ABOUT THE PORTRAIT OF A CITY EXHIBITION
In 2022, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art hosted an exhibit titled Evelyn Hofer: Eyes on the City. The show focused on Evelyn Hofer’s photography from the 1950s and 1960s, featuring images of major U.S. and European metropolitan cities. The exhibit inspired a question: Should we create a photographic portrait of Kansas City? The question sparked the idea for a collaboration between the Nelson-Atkins and the Kansas City Society for Contemporary Photography (KCSCP).
KCSCP and community photographers were challenged to photograph their hometown. They were encouraged to build on Hofer’s legacy and avoid the iconic sites and postcard-style images often associated with the city. Each photographer submitted five photographs, from which curators narrowed to two. The inaugural exhibit was hosted by Cerebra Gallery in the Crossroads.
“The photographs that comprise Portrait of a City reveal the enormous talent and imagination of our participants. Collectively, these photographers have composed a portrait of Kansas City that speaks to its unique character as defined through its architecture, neighborhoods, local haunts, and colorful residents.” – April M. Watson, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Senior Curator of Photography
Now on view through February 21, 2025 in the Box Gallery, 1000 Walnut, Kansas City, MO 64106. Inside the Commerce Bank Building, Hours Monday - Friday 8-5.
View and purchase the project catalogue here:
By KCSCP Society for Contemporary Photography
122 pages, published 3/12/2024
