Art in the Loop – Downtown Council of Kansas City

Art in the Loop Foundation

Our mission is to contribute to the visual identity, enrichment, and revitalization of Downtown Kansas City, create new opportunities for artistic development, and expand public interaction with new art of excellence. Art in the Loop is 501c(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to commissioning public art for Downtown Kansas City.

Art in the Loop seeks to play a proactive role in bringing further attention to Kansas City as a place where exciting and accomplished contemporary art is not just happening but is, in fact, helping to define the city’s identity. A component of Art in the Loop‘s mission to broaden artistic and educational opportunities for Kansas City Art Institute-affiliated artists and increase recognition for the Kansas City Art Institute’s longstanding contributions to our city. Click here for more information: Art in the Loop 2010

Art Projects
Since 2005 we have commissioned a number of public art projects in downtown KC:

Uplifted Arms at 10th & Main

ARTwall at 13th & Grand

Stardisk at 12th & Walnut

The Commons at Baltimore Alley

Public Art in the Loop – Map
Click here for a map of art installations in the public realm of Downtown Kansas City’s Central Business District.

Community Engagement & Education
Art in the Loop also creates opportunities for community engagement education. Click below for information on our panel discussions:

What Makes a City Great? A Downtown Arts Campus!

Officials at the University of Missouri-Kansas City recently announced their intention to relocate many of their fine arts efforts to downtown. Planners envision an urban ecosystem of cafes, restaurants, bookstores, and shops — as well as private studios and recital rooms, additional housing and even small hotels. A panel of arts experts – among them Jacqueline Chanda, president of the Kansas City Art Institute, and Peter Witte, dean of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance discuss the possibilities and challenges of a downtown arts campus. The panel will be moderated by Mike Burke, chairman of the mayor’s Task Force on the Arts. Click here for a video of the panel discussion. Or watch the event trailer below:

Public Art/Civic Catalyst

Public art and its accompanying community participation contribute significantly to the identity of a city. In addition to inspiring dialogue and providing visual appeal, a varied civic public art collection often symbolizes the vitality of the city it inhabits. Jack Becker, executive director of Minnesota-based Forecast Public Art and publisher of Public Art Review, discusses the complex, beneficial, and sometimes contentious role that art plays in the public realm.Co-sponsored by Art in the Loop, the Downtown Council, Kansas City Public Library and the Municipal Art Commission. Click to watch a video of the presentation.

Public Art/Civic Catalyst – A Local Perspective

Public art inspires dialogue, provides visual appeal, and engages its viewers. A local panel, including Jacqueline Chanda, president of the Kansas City Art Institute, Julian Zugazagoitia, chief executive officer of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and Mike Burke, chair of the mayor’s Task force for the Arts which will be moderated by Porter Arneill, public art administrator for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, will discuss the ability of public art to impact the urban environment. Co-sponsored by the Kansas City PublicLibrary and Art in the Loop, Downtown Council, Kansas City Art Institute and Municipal Art Commission of Kansas City, Missouri. Click here for additional information.