Image: Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, New York
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is presenting 'The World in Kansas City', an exhibition inspired by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and developed by Chief Curator Jessica Hong. The show looks at artists, stories and migration histories that, according to the museum, reveal Kansas City’s global roots. It is on view March 5 through August 8, 2026, at the museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
The museum’s exhibition page frames the project as a response to a major international sporting event arriving in the region, but the emphasis is on art and local history rather than athletics. The exhibition is described as exploring the city’s artistic community and its connection to a broader global community, with a focus on the movement of people and the cultural links that have shaped Kansas City over time.
Kemper has also highlighted the exhibition in its August newsletter, where it urged visitors not to miss 'The World in Kansas City' before it closes on August 9. The email repeated the exhibition’s World Cup inspiration and described it as a thought-provoking presentation centered on the city’s vibrant artistic community. The newsletter also noted that the exhibition had recently been featured in local media coverage, underscoring the attention it has drawn in Kansas City during its run.
The museum’s listing includes several public programs tied to the exhibition. On March 5, 2026, Kemper scheduled a member preview and curator conversation from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Other related events listed on the exhibition page include 'Beyond the Studio: Isaac Tapia' on March 12, 'Studio Night: The World in Kansas City' on March 26 and April 30, 'UMKC Insights: Student Perspectives on The World in Kansas City' from April 15 to April 22, a 'Director's Gallery Spotlight' on April 5, 'The World in Kansas City: The Figure with Mikey Yates' on June 27, and 'The World in Kansas City: Film Screening with Heehyun Choi' on May 2.
The exhibition is part of a broader season of museum programming that also includes 'Lie. Sit. Stand. Be Still.', a later exhibition drawn from Kemper’s collection and curated by Amy Kligman. According to the museum’s newsletter, that show opens August 28, 2026 and runs through July 25, 2027, shifting the museum’s focus from migration and global identity to themes of rest, silence, contemplation and restoration. The August email also listed events connected to that exhibition, including 'Studio Night: Action & Rest' on August 27 and 'Move: Outdoor Yoga with Joy Monzón' on August 29.
For 'The World in Kansas City', Kemper has positioned the exhibition as both a curatorial response to the World Cup and an exploration of the city’s own cultural fabric. The museum’s materials and related event listings place the show in the Sally Kemper Wood and Barbara and Paul Uhlmann Galleries, with the exhibition running through August 8, 2026.
