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Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Tue-Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
12 reviews for Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
Sure the space is small, but the Kemper makes the most of it with the fun and funky exhibits they bring in. The art is always different - some is serious while other pieces are just playful. My favorite was a food exhibit an artist did way back when.
While the museum won't take you long to conquer, make sure to leave some time to eat at Cafe Sebastienne.
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nothing about the kemper museum is particularly remarkable. the facility lurks behind office buildings on main street and in the shadow of the sprawling nelson and kcai campuses. the building itself is quite beautiful, open and charming. it has a church-like interior composition with references to rafters in its ceiling. it is an intimate and peaceful building.
the museum is home to some interesting and striking art. however, the limited size of the building and location just don't do the collection justice. comparing the kemper to the new contemporary wing at the nelson makes it look like a total joke. kansas city deserves a large, contemporary art museum/center that is prominent and provocative for visitors. honestly, the nerman's collection seems much more contemporary or relevant than the kemper's heavy dose of expressionism. sadly, the kemper is the type of place where you measure your visit in minutes instead of hours.
One of the best museums of contemporary art in the country. It is small, with only two galleries, so you won't need much time, but it's also free, which is such a nice bonus! (The MCA in Denver costs $10 per person and doesn't come near the quality of exhibits). A nice touch is the hip looking restaurant. Unfortunately, they didn't open until 5:30 on Saturday, so we weren't able to have a drink and some appetizers after enjoying the Dan Christensen show (it's truly amazing and very beautifully displayed!)...
I attended a wedding reception here on a Saturday. It was my first time here and it made a favorable impression. The art work on display was of quality and filled the eye with much detail.
The food was above average (fall veggies in a red pepper sauce, pork loin w/ pear chutney, sliced chicken, butternut squash risotto, potato fingerlings, and a salad of greens w/ candied pecans (not overly sweet,) and a couple other veggies I can't remember,) which was served in a buffet style.
The service staff was attentive and polite. The tables were located at multiple areas of the museum, but within visual sight of most of the other tables at a given time, so there was physical separation to good degree.
Given the design of the place, the acoustics were pretty rough and your during the dinner, you had to semi-forcefully project your voice to compete with 50 other voices.
That aside, it was a cool place to check out. If there was no cover charge, I'd go back to casually check out new pieces/displays.
My taste in art is for the modern variety, so I feel blessed to have this museum in Kansas City. The space is really beautiful and it is available for rent.
A must see for visitors and locals.
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This is another great art museum in KC. What the nelson doesn't have in its collection this one covers! From the Dale Chihuly glass pieces (beautiful!) to the giant spider statue (Yeah, I know everyone has one) their collection is more cutting edge and 'current' than the Nelson's time tested pieces. The collection is not too large, but can fill an hour or two (at the most). The building is interesting, too! Don't forget to visit thier branch in the hip Crossroads Arts District!
The Kemper is a wonderful little gem for contemporary art lovers in Kansas City.
They just have a handful of rooms, with 2-3 devoted to (usually) artist-specific exhibitions with the other 1-2 featuring works from their permanent collection.
The museum is free, small and charming. And their focus is definitely contemporary. The exhibitions usually feature the work of living artists--though most of the works in their permament collection are a bit older--20th century modernism, mostly. Although their website is purporting to have some newer stuff-- so maybe I'm wrong.
Anyway, I love the Kemper-- recent exhibitions have included James Wyeth, Petah Coyne, & Jennifer Steincamp. For a city known to be pretty conservative (but not as conservative as you on the coasts like to paint it!!), the Kemper can get pretty boundary-pushing.
Anyway, the Cafe there is considered among the best dining in the city. I've never eaten there, because when I lived in KC $40 a person (inc. drinks) seemed like highway robbery. Now I know different. :)
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I agree that this place is a gem. I would have given it five stars but it's quite modest in scope. The Sebastian restaurant, with indoor and courtyard seating, is exquisite! The food is Five Stars for real.
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I loved the cafe and the art exhibits. Great place to spend an afternoon.
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Kudos to the Kemper for providing a home for contemporary art and cutting-edge work - stuff that that wouldn't sit still in the more stately Nelson-Atkins. The bulk of the gallery space is devoted to traveling exhibitions, so there is always something new to see. If you don't like what's on view, wait a month or so and go back. Just don't let the Louise Bourgeios spider sculptures outside scare you away! There's also a cafe, although I've never been there.
Very nice museum. Small, but the shows I've seen here have been very high quality. Their RubberMade exhibit (ending August 17) will be one of the most memorable installations I've ever seen, rivaling shows in San Francisco and Paris. A gem of a museum.
This always has something interesting to offer. I like the "you pick the art" exhibit. The cafe is also excellent.