About Us
what we do
I’d like to learn more about:
Photo: Bernadette Esperanza Torres
ArtsKC is a nonprofit arts organization that provides support for the regional art and culture community through programs, advocacy, and investment.
ArtsKC is the only arts service organization that has a dedicated strategic focus to promote, support and advocate for the arts in the metropolitan region.
ArtsKC’s programs and services are designed to “advance lives through the arts.” This includes programs for the arts community, and those engaged with the arts in the Kansas City region. Additionally, ArtsKC works with local government and civic leadership to advocate for the arts.
Photo: Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Photo: Mesner Puppet Theatre
our mission
advancing lives through the arts.
Photo: Vi Tran
Our investment
Photo: City in Motion
Together, we can empower artists and arts organizations to enhance our communities.
Your gift to ArtsKC makes an impactful difference, making it possible to:
Award more than 100 grants annually to arts organizations, individual artists, and arts programs of every shape and size.
Launch arts promotional platforms like ArtsKCGo.com free of charge, so artists can share their talents with larger audiences, and organizations can keep programs affordable and accessible.
Continue to advocate for arts education initiatives, creative place-making efforts, and arts infrastructure projects, by telling the stories of the arts economy’s impact and job-creation in our region and on both sides of State Line.
ArtsKC diversity
ARTSKC IS COMMITTED TO INCLUSIVITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
ArtsKC seeks to achieve diversity and cultural equity in its leadership, partnerships, grant making and programs. ArtsKC seeks to be a supporter and model for all arts organizations in the region, particularly in areas of board make-up, staffing, training and communications practices.
ArtsKC carries out its region-wide mission with proactive efforts to embrace differences of culture, ethnicity, race, religion, international origin, sexual orientation, physical abilities, socio-economic status, age and gender. Its goals will be achieved when:
All individuals and organizations that make up our region have fair access to the information, financial resources and opportunities vital to full cultural expression;
All share the opportunity to be represented in the development of arts policy and the distribution of arts resources;
All cultures are expressed in thriving, visible arts organizations of all sizes; and,
Programming reflects the experiences of all cultures, communities, age groups and abilities.
All counties, municipalities and arts genres have a proportional voice in region-wide arts planning and resource allocation.
Photo: Mid America Freedom Band
Awareness Campaign 2021
Who Needs Art’ is an awareness campaign that was born after witnessing the devastating impact the pandemic had on the arts. The objective of the campaign is to boost engagement in the arts as the arts community reopens its doors to audiences. We also want to remind our elected officials, civic leaders, and our audiences about the importance of the arts. The campaign was built alongside an advisory group of organizations and artists and is solely in support of the arts community. The campaign will communicate the transformative influence the arts have on each of us individually, our social well-being, and our economic prosperity.
“Who Needs Art” aims to humanize the arts and remind our community that the arts are essential.
Photo: Quixotic Entertainment
