museums/galleries

As the United States’ first federal highway system, Route 66 connected people and places across the country. It was a symbol of adventure but also independence, especially for Black travelers through Missouri.

Dont' miss these six art exhibitions at museums and galleries around the Kansas City metro, spanning Indigenous artists from the Midwest and aspiring students ready to embrace a wider world.

A new exhibit at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art through August 9 highlights the global roots of artists with ties to Kansas City, and the worldwide connections that have shaped the city's artistic community and culture.

The National Museum of Natural History commissioned Missouri artist Gary Staab for a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Staab sculpted three bison on a heroic scale.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is moving closer to a major expansion, with renovations underway and plans to break ground on a new wing in 2028. Director and CEO Julian Zugazagoitia breaks down the construction timeline and discusses how the museum aims to become more transparent, accessible and community-centered ahead of its 100th anniversary.

Maybe you have a pink Care Bear with a rainbow belly, a blue Smurfette with long blonde hair, or one of those Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures in an old box somewhere. A national museum in Kansas City could include it in a future exhibit.

St. Louis Public Radio spoke to Lyah LeFlore-Ituen about her plans for the African American History Initiative, the importance of preserving Black history and what makes St. Louis' Black history so remarkable.

A new exhibit at Charlotte Street Foundation highlights the power of design in one of Kansas City’s most successful labor organizations, and how graphic arts has helped shape the struggle for economic justice among low-wage workers in Kansas City.

Artist-run spaces, galleries and Kansas City's biggest museums all have electrifying collections of local works to start the new year. But don't wait around to catch them — many of these exhibitions are slated to close soon.

A bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley to update the museum's designation has passed the U.S. Senate unanimously.

Since 1956, Leila Cohoon had amassed the world’s largest collection of hair art and jewelry — intricate works made of human hair. Her museum in Independence, Missouri, was the only one of its kind. But when Cohoon died last year, the future of this Kansas City institution — and the unusual tradition it preserved — was suddenly an open question. Suzanne Hogan speaks to KCUR’s Julie Denesha to find the answer.

Leila's Hair Museum, the most unusual attraction in Independence, Missouri, closed in September. Thanks to the founder’s granddaughter, the massive collection of wreaths made out of human hair is finding new homes at museums across the country.