Installation view of Dunbar: Kansas City’s First Black Suburb. (photo by E.G. Schempf)
Two new exhibitions at The Museum of Kansas City explore the city’s local and international connections through stories of community, creativity, collecting and preservation.
Now on view, Dunbar: Kansas City’s First Black Suburb explores the legacy of a neighborhood built on resilience, community pride, and collective vision. Located in the Museum’s third-floor gallery, A Cultural & Community Restoration: 1970s to Present Day, The Edward F. Swinney Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee Gallery, the exhibition highlights the voices and experiences of those who have helped preserve Dunbar’s history while shaping its future.
Organized by The Museum of Kansas City, Dunbar is co-curated by Kathryn Persley, Damon Patterson, and Dr. Jacob Wagner in collaboration with current and former residents Earline Gillum Bentley, Pamela Nicholson Collins, Joan Mathis, Ada Oliver Shaw, Vivienne Starks Smith and Janice Vertreese. The exhibition is presented in partnership with the Heart of the City Neighborhood Association and the Center for Neighborhoods at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. It is dedicated to the memory of Yvonne Starks Willson (1929–2019) and Anita Dixon-Brown (1956–2026).
Founded in 1915, Dunbar became Kansas City’s first Black suburb, providing residents with opportunities to build homes, businesses, schools, and strong community networks during an era of segregation. Despite challenges including redlining, economic hardship and natural disasters, generations of residents have worked to preserve the neighborhood’s heritage while envisioning its future. Named for celebrated poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906), the community reflects the values found in his writing: dignity, perseverance and hope.
Also on view is Connecting Cultures Across Kansas City: The Hand-in-Hand Folk Art Collection, curated by Mattie Rhodes Center Public Historian Christina Loya in collaboration with The Museum of Kansas City.
Featuring more than 200 rarely seen works of folk art, the exhibition explores how handmade objects preserve cultural identity, connect generations, and reveal shared human experiences across communities.
The collection was started by Kansas City native Alice Ann Biggerstaff (1924–2007), an artist and longtime Hallmark Cards employee whose passion for collecting continued throughout her life. After retiring to Santa Fe, New Mexico, she created a home filled with artwork representing diverse cultural traditions.
Visitors will encounter works by multigenerational artisan families, including ceramics from the Aguilar and Blanco families of Oaxaca and carved wooden creations from the Alvarez and Rodríguez families of the American Southwest. The exhibition also recognizes unnamed makers whose creativity and craftsmanship have contributed to cultural memory.
Together, these exhibitions celebrate the power of storytelling—through neighborhoods, artwork, and traditions—to connect people across time and place while preserving the diverse stories and experiences that continue to shape our shared history as Kansas Citians.
Both exhibitions are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit museumofkansascity.org.
