As part of a transformative effort to recreate Barney Allis Plaza as an iconic civic landmark at the heart of downtown, Kansas City is proud to announce the shortlisted artists for the plaza’s major public art commission. Additionally, full funding for the $118 million construction of the plaza and garage was approved by the Kansas City Council on Thursday, April 24, 2025. These two milestones mark a major step forward in the vision to reimagine this signature public space as a welcoming, accessible, and landmark destination.
The artist selection process for the plaza’s $2.18 million public art commission, the City’s largest investment in public art next to Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal, is underway. This project differs from MCI’s public art project as this project will utilize just one artistic vision for the whole space at the design stage as opposed to selecting multiple artists who would place art at the end of construction.
The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) resulted in an overwhelming 251 submissions from artists and teams representing 37 U.S. states and 21 countries around the world. Notably, 13 artists from Kansas City submitted, underscoring strong local engagement alongside the project’s global reach. From the pool of applicants, seven internationally-acclaimed artists and studios have been invited to advance to the next phase:
- Ghada Amer
- Sanford Biggers
- Paul Cocksedge
- Daily Tous Les Jours
- Hugh Hayden
- Ugo Rondinone
- Gijs Van Vaerenbergh
The Barney Allis Plaza selection process introduced a curatorial model demonstrating how major civic commissions can be shaped through collaboration between museums, public art experts, and civic leadership. Representatives from these organizations served on a Shortlist Committee to carefully review each submission, evaluating artistic excellence, site-specific experience, and the potential to create a cohesive, iconic vision for the reimagined plaza. Each shortlisted artist will receive a stipend to develop a detailed concept proposal.
The Shortlist Committee included:
- Stephanie Fox Knappe, senior curator, Global Modern and Contemporary Art, and Head, American Art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum
- Jessica Hong, chief curator, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
- JoAnne Northrup, executive director/chief curator, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art
- Raechell Smith, director/curator, KCAI’s Emily and Todd Voth Artspace
- Tiffany Meesha Thompson, EMBA, founding director, Petrichor Projects; curatorial arts consultant, Barney Allis Plaza
The Barney Allis Plaza redevelopment is funded through Kansas City’s One Percent for Art program, administered by James Martin, the City’s public art administrator, with support from Assistant City Manager Melissa Kozakiewicz.
A Stakeholder Panel and the project’s curatorial arts consultant will facilitate the final selection process and make an artist recommendation to the Municipal Arts Commission in the coming weeks.
Media with questions may contact Sherae Honeycutt, press secretary for Kansas City at sherae.honeycutt@kcmo.org or (816) 946-3611.
- Photo Credit for Artist Ghada Amer: Bruno Daureo. Courtesy Marianne Boesky Gallery
- Photo Credit for Artists Gijs Van Vaerenbergh: Damon De Backer
- Photo Credit for Artist Ugo Rondinone: Maru Teppei