KCAC’s future home, in its current state, at the corner of Linwood Blvd. and Holmes in KCMO.
Grassroots and growing
KCAC has always been a home for artists, built by artists. For 50 years, our journey has been built together. In studios, warehouses, and storefronts, artists have worked side-by-side to create opportunities where none existed. Today, we stand on the threshold of our biggest step yet—building a permanent home for Kansas City’s creative community.
Imagine a 27,000-square-foot arts center buzzing with creativity - imagine more exhibitions, more workshops, and more opportunities for connection, all under one roof. This is the future we can build together.
A permanent home means stability for KCAC, expanded programming for the community, and a stronger, more connected arts ecosystem in the heart of Kansas City.
This campaign starts with our community. We’re looking for early champions—people who believe in Kansas City’s creative future and want to help make it real. Join our Capital Campaign Committee, pledge your support, or partner with us to spread the word. Led by the community, for the community.
The Campaign at a Glance
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To raise $10 million to purchase and renovate our new home, cover two years of operating costs, and grow a sustaining endowment. We’re building the Kansas City Arts Center in a thoughtful, collaborative way—partnering with artists, thinkers, advocates, and patrons.
This includes working with Kansas State University architecture students to design a space that solves logistical needs while exploring ideas of place, purpose, and welcome - all while celebrating what makes our region unique.
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A 27,000-square-foot arts center where creativity, community, and connection thrive under one roof.
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12,000 sq. ft of exhibition space, 6,000 sq. ft. of artist studios, classrooms, gift shop, sculpture garden, residency apartment, and exhibition hall.
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Extended exhibition schedules from 4 to 6 weeks.
Affordable studios and classrooms for artists of all backgrounds and career stages.
Accessible parking and public transit connections.
A cultural link between the Plaza and Downtown arts districts making KC a more walkable and enjoyable city.
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Long-term financial stability through rentals, programming, and endowment growth.
A Thoughtful, Collaborative
Design Process
KCAC is partnering with graduate architecture students from Kansas State University’s Design+Make Studio to reimagine the future Kansas City Arts Center. Under the guidance of Professor David Dowell, these students will work directly with KCAC, architects, engineers, and community stakeholders to design a space that reflects our mission and serves Kansas City’s arts community for generations to come.
This collaboration is more than a design exercise — it’s an intentional, hands-on process rooted in sustainability, adaptive reuse, and meaningful community engagement. By exploring our project alongside another rural revitalization effort, students are also addressing broader questions about connection, accessibility, and shared purpose across urban and rural divides.
Through this partnership, every decision is shaped by dialogue, creativity, and a deep commitment to making something truly worthy of the artists and community we serve.
In the Heart of Kansas City
The location of the Kansas City Art Center is in the heart of Kansas City in the Tower East District — a vibrant, growing neighborhood that bridges the cultural corridor between Downtown and the Plaza. Choosing this location adds to the “good density” that makes cities thrive: more people, more art, more activity, and more opportunity within walking distance.
Centrally located within the Kansas City metro, the new arts center will be easily accessible to residents from surrounding communities and suburbs, ensuring that artists and visitors from across the region can participate in our exhibitions, classes, and events. Positioned near the city’s bike path and Highway 71, and supported by a dedicated parking lot, the space offers multiple ways for people to reach us with ease. Only blocks away from the new streetcar extension — connecting Downtown to UMKC — our location will link KCAC directly to more of the city’s cultural network.
By anchoring ourselves in Tower East, KCAC enhances walkability, strengthens connections between neighborhoods, and helps transform this district into a vibrant cultural and entertainment destination for the entire metro area.