The 94th Annual Plaza Art Fair left UMKC students feeling inspired

Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza bustled with excitement between Sept. 19-21 as a mix of local artists and artists from across the nation gathered to display their projects.
Between locals and tourists, 250,000 people came out to support artists at the 94th Annual Plaza Art Fair.
The fair welcomed 250 artists, each with their own unique art styles, like ceramics and photography. For food and drinks, the fair offered 20 restaurant booths with many being plaza restaurants boosting their business’.
Annie Houston, a senior studying economics, makes an effort to go to the Plaza Art Fair every year.
“It’s always beautiful to see the art fair and honestly, every time you see a new artist, especially the local ones, you gain a special type of appreciation to know that Kansas City is really amping up the art culture here,” Houston said.
Houston has the opportunity to see the fair from a different perspective. She has worked at the plaza for several years and has watched the energy of the festival bring new life to the environment.
“It made me feel more alive,” Houston said. “It’s always a good feeling to see the plaza full of people. Because of the economy, it hasn’t been as full.”
The fair wasn’t solely to showcase their art, it also brought UMKC art students new opportunities. Cole Turney, a freshman studying music education felt the arts diverse mediums stuck out to him the most.
“It wasn’t just standard paintings you would see in The Louvre,” Turney said. “It was anything from jewelry, sculptures, some crazy metal art, stained glass work, photography, anything under the sun you can imagine was all there and it was phenomenal.”
As a musician, Turney has a deep appreciation for the arts. While each artist presented different works and mediums, the fair was a special place where all kinds of artists could gather together and appreciate their craft.
“I understand how much time and energy goes into these projects,” Turney said. “It definitely gives me a different appreciation for it because their physical art is not so different from my musical art.”

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