Artist-entrepreneurs are an essential part of Kansas City’s cultural and commercial landscape. They are also a leading export. Take Made in Americana, a design firm started by Kansas City Art Institute alums, Joey Grimm and Jordan Johnson, who create and market custom furniture and lighting from their studio in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.

In 2016, at age 95, long-time KC resident Jack Jonathan hopes to return to Egypt, 64 years after he left that country. It seems fitting that a photography show, which enabled him to leave an Egypt in turmoil all those years ago, is the very thing impelling his return.

The Nelson's associate curator of Chinese art challenges the status quo with lively exhibits laced with subtle surprises.