George Guastello, president and CEO at Union Station in Kansas City
Host Michael Mackie sits down with George Guastello, President of Union Station Kansas City, for the inaugural episode of KC Studio’s new monthly arts podcast, “Artful Connections Along The Streetcar.” George discusses a variety of cultural arts activities and exhibits that have been showcased at Union Station including the Disney, Auschwitz and Princess Diana exhibits, which ones were his favorites, the impact of the KC Streetcar and World Cup for residents and for visitors at Union Station and what is coming up for 2026 including during the World Cup.
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Michael Mackie: Thanks for joining us on the first stop of our podcast, Artful Connections Along the Streetcar. For the next 12 months, we will feature one of Kansas City’s finest cultural arts organizations each month that are along the extended Kansas City Streetcar route that goes from the riverfront to the Country Club Plaza and UMKC opening on October 24th. Streetcar riders can now hop on the streetcar at any of the stops and ride to and from their favorite exhibits and events throughout the year. Please take a ride with us.
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Arvest Bank. Arvest Bank believes that financial confidence should be within reach for everyone. Whether you’re just getting started planning for your future or starting a new chapter, we are here to help you plan and meet your goals every step of the way. Because everyone deserves a financial partner who cares. Arvest Bank, we believe. For more information, visit arvest.com or visit one of our 20 locations throughout Kansas City.
Hi, it’s Michael Mackie again. I’m here today talking with a man who needs literally no introduction in the arts community, George Guastello, president and CEO at Union Station in Kansas City. You guys are celebrating your–you opened in 1914. So I guess simple math. That means you guys are celebrating–you’re celebrating your 110th anniversary this year. Yes?
George Guastello: Uh huh. And this is the 25th anniversary of the reopening of Union Station in the creation of Science City. So it’s historic time for us.
Michael Mackie: Oh, I love that. I love that for you. And for Kansas City. Okay, so you and I both know Union Station has been a local treasure since its opening, but George, literally in the last four years, especially in the last four years, it’s been a wild and crazy ride from Union Station hosting multiple Super Bowl celebrations and the NFL draft, which brought thousands of visitors. I mean, the list goes on and on, but you’ve also had some world class exhibits, like 2021’s Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. And fun fact, I did not know this until you told me, but more than 350,000 people from all 50 states and 11 countries visited that exhibit.
George Guastello: It was very impressive for all of us.
Michael Mackie: It was very impressive. And then you just wrapped up Disney100: The Exhibition, which drew–
George Guastello: 135,000 people.
Michael Mackie: Just look at you name drop. Right. Okay. I love it.
George Guastello: I know the numbers.
Michael Mackie: So it’s been–how long have you been there? 18 years?
George Guastello: Yes.
Michael Mackie: 18. That is crazy.
George Guastello: I used to have hair.
Michael Mackie: So did I. Yeah, it’s been 18 years since you led the charge literally to restore our beloved Union Station.
George Guastello: At least save it.
Michael Mackie: Yeah, at least save it. And facts are facts. It’s become one of the premier destinations for not only world class exhibits, but also for the list goes on and on, Science City, holiday and community selfie celebrations, events, dining. I mean, the list goes on and on and on. And shameless plug, for those of you who have not experienced the Kansas City Streetcar yet, well, George, they need to hop on, because–
George Guastello: Yeah. Who are they?
Michael Mackie: don’t even know who these people are anymore. So the streetcar, if you guys weren’t aware, is free to ride, and it is funded with local funds thanks to the voter approved Transportation Development District. That is a mouthful. And this is another fun fact: over 5,500 people ride that route from the River Market to Union Station. They come to see you down at Union Station on average, that is every day, 5,500 people. And the streetcar is opening up a key extension from Union Station down to I’m guessing Main Street, all the way down to the Country Club Plaza and what UMKC.
George Guastello: Yep.
Michael Mackie: That is outstanding. And now the southbound expansion is just one of the projects that are currently underway, but also construction is on the line. There’s also construction on a line extension I hear that is going from River Market–
George Guastello: Yes.
Michael Mackie: To the Berkeley Riverfront Park. And that began in 2024. And it is scheduled to open in early 2026, which just happens to be the same year that the World Cup is coming to Kansas City.
George Guastello: Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Michael Mackie: That is pretty amazing.
George Guastello: And I think that you really have to credit Tom Gerend for all of what he and his team do for this community. It is a success story.
Michael Mackie: Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Tivol. For more than a century, Tivol has helped Kansas City marked treasured moments and create cherished memories with fine jewelry of the highest quality. Visit us at our Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza locations or online at tivol.com. Tivol is proud to be a sponsor of this special podcast and to celebrate our city’s vibrant arts community.
It is a huge success story. So the streetcar has been running since 2016. What I wanna know is just to kick everything off, to kick off this podcast, how has the Streetcar just basically been instrumental in the growth and success of Union Station ever since its opening day?
George Guastello: It’s an important aspect of getting free transportation to the visual voice of Kansas City. You know, when you look at every television station, you look at a Super Bowl, there’s Union Station. When you think about the streetcar, I used to live downtown, so that was my means of transportation. Everybody talks about tourism, but it’s also a vitally important part of the daily lives of individuals. And we’re very fortunate. Some of the young people that we have working in Science City utilize the streetcar. It’s a free form of transportation. So I think that’s one of the real key parts, and it’s fun. But for all of our friends in Johnson County or in Liberty, when they come to drive the streetcar, they think it’s a ride. They come and park at Union Station. You know, 15 million people since its inception have ridden the streetcar.
And we’re the highest spot of 30% of that number. So when you think about that, we probably raised about $6 million in 2004 to build that new massive bridge that connects the front of the building to the parking garage where there’s 1,500 parking spots. A little funny thing happened while they were building that. We knew people would be coming down, but what we started to see is people would come down and park and then ride along the route. So by putting that line in, you can drive at the beginning to Union Station, drive right into the parking garage, park there, go to T-Mobile Center. Leave your car there, then come back and then pick it up. And never have to go inside when it’s 11 or 12 o’clock at night, because we close at midnight.
Michael Mackie: Right.
George Guastello: So that has become 85% of everybody that comes to Union Station and Parks now goes across that bridge, and a significant number of those individuals eat at the restaurants. They park there and then go downtown. So I think it’s really become an integral part of our community. And we’re very fortunate now, as we see the expansion going south. I like to refer to that as the streetcar of the arts. And that really connects all of our cultural arts districts together in one experience. From the Plaza, from UMKC (’cause I am a grad from there)–from UMKC, all the educational institutions, right past the Kansas City Art Institute, right down to Union Station. So I think it’s vitally important and an important part of this podcast to talk about the importance of the streetcar of the arts.
Michael Mackie: You know, that leads me literally into my next question, which is, what excites you the most about that line extension, you know, from you guys down to UMKC?
George Guastello: You know, when I travel, I travel a lot around the world to find that next exhibition to bring to Kansas City. To have this easy public transportation that opens the eyes of the cultural community to multiple different–you can go Unicorn Theater. I want you to think about all of the stops–besides Costco, because you can get a hot dog, you get a great deal. Your free transportation, you get your hot dog, then you go on down to the Kansas City Art Institute and have a cup of coffee. But when you really think about it, what’s really exciting about that? You know, you gave me a little bit of conversation about Walt Disney and the Disney 100. If you wanna connect all those dots. Walt Disney started his career in Kansas City. Yes, he did. Was a news butch, but also he went to the Kansas City Art Institute. They were one of our sponsors during the Disney 100. And he also created the very first mascot for UMKC at UMKC. So even then, everything old is new again in Kansas City. And we just continue, look
Michael Mackie: Look at all these fun facts.
George Guastello: Everything that nobody cares about. That’s why I’m a great speaker at a nursing home.
Michael Mackie: I wanna know, let’s talk about numbers. Let’s talk about attendance numbers, let’s talk about visitation, all those things. How do you think that new streetcar line is gonna help propel you guys in 2025, 2026, 2027?
George Guastello: It will continue the journey. You know, we have to bring in great cultural experiences for Kansas City to come and experience. But if we can just get them there, they can then take the streetcar. They don’t have to go directly over to Crown Center to get a hamburger at Fritz’s. But we want them, because we know Stacy needs to stay employed. We want Crown Center to be successful. But now they can experience all the arts that are happening in downtown. So I think it’s vitally important and what the Longs are doing down at the River Market and what’s gonna happen along the riverfront, it’s going to change a generation, and it’s gonna change us forever. And isn’t it funny that the grand lady that was created in 1914 to be the visual voice of Kansas City right now connects everyone? And I think there’s so many fun things that are gonna happen as we see that, and I think it’s gonna be great for our business, for our restaurants and all the activities that we’ve seen. We’ve already seen the growth.
Michael Mackie: Oh, preach.
George Guastello: So we will only go farther. And that’s most important.
Michael Mackie: For those not in the know, just shameless plug, what is going on at Union Station that people need to stop? What’s your latest, hottest, newest exhibit?
George Guastello: Well, you know, we had an unbelievable Christmas. I know I’m going back five months, but, you know, we had over 200,000 people that came to experience the holidays where we recreated downtown in the 1940s. We brought back the crowns. We saw the old things from Emory’s burden there. So that’s really exciting. You know, we just finished the unbelievable Big 12, and we had all that excitement. Union Station has become what everybody wanted it to become 25 years ago, and maybe a lot more. Who would have ever thought that 52 million people would be watching Union Station and 350,000 people at Union Station for the NFL draft? I mean, that’s what really starts the excitement. And you start to build that international reputation. We had over 3 million engagements when we lit the building for Goldie, the new Mahomes baby.
Michael Mackie: That is nuts.
George Guastello: The front page of the Indian News, the front page of E News, just by lighting the building. And it was so successful. Then we lit each arch the color of their children. So we had bronze, we had sterling and we had gold.
Michael Mackie: You are literally becoming a beacon. And I say that figuratively and literally,
George Guastello: We are the Empire State Building of Kansas City.
Michael Mackie: I saw the thing in the India Times.
George Guastello: Yeah, India Times. Go figure.
Michael Mackie: You have become international.
George Guastello: Well, that’s why we get all these individuals that want to come and experience the art. And also, theUnion Station is art. So just think about all the people that’ll have the chance to ride the streetcar from the plaza and have the greatest outdoor shopping mall and all the fountains. And then they come down, they go to the Nelson, they experience the beautiful art that they have there. They stop over, have a cup of coffee at the Kansas City Art Institute and then they head all the way down and then see the beauty, the Boaz art experience of Union Station. But we’ve tried over the last several years to add art on the inside of Union Station. Not only a history community–we tell the rich history of Kansas City, but you know, we just installed that magnificent wall mural from the Harvey’s restaurant from the Westport room. We have some new art that’s being come in. We also have the Mike Haverty Art Gallery. And then I’m pleased to announce to you on this show
Michael Mackie: Wait for it, record-breaking news.
George Guastello: Not only do we work so closely with the Kansas City Museum, we work diligently to tell the rich, diverse history of Kansas City. So when you come to Union Station, you know you have the hundredth anniversary exhibition. You learn all the stories about interesting stories you didn’t know. So this year, we will be adding, when you get off the streetcar, that whole area on the east side will be an exhibition on the history of the streetcar, dating back to the 1800s. When it was pulled by mules and all of that. And you’ll learn the interesting, the good, the bad and the ugly of the streetcar. Because some people don’t even realize that we used to have the greatest streetcar in Kansas City with more lines everywhere, and they were all removed. Now, some people said that was removed by individuals that wanted to ensure that the the automotive industry grew, but I can’t comment on that. But that is what’s exciting. So when kids ride the streetcar? They’re learning. And they can come and experience and they go down, gamble down at the casinos.
Michael Mackie: Of course.
George Guastello: No, totally not.
Michael Mackie: Kids today.
George Guastello: We’ll cut that out.
Michael Mackie: Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Arvest Bank. Arvest Bank believes that financial confidence should be within reach for everyone. Whether you’re just getting started planning for your future or starting a new chapter, we are here to help you plan and meet your goals every step of the way. Because everyone deserves a financial partner who cares. Arvest Bank, we believe for more information, visit arvis.com [00:15:00] or visit one of our 20 locations throughout Kansas City.
What I wanna know is–I’m totally going off script–but what is your favorite hidden gem at Union Station Artwise? What is something that might be off the beaten path that people really need to take a second look, or a first look for that matter?
George Guastello: There are many things. One of them is the 12 railroads, when you go down the steps of the Kemper Grand Staircase, and you look up and it’s all the 12 railroads that created Union Station. And that is a Benton painting that was done in honor of Mike Haverty’s retirement by Kansas City Southern. But when you look at all the trains, when they come down, look at the smoke outta one of the engines. And if you look at the smoke, there is a face in the smoke.
Michael Mackie: What?
George Guastello: Uh huh. Now you’ll have to go back. There’s a digital board that you press that you can learn all the information. But do you have any idea who that person’s face was?
Michael Mackie: Not a clue.
George Guastello: Well, it’s the 12 railroads that created Union Station, do you know the name of the man that founded Kansas City Southern?
Michael Mackie: That’s on me. No, I don’t.
George Guastello: Arthur Stillwell.
Michael Mackie: Arthur Stillwell’s face is in the smoke.
George Guastello: He’s in there. Right.
Michael Mackie: Okay.
George Guastello: There you go.
Michael Mackie: Now I know.
George Guastello: There is more to that story.
Michael Mackie: I’m sure.
George Guastello: Right.
Michael Mackie: Okay, people, you heard it here first. See, that that is the one nugget. That is a nugget you need to go and check out.
George Guastello: And then the Westport room, the painting that’s there–
Michael Mackie: That thing is massive.
George Guastello: It’s massive. But what people really don’t know is that was done by Hildreth Meière. She was the world’s greatest known female muralist. And her work, do you know where her work is?
Michael Mackie: No.
George Guastello: Radio City Music Hall. And she was hired by Mary Coulter, who was Fred Harvey’s first woman architect that designed all of the restaurants throughout his entire system. And we’re talking 1930s. So there’s really a lot of history that you can learn and appreciate.
Michael Mackie: George, you know all the things.
George Guastello: And I make it up on a regular basis.
Michael Mackie: You do not.
George Guastello: Not at all.
Michael Mackie: Not at all.
George Guastello: But you can fact check me.
Michael Mackie: It’s impressive. Really.
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Tivol. For more than a century, Tivol has helped Kansas City marked treasured moments and create cherished memories with fine jewelry of the highest quality. Visit us at our Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza locations or online at tivol.com. Tivol is proud to be a sponsor of this special podcast and to celebrate our city’s vibrant arts community.
One of the biggest things that people always comment on is, and this is doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the arts per se, but you guys have so much parking down there. Your parking has parking. And it’s schamazing because people can go park and then grab that streetcar and go to a multitude of things. Dining, arts, events, you name it, it’s all kind of right there.
George Guastello: And what’s even better is the money that they’re paying to park supports Union Station for us to do the things that we’re doing. So, you know, we don’t get any state, federal, local or regional tax dollars to support and run Union Station. It is all done on earned income. So the only way we make that place look beautiful and light it up for Goldie is by the clients that are coming to the exhibitions and experience us. So, we’re really honored. And we have the largest movie theater in Kansas City. So, you know, when you wanna see Mufasa , you could have seen that at Christmas. I don’t know if we’ll get Wicked, which always seems to wanna come out during the Christmas holidays.
Michael Mackie: Ah, they’re so selfish.
George Guastello: They are. And that’s our busy year. And people only want to see, you know, Polar Express.
Michael Mackie: Yes.
George Guastello: If I could just put Elpha on Polar Express, I’d make that.
Michael Mackie: It would be the best of all worlds.
George Guastello: It would. And we could all do our dance with the book.
Michael Mackie: All right, let’s talk about the executive director. Tom–uh, help me out here.
George Guastello: Tom Gerend.
Michael Mackie: Tom Gerend. Sorry about that. Talk about Tom Gerend, the executive director of the Streetcar. You know, he recently said that Union Station is, in the near future, you’re not going to be the end of the line. You’re gonna be the middle of the line.
George Guastello: Yeah.
Michael Mackie: So how does that make you feel? How does the evolution, you’re gonna be smack dab in the middle of ever thing? Yeah.
George Guastello: We have to evolve from being the Alpha and the Omega right now of the streetcar, everybody has to get on and get off. But Tom is probably one of the finest civic leaders in this community. He thinks to the future, and he always under promises and he over-delivers. And that’s what makes the Streetcar truly so special is his leadership. People don’t even know that the Streetcar is a tenant of Union Station.
Michael Mackie: Oh, I didn’t know that.
George Guastello: On B level, it is the Streetcar Country Club that they call it. That’s where all the drivers stop and rest. And that whole kind of operations of that side of it is right there at Union Station.
Michael Mackie: Had no idea.
George Guastello: Yeah, well, we have 150,000 square feet of, of office space at Union Station, all civic organizations. But I think it’s exciting now that we’ll be in the middle, which means we have to evolve. So when we think about one of our primary missions in our not-for-profit, not only to preserve the building, but also to educate youth on science, technology, engineering and math. So when we have all the kids down there for the Lego League, they can understand the importance of transportation. That’s one of the key parts of what we’re trying to do in STEM education.
Michael Mackie: Enlighten the children.
George Guastello: Right. And help them understand the opportunities that they see, and who knows what they’re gonna be creating. And I really don’t know what the Future will show us for the streetcar. But I know it’s gonna be something really special because it’s proven itself, and now it has to–
Michael Mackie: Time and time again.
George Guastello: Right. And it’s always on time, and it’s been on budget. But more importantly, it’s on fun. I mean, they have the–we put in the largest outdoor native pollinator or garden in Kansas City. Right on the streetcar. So when you come down, you know, you’ll see this amazing– You go, why are those all these plants here? Because we wanted to point out the importance of connecting green to concrete. And now if you’ve driving down and you see it, they have really greened Main Street. And there are so many plants now along the line. So it’s really beautiful.
Michael Mackie: And now that Spring has sprung…
George Guastello: It is. And we’re all sneezing and we’re looking for our Flonase . But there you go. And we can stop at the CVS on 39th Street and get our Flonase before we head to the Nelson.
Michael Mackie: We should ask Flonase if they would sponsor this podcast.
George Guastello: They could be a spot.
Michael Mackie: Let’s let them be a sponsor. I feel pretty good about.
George Guastello: I’ll make Guy happy.
Michael Mackie: Right. So, Union Station has become a cultural mecca, but that wasn’t always necessarily the case. When, can you pinpoint a time when it sort of took off? Was there an exhibition that really propelled you into the cultural stratosphere?
George Guastello: Yes. You know, we’re very fortunate that Bank of America made a significant investment almost 10, 15 years ago in the Bank of America Gallery that allows us to have one of the premier galleries in the country, if not the world. So when we have to go out and get things such as Auschwitz, we have to prove that we have security, and then we have temperature control, and we have some of the best artifact campers as well. The one that turned us around? Very simply, Princess Diana.
Michael Mackie: Oh, I was gonna say that.
George Guastello: Yeah. That’s what turned us around. Everyone said, who wants to see her? Very few people understood the importance of anglophiles in Kansas City.
Michael Mackie: Right.
George Guastello: Very few understood that the Court of St. James was the head of Price Brothers, you know, representative Price and all of that. And funny enough, his bank was right along Main Street. So when you think about that, that’s what changed us forever. And that opened up the door for us to get the Maya exhibition, that allowed us to get Pompeii. That allowed us to get Auschwitz. That allowed us to get Disney. And we’re working on some right now. I just left, I was invited to Poland for the 80th anniversary of Holocaust Remembrance Day. And we were there, and I’m working with Luis Fierro, the producer of–
Michael Mackie: I love Me some Luis Fierro. He gave me the Nickel Tour. The Dime Tour.
George Guastello: He is the greatest man ever.
Michael Mackie: Facts.
George Guastello: And he is working on an exhibition that opened in Spain last year. And we’re exploring that, which would be on the Berlin Wall.
Michael Mackie: Oh, okay.
George Guastello: So it’s kind of the next story.
Michael Mackie: From the producers of Auschwitz comes…
George Guastello: Right. So I’m very excited about the possibility of bringing that to Kansas City and several other things that are out there. But we have to compete. I can tell you right now, in the art world–Julian’s a very good dear friend–but you have to go out and get these, and that you have to impress upon these international touring that you can do this. Disney did not wanna come to Kansas City.
Michael Mackie: What?
George Guastello: Yeah. They said absolutely not.
Michael Mackie: Disney did not want to come to their sort of home.
George Guastello: The producers want to. They said it was too small of a city. Ugh. And we said, okay. I said, but yet we get 3 million people for Goldie to light up the building, watch what we can do for the Mouse. And we convinced them. And it turned out to be very successful. And the Disney Corporation now sees the depth of what we can create. We brought the Iwerks family in. That was the original man that was the hand to Walt, to Mickey Mouse. And little did people understand that we used to have an Iwerks Theater, which now is the largest 4K movie theater in Kansas City that also plays art films in the morning. So, you know, if you really want to come down and see that, you can experience the journey of art films and go places that you’ve never been before. So there’s so much going on at Kansas City Actors Theater with some of the best… You take the Streetcar and last year, and you ride the streetcar, and then you would go down and see The Lehman Brothers. That was probably one of the finest productions in Kansas City’s history.
Michael Mackie: Because right there, along with Kansas City Actors Theater, you guys have all these touring things that come in. I mean, that’s just one more feather in your cap.
George Guastello: One more time to get people down so they can have a martini at Pierpont’s So you don’t know what the show’s gonna be, but at least you’re all liquored up to go down there. But we don’t want you to get liquored up before you go to the Kansas City Young Theater of the Arts.
Michael Mackie: What else do you have on the horizon to showcase our region in terms of, you know, cultural arts options or events?
George Guastello: You know, we’re constantly changing. Right now, as we explore, we’ll be opening in the next few weeks The Art of Science or The Art Light of Science. And our Light Lab, which is our next exhibition in Science City. It’s a mixture of art and science, and we’re always working with the Kansas City Museum to show those stories. You know, we love to have the cases and tell the story and give a chance for people to see some things that they didn’t really have a chance to know, and then go up to the Kansas City Museum and experience what Anna Marie’s doing up there. So we’ve got a couple of things. You know, we are–many people don’t know–we are a Smithsonian affiliate. And so we have been working diligently to get some of the artifacts from the Smithsonian to Kansas City. And, you know, we have a big birthday coming up.
Michael Mackie: I know.
George Guastello: And that would be the 250th Birthday of America in 2026. So you never know what you’ll see at Union Station during… I don’t know what it is. I know what the sesquicentennial is.
Michael Mackie: Sesquicentennial.
George Guastello: That’s the 150th. I don’t know what the 250th is, but it’s…
Michael Mackie: Yeah, I got nothing.
George Guastello: It is nothing. And neither you and I don’t have that word. But we have some fun stuff like that. And we’re exploring what type of art exhibition should be here for the World Cup.
Michael Mackie: Oh, yeah. No pressure, George.
George Guastello: No, no pressure. But we must learn. We’re a business. And because we, you know, we eat what we shoot–kill. But that’s the key in the art world. Let’s go take down a Monet. But we have to think about who that cultural art is.
And the other one you said about what else would really surprise you? A few years ago, two years ago, we had our very first Hispanic Latino chairman, Ramon Murgia. He was our chairman for five years. And we developed an unbelievable working relationship with our Hispanic and Latino community during the Maya exhibition, because we had artifacts all over the world.
Michael Mackie: That was a stunning exhibition.
George Guastello: And it was beautiful. It was beautiful. And we opened up eyes and we developed an amazing relationship with Chico Sierra, who’s a local artist. And we had him paint a Mayaesque heart in the front of the building, but he also did an art show with local Hispanic Latino artists at the end of the run inside the exhibition. And it opened up opportunities for us in such a way. So we wanted a way to honor Ramon. So what we created was the Ramon Murgia Visitor Center. So when you enter down on the lower level and you come in now, Chico painted everything, every major event that happened in Kansas City during Ramon’s leadership. And it was the parades, it was the creation of CPKC, the history of famous Kansas Citians in our Hispanic community. That really tells a rich story about that. So when you go in there, it’s all the Words of the World that say Welcome. It is in Hebrew, it’s in Spanish, it’s in English, it’s in French. So it’s a way for all of us. And when you walk in, Chico created the ceiling to be just like our Sistine Chapel at Union Station upstairs. But he created an Mayaesque experience. So when people come down, they can experience the true cultural experience of Union Station.
Michael Mackie: I don’t think I’ve seen that.
George Guastello: You have to look up,
Michael Mackie: Okay, I’m going to.
George Guastello: When you come in, look up.
Michael Mackie: And can we talk about Chico for a minute? He is omnipresent. He is everything everywhere. All at once. We love him.
George Guastello: And what people don’t know–we did because we kept it strictly to the family–but we honored Lisa Lopez. And Lisa’s portrait is now was added to that historic wall mural, Alive and Well. And so we remember her life and her love of the arts and her love of music. And so I think that’s what makes Union Station so special. We don’t talk DEI, we live it. And so when people come, they feel the experience of a rich, multicultural community. We had one of the largest celebrations for Martin Luther King’s birthday. We had 1,800, 1,700 people for that celebration. The place was crazy during our run to the Super Bowl. Every day, people taking selfies. Why? But they have a good time. And that’s what’s so special. It’s all about the memories, and art creates lifelong memories in your mind. And when you think about, when we did Auschwitz, you never really saw any horrific pictures. It was a moment where horrific movies were played in your mind. It was the movie in your mind that created the horror of that time, of not long ago, not far away. But I think that’s what makes Union Station so special. We honor and celebrate the culture, the community, and the very most important part of our community is the arts. And that’s what KC Studio magazine does.
Michael Mackie: I thank you for that. Thank you for that shout-out. I’m proud to say I have not, I have never missed an exhibition at Union Station.
George Guastello: You’re always there.
Michael Mackie: Ever since Princess Diana, but I’m going to put you on the spot. Commit. Do you have a favorite exhibition over all these years? I have to admit, Auschwitz for a fundamental number of reasons, was just jaw-dropping. It was so nuanced and finessed within an inch of its life. But you know what? I really liked Princess Diana too. Just because I learned so much about–
George Guastello: Her life.
Michael Mackie: And what she did. And that dress. Didn’t, you have two security guards at all times?
George Guastello: And the specific art handlers from Althorp were the only people that could touch that. But the team, and with Annamarie and the Kansas City Museum, we told the story of the People’s Princess at the People’s Palace. Which was Union Station. Of course, we turned down Oprah when she wanted the dress for her television show. But we had from the Kansas Museum collection wedding dresses from every time of the world in Kansas City. Common people, you know, princesses, Kansas City royalty, common people. And it connected the story. It was perfect. And the diamonds and the jewelry and all that. But you really go in there and learn about what she did for AIDS, what she did for landmines. It really told the story of the woman, not the princess. So that was the one that changed–
Michael Mackie: Was that one of your favorites?
George Guastello: It was one of my favorites. But then there’s so many others. America I Am was the history of the African American. And I would say to you, there were things in that exhibition… To be able to look at Martin Luther King’s chair that he sat in in his cell, to have the original documents from Brown versus the Topeka Board, to be able to see Rosa Parks’s thumbprints, all of that really meant something. Or the original gates that every slave had to pass through in Africa, really was meaningful. But Auschwitz will never be topped.
Michael Mackie: It will never be topped.
George Guastello: And it will never be topped. To be able to have a transportation rail car in the front of Union Station that transported people to their murder. And it was never touched, never affected. And people were there and paused in front of Union Station to think about it. Right in front of– Right in front.
Michael Mackie: So reverent.
George Guastello: Right in front of the Henry Bloch Fountain. And Henry Bloch was kissed by his mother to go to Union Station before he went to defend America against Hitler. That’s what it was. And to have Sonya there [00:35:00] after 70, 80 years, coming back as a displaced person to look back at Union Station and say, “I made it.”
Michael Mackie: Are you talking about Big Sonya?
George Guastello: Big Sonya. Sonya Warshawski is the best.
Michael Mackie: It was lovely meeting her there at that opening event.
George Guastello: And she, you know, epitomized… But I’ll tell you a background story. The last day, I always like to go into the exhibitions the last day of the exhibition, thank the team for all the hard work and walk through the last part of the exhibit, kind of thinking about, you know, it’s kinda like a Mary Tyler Moore moment. You know, I’m singing “It’s a Long Road to Tipperary.” But I’m walking through there and there was a woman that was upstairs and she said we were sold out. She said, “I have to see this. I’ve been wanting to see it.” We had 5,000 people on a waiting list. And she said, “Well, I really wanted to come, but you know, I haven’t been able to, I’ve been undergoing cancer treatment and my heart’s feeling horrible.” And she said, “Can you get me in?” So I snuck her in and she was our last guest. And she walked all the way through. And the last picture that we have is of her looking at that one picture with a final quote that says, “Do something. You live in your skin. Make a difference in your world with it.” Which is Frankl’s last comments in his book. And that will never change for me to see her, because she wanted to experience a different type of art. She was looking at art, but it was art that told a message and told a story. So that was the most important. I don’t know. The next one is on my road. We’ll see. We may have the greatest one next, before I put in the ground.
Michael Mackie: I want to give you an opportunity. Is there anything else that you would love to talk about that we have probably not discussed? I feel like I’ve peppered you with every question known to man.
George Guastello: No.
Michael Mackie: I’m just tickled about the, I did not know that 5,500 people ride the Street card Union station every day.
George Guastello: Every day. And I did that for many years when I lived downtown. And I kind of miss it. It was so easy. And there is such a vibrancy that was in a culture that was created with the streetcar, but now it’s almost 10 years old. And the opportunity’s gonna change now. So now the streetcar will become the streetcar of the arts, and it’ll connect all of it: the Money Museum, Unicorn, Kansas City Art Institute.
Michael Mackie: Literally the list is never-ending.
George Guastello: And I’m feeling bad. The Kemper Museum? Who else am I missing? The Hair Museum is not on that road.
Michael Mackie: Isn’t that in Independence?
George Guastello: It is. The the streetcar’s not going there.
Michael Mackie: I mean, fingers crossed. Maybe someday.
George Guastello: Someday it’ll go there. It’ll go there to the Hair Museum.
Michael Mackie: Oh, the Hair Museum, bless. Well, on that note, you are always a joy and a delight. I always get such a kick out of you. You and I have been friends for a hundred million years. Long time. And I’m so tickled that you are kicking off this inaugural podcast.
George Guastello: This is going to be something that’s gonna be great for Kansas City, and it’s gonna go open the eyes to multiple communities to realize what KC Studio Magazine does and what Guy and the team does for Kansas City. And it’s a great, great story. And what a great way to take it on the road, I guess. Art on the road. Art on the road. Well, I’ve always been accused of being Barnum and Bailey, so what the hell?
Michael Mackie: George Guastello, thank you so much for joining us today on our inaugural podcast episode. I owe you one. Thank you so much. It’s a pleasure and a delight. Thank you so much.
George Guastello: Thank you, have a great one.
Michael Mackie: You can find this podcast and our future stops wherever you find your favorite podcasts. And next month, we will be covering another important cultural arts destination, Crown Center. The home of the Coterie Theater, Music Theater Heritage and many other regional events throughout the year. So again, thanks for joining us. This is Michael Mackey for KC Studio, Kansas City’s only full-time magazine, website and e-newsletters with professional journalists covering the cultural arts region. All you need to do is go to kcstudio.org/calendar to check out all the arts events coming up in the region. And you can also sign up now to receive your free (just like the streetcar) magazine in your mailbox or to receive our weekly newsletters, you can go to kcstudio.org/subscribe. So thanks again for joining us on today’s premiere episode.
