Michael Bushnell
Publisher

The Kansas City Museum this week announced they are the recipient of a $10,000 grant from Missouri Humanities to continue their Whole Story Program that connects humanities scholars, educators and artists directly with the museum’s audience via presentations, film screenings and book discussions that explore topics, themes and stories relevant to the Museum’s history and humanities exhibits.

The Kansas City Museum is Kansas City’s home of The Whole Story, an operating paradigm that takes the museum patron into an immersive experience, often analyzing subjects and history that wasn’t taught in the mainstream educational process.  

Displayed in the Kansas City Museum, The Road Home:  A Journey from Homelessness to Housing is a photography exhibition created by artist and filmmaker Randy Bacon in collaboration with reStart Inc. | Photo by Randy Bacon Photography

“We are thrilled to be a recipient of a grant from the Missouri Humanities for the ‘Whole Story Program’ which will increase our capacity to offer more exciting historical presentations, book signings, film screenings, and bold storytelling events to our community,” said Glenn North, the Museum’s Director of Inclusive Learning and Creative Impact. “We are connecting with a cadre of scholars, educators, authors, and filmmakers who will add another dimension of learning and depth of understanding to our current exhibit content.“

All cultures are represented in the Whole Story Program | Photo by Randy Bacon Photography 

Upcoming programs related to the grant award include:

Thursday May 30th from 6-7:30 pm., a screening of My Mother’s Club, a discussion with filmmakers Rodney Thompson and Stinson McClendon will follow. The film centers on the African American women’s social clubs in Kansas City during the late 1940’s through the 1960’s. Told from the perspective of club members and their daughters, the film focuses on the  impact of these clubs in Kansas City’s African American Community through their social activities, volunteerism, and social activism.

Sunday, June 16th from 2-4 pm, a screening of Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom, a feature-length film that teaches and illustrates the cultural and spiritual significance of the holiday. Larry Lester, President of the Greater Kansas City Black History Study Group, will facilitate an audience discussion following the film’s screening.

Both screenings take place in the J.E. Dunn Construction Theater at the Kansas City Museum, 3218 Gladstone Blvd.

For more information on the Whole Story Program, visit the museum’s website at kansascitymuseum.org