Of course, there’s a price difference between World Market art and the real thing. Happily, finding original art in Kansas City—paintings, photographs, fabric art, sculpture, ceramics, and more—has never been easier or more rewarding.

Start Local and Discover What You Like

The Kansas City Artists Coalition (KCAC) believes art should be affordable for everyone while supporting local artists, including students and emerging artists to those established and later-career. KCAC showcases beautiful, affordable artworks by local artists. Check for upcoming shows and exhibitions at kansascityartistscoalition.org.

The next step is to visit art galleries, whose owners curate a selection of works by artists they believe will stand the test of time.

Visit an Art Gallery

“Our advice to future collectors is to look at and study as much art as possible; get out and visit the galleries and exhibitions,” suggests Emily Eddins of Haw Contemporary in the West Bottoms.

The gallery evolved from the former Dolphin Gallery in the  Crossroads Arts District when Bill Haw took over from close friend John O’Brien in 2013. Haw Contemporary represents emerging, mid-career, and established artists working in photography, painting, sculpture, installation, and new media.

“We find that people are primarily drawn to art they can personally relate to, which has become especially true since the pandemic,” Eddins says. “Whether it’s the color of a painting, the texture of a textile, the image of a photograph, or the region a work represents, people seek a personal connection to the piece.”

Notable contemporary artists include Robert Bingaman (suburban landscape), Julie Blackmon (photography), Archie Scott Gobber (graphic art), Lisa Grossman (prairie landscapes), Michael Krueger (painting, drawing, printmaking), Armin Mühsam (abstract), Debra Smith (fabric art), and Hong Chun Zhang (drawings).

In 1990, Prairiebrooke Arts opened in downtown Overland Park, specializing in colorful big sky and Flint Hills landscapes, abstract paintings, and bronze sculptures.

“Original art has an ability to capture a feeling and transform a space. One piece can carry a room,” says second-generation owner Megan Hoban. “Our collector base gets younger and younger. Young collectors’ parents might have bought original art from us and loved it; they want to do the same.”