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Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acknowledges it resides on the ancestral territory of the Osage, Kaw, and Otoe-Missouria, among other tribal nations forcibly moved to the region such as the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) nations. We recognize and support the continued vibrancy of Native communities and cultures today who continue to thrive, as well as the inherent sovereignty of tribal nations. We are compelled to serve and advocate for these communities in accordance with our public mission.

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Julie Blackmon A Life In Frame.pdf

Julie Blackmon centers her nationally-recognized photography in a setting that is decidedly outside of typical cultural epicenters.

This fall, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art will present “Julie Blackmon: A Life in Frame,” an exhibition that focuses on the last decade of the artist’s photography. Blackmon’s subject is the conflation of art and life—particularly everyday life in Springfield, Missouri. The works on view show scenes depicting family, community, and landscape deeply rooted in her Midwestern heritage.  

Blackmon uses her surroundings to engage broader ideas of social and political issues, gender issues and family dynamics, and art historical references. While Blackmon’s work celebrates the visual vernacular of an area of the country that many dismiss as culturally unremarkable, she positions it in conversation with a wide range of artistic references–including 17th century Dutch painters, 19th century Missouri-based artist George Caleb Bingham, and contemporary photographers like Diane Arbus. She applies these genres’ techniques to create uniquely playful and critical examinations of the modern family, feminism, and other social and political issues. 

The 20 works on view demonstrate these conceptual and aesthetic themes that the artist has engaged over the past decade, as well as the deep collecting history of Blackmon’s work in the Midwest. While her work is known and collected nationally – two of her works were recently acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. – many of the works on view come from local collections, emphasizing the close relationship with Blackmon and her work in the region. Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art was the first museum to collect Blackmon’s work when it acquired four of the artist’s photographs in 2008. 

"The day my Chicago gallery called me to announce that Kemper Museum had acquired my work was an important moment early on, when I was first getting serious in my photography career,” said Blackmon. “It felt like validation. But even better have been the years that followed. Many people have told me about encountering my work there, what it meant to them, and how they connected with it. It was the first time I got that kind of feedback.  It was just really motivating to get that kind of feedback."

The exhibition is organized by Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and will open with an artist talk and reception on Thursday, September 14. The exhibition will be on view through January 7, 2024.

Artist Talk & Opening Reception for Julie Blackmon: A Life in Frame
 Thursday, September 14, 6 p.m. | Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art 
 FREE Tickets REQUIRED | All Ages 

Meet the artist at Kemper Museum for an artist talk and reception celebrating the new installation.

Julie Blackmon (American, born 1966) is a contemporary photographer who has centered her life and career in Springfield, Missouri, and uses her surroundings to engage global ideas. Her photographs are inspired by being a part of a large family in what she calls “a generic town in the middle of the U.S.” While her scenes feature the artist’s family and are inspired by the realities of everyday life, her works are conceptual, fictitious, and highly directed, to commenting on broader themes in contemporary life. Blackmon’s photographs are in many institutional collections, including The National Gallery of Art, Washington, Art Gallery, Seattle, WA; Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO; Microsoft Art Collection, Redmond, WA; Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX; Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH; Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR; Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL; North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC; The West Collection, Oaks, PA; and Walt Disney Corporation. Her work has been included in exhibitions at the Fotografiska Museum in New York, NY; Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY; Houston Center of Photography, Houston, TX; the Hood Museum of Art in Dartmouth, N.H., and many other institutions.

Located in Kansas City, MO, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art exhibits, collects, and educates in a free and welcoming environment for all. The museum’s growing Permanent Collection aims to reflect the vitality, complexity, and unfolding patterns within modern and contemporary art and culture. Special exhibitions, installations, lectures, and workshops, as well as youth, teen, and intergenerational programs provide resources for communities to engage with the issues of our time, derive inspiration, discover outlets for self-expression and dialogue, learn directly from living artists, and bring deeper meaning to their lives. Admission, programs, and parking are always free. kemperart.org | @kempermuseum

Louise Forster, lforster@kemperart.org, 816.457.6132

Kemper Museum presents “Julie Blackmon: A Life in Frame,” a survey exhibition of photography exploring contemporary issues through scenes of Midwestern everyday life