The Atrium Project: 10th Anniversary Forum at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art – Kansas City, MO

This public forum celebrates the closing of The Atrium Project: 10 Years, 10 Stories, an exhibition honoring a decade of commissions for the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art’s Atrium Project, featuring the current installation by Edra Soto, which will remain on view through early 2027.

The day brings together artists, curators, and community members for a program of conversations, reflections, and participatory sessions. Attendees will explore the themes of material, memory, place, critical histories, and community engagement, learning how artists approach site-specific commissions and the relationships they build with communities and institutions.

This special forum reflects on the series’ impact while looking forward to its continued future.

What is the Atrium Project?

For the past ten years, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art has invited artists to create original, large-scale works specifically for the Museum’s soaring central Atrium space. Each Atrium Project commission is site-specific—designed in response to the architecture, history, and community surrounding the Museum and is on view for at least a year. View past Atrium Project commissions here.

Program Schedule:
Visitors may register for one or more sessions to participate in an engaging dialogue with artists, curators, and community partners. In a mobile talk format, visitors will move throughout the museum to discuss each work.

• Session A:
  – 10:15–10:30 AM – Welcome
  Soileh Padilla Mayer, Consul of Mexico in Kansas City, opens the forum.
  Location: Atrium

  – 10:30–11:00 AM – Origin Story
  Jessica S. Hong, Chief Curator, and Erin Dziedzic discuss the origins and vision of the Atrium Project commissioning series.
  Location: Atrium

  – 11:10 AM–12:30 PM – Material, Memory, and Place
  Featuring artists: Angel Otero (work discussed), Aliza Nisenbaum (work discussed), Paul Henry Ramirez (work discussed), and Pepe Mar (in attendance)
  Conversation led by: Joanne Northrup, Kimi Kitada, Erin Dziedzic, Raechell Smith, Jessica S. Hong, DJ Luis
  Location: Galleries
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• Session B:
  – 1:45–2:45 PM – Mining Critical Histories
  Featuring artists: Joiri Minaya (work discussed), Sarah Zapata (in attendance), and Firelei Báez (work discussed)
  Conversation led by: Sue Moreno, Anna Marie Tutera, Amy Kligman
  Location: Galleries
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• Session C:
  – 2:45–3:45 PM – Roots, Ritual, and Place
  Featuring artists: Edra Soto (in attendance), José Lerma (in attendance), and Lucía Vidales (in attendance)
  Conversation led by: José Faus, Erin Dziedzic, Sean Kelley
  Location: Galleries and Atrium

  – 4:00–4:30 PM – Open Door Wrap-Up Sessions
  A participatory working session invites discussion on artist-community engagement, site research, and commissioning strategies, concluding with reflections from moderators and artists.
  Location: Engagement Space

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Guests may register for individual sessions or choose an All-Day Pass to attend the full program. Each session has limited capacity, so please register only for the sessions you plan to attend. Thank you for your consideration!

This program is free and open to all. Registration is required due to limited seating. Check-in upon arrival is appreciated but not required.

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Click here for information on how to get to the Museum and where to find our paid parking lots. Parking is Free for Supporting Members, and ample free street parking is also available around the Museum.

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