tradition entails freshman students’ learning a percussion routine, creating amazing costumes and treating the campus to an energetic and noisy campus-wide walkabout in late October.

Halloween Dance (October)

Sponsored by Student Assembly, the annual Halloween Dance inspires costume creativity at its finest.

End-of-semester exhibition and sale (December and May)

Each academic semester culminates with an exhibition and sale of student work in all departments. The event draws hundreds of buyers and viewers from the community, who often arrive early and stand in line to get the first glimpse of collectible and coveted student work. Proceeds from sales benefit both the departments and the individual students whose work is sold. 

Martin Luther King Day (January)

During the winter intersession, the college observes Martin Luther King Day. The public is invited to attend the celebration, which typically includes a re-enactment of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, a video about the Civil Rights Movement, an interpretive dance and free birthday cake.

Black History Month (February)

The college celebrates Black History Month with a series of lectures, performances and presentations. The cafeteria traditionally hosts a lunch featuring soul food to celebrate African-American culinary traditions. 

Spring Festival (April)

Celebrating spring is a late-April tradition at KCAI. Highlights include a an annual volleyball tournament.

Annual B.F.A. Exhibition (April/May)

A high point of the academic year is the annual B.F.A. exhibition, which takes place at the H&R Block Artspace at KCAI. Open to the public, the show culminates with a public reception on the evening before commencement. Work by graduating seniors is included in the exhibition.