Visual arts

"Mapping the Heavens: Art, Astronomy and Exchange Between the Islamic Lands and Europe" features paintings from the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, rare books from the Linda Hall Library and other sources to tell the story of how scientists across time, place and religion expanded early knowledge of astronomy.

There's plenty on view at Kansas City-area galleries this winter. Shake off the post-holiday blues with these solo exhibits and group shows from a range of perspectives and mediums.

Twenty-three years after the final issue of Forum magazine rolled off the presses, the Kansas City Artists Coalition’s local arts magazine is roaring back to life thanks to the efforts of a new editor. Here's what readers can expect, and what the reborn publication means for the local arts community.

Darleen Schillaci, a Lawrence stained glass artist, has become a hot commodity at Kansas City's Merry Market for her ornaments — including corn dogs and a variety of pickles. Schillaci turned her hobby into a business, Artistained Glass, about a year ago.

A five-year legal battle between the heirs of Missouri painter Thomas Hart Benton and the Kansas City bank that handled his trust has ended with a judge awarding the family a fraction of the millions they sought.

Kansas City's crown-jewel museum launched in October a global competition to find an architectural firm for a $160 million expansion that would transform its Midtown campus. This week, museum visitors had a chance to hear from the finalists.

Lindsborg, Kansas, artist Lester Raymer is best known for paintings of round-faced circus clowns, acrobats and jaunty roosters. But in the Red Barn Studio where he once worked, handcrafted toys for his wife are the star of Christmastime.

Arts programs are among the first to be trimmed by Missouri school districts, especially after the COVID pandemic. But arts educators are trying to turn the tide in arts education disinvestment.

Illustration students from the Kansas City Art Institute are inviting artists of all ages to help them complete colorful murals that are turning a neglected alleyway into a communal space for neighbors to gather.

The Kansas City art museum issued a challenge to architecture firms to design “a museum for all.” With its third evolution, museum leaders hope to respond to growing community needs and increasingly diverse visitors. They estimate a construction budget of $160 million to $170 million, to be funded by private donations.

The Kansas City artist co-founded the Kansas City Artists Coalition in the mid-1970s and was known for her known for her large-scale colorful, abstract paintings and prints. She died on Wednesday.

Jeff Jacobsen spent decades as a photojournalist and as a photographer for University of Kansas athletics. Since he retired in 2020, he's been working on a project to capture images of sports in all 105 counties in Kansas — and he's almost done.