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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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Sarah Zapata So the roots be known_final.pdf

New York-based Peruvian American artist Sarah Zapata combines sculptural and textile techniques to create a vibrant and inviting site-specific installation for Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art’s eighth annual Atrium Project. 

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art is pleased to announce “Sarah Zapata: So the roots be known,” the eighth annual Atrium Project installation. For this year’s commissioned project, New York-based artist Sarah Zapata is creating a large-scale installation that centers local lesbian and feminist histories through her use of color, iconography, and textile techniques. The installation will span a 20 by 20 foot wall in the museum’s central atrium from August 18, 2023 through July 28, 2024.

In her practice, Zapata explores ideas of identity, community, lineages, counterculture, and histories of resistance. She combines familiar materials—such as acrylic yarn and natural fibers—and traditional textile art forms to express the intersections of her plural identities: the daughter of a Peruvian immigrant; a first generation American born in Texas; and a queer woman raised in an Evangelical household.

In “So the roots be known,” Zapata pays homage to Womontown, a group of primarily queer women who established a revolutionary community in Kansas City in the late 1980s, as well as the national lesbian magazine The Ladder, which was once operated remotely by recognized writer and publisher Barbara Grier in Kansas City. 

“Beyond her technical proficiency as an artist in the realm of textiles, Zapata consistently demonstrates intellectual curiosity and generosity towards the communities she works with,” said Kemper Museum Assistant Curator Krista Alba, who curated the exhibition. “Her interest in Womontown offers a unique opportunity to highlight and reframe local queer histories and stories through relationships with contemporary artists working in a national context.” 

To inform the work, the artist conducted research at the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC), and drew on her special interest in the use of textiles to both express political protest and solidarity as well as to identify or suppress certain groups throughout history. Zapata’s textile pieces will be draped, suspended, and slumped along the wall, suggesting the many flags, banners, and quilts collaboratively constructed with the ambition of shaping better futures through solidarity and mutual care.

“One of the most compelling things about operating an archive is that you never know how the materials in your collection will be used,” said Stuart Hinds, curator of special collections & archives at UMKC Libraries. “This project is a perfect example of a completely unexpected albeit totally exciting interpretation of the queer history that lives in the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America at UMKC.”

Sarah Zapata: So the roots be known is organized by Krista Alba, assistant curator at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art.

Artist Talk & Opening Reception for Sarah Zapata: So the roots be known
 Thursday, August 17, 6 p.m. | Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art 
 FREE | All Ages | Registration Encouraged

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

Saturday, August 26, 6–10:30 p.m. | Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
 FREE | All Ages | Registration Encouraged

Celebrate the newly opened 8th Annual Atrium Project, “Sarah Zapata: So the roots be known,” and get a last look at “Virginia Jaramillo: Principle of Equivalence.” Enjoy music, food and drinks from local vendors, art activities, and summer exhibitions, followed by a screening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” on the lawn after sunset. 

Sarah Zapata (Peruvian American, born 1988) creates vibrant and inviting installations using a combination of textile techniques that engage her Texan and Peruvian cultural traditions, as well as concepts of gender, labor, and identity. Challenging hierarchies in the arts through her methods and materials, the artist often animates the experience and understanding of her work by incorporating tactile elements or performance, turning viewers into participants. Zapata had a solo exhibition at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, WI in 2022, and has participated in group exhibitions at Museo MATE in Lima, Peru as well as the New Museum, El Museo del Barrio, and MoMA PS1 in New York. She earned her B.F.A. in fibers from University of North Texas. 

The Atrium Project is an annual series of commissioned projects that presents the work of emerging and mid-career Hispanic and Latinx artists. Often providing an opportunity for artists to push their work into ambitious areas of exploration in subject and/or scale, each project is on view for one year on a prominent large-scale wall in the museum’s central atrium. These site-responsive projects often intuitively incorporate inspiration from artists visits to Kansas City. This series has included installations by José Lerma (2016), Firelei Báez (2017), Paul Henry Ramirez (2018), Angel Otero (2019), Joiri Minaya (2020), Aliza Nisenbaum (2021), and Pepe Mar (2022).    

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 “Sarah Zapata: So the roots be known,” a commissioned installation that centers local lesbian and feminist histories