KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new exhibit at The Museum of Kansas City is showcasing the power of art to connect communities and preserve cultural traditions from around the world.
Connecting Cultures Across Kansas City: The Hand in Hand Folk Art Collection brings together a vibrant collection of folk art that highlights the stories, craftsmanship and heritage of diverse cultures. This showcases 150 rarely seen pieces of folk art on the second floor of The Museum of Kansas City. This is part of a partnership with Mattie Rhodes.
The exhibit features pieces that celebrate artistic traditions passed down through generations, offering visitors a closer look at the customs, values and everyday lives of communities from across the globe. Through colorful textiles, handcrafted objects, sculptures and other works, the exhibition demonstrates how art can foster understanding and bring people together.
Museum leaders say the collection reflects Kansas City's growing cultural diversity while encouraging visitors to explore the shared experiences that unite people despite their different backgrounds.
The Hand-in-Hand Folk Art Collection was donated by Alice Ann Biggerstaff to Mattie Rhodes. Biggerstaff was a Kansas City native and artist who worked for more than three decades at Hallmark Cards. The foyer into the exhibit at The Museum of Kansas City was styled to represent a vibrant entry to Biggerstaff's home.
The pieces are rooted in lived experience and cultural knowledge, showing beauty and imagination have existed for thousands of years.
You can view the exhibit now through January 10, 2027.