Art, culture, food? UMKC introduces its first culinary course

  Whether students understand food as survival, a cultural phenomenon, or just an experience, UMKC Chair and Professor Elijah Gowin challenges students to see it through art.

  “Art and Food” debuts as the first culinary-adjacent course at UMKC, integrating hands-on experiences to explore the connection between food and art. With students visiting local farms and restaurants, the final project includes a collaborative, digital zine that evolves into a cookbook.

  “The textbook kind of goes away a little bit,” Gowin said. “This class is not only photography, but any kind of media… we all come together and learn from each other because we’re not exactly doing the same thing.”

  Gowin said that the syllabus will be solidified this summer, with the 16-week course holding only 15 to 17 students. 

  The course also collaborates with various partners, including Nicholas Grünauer, a UMKC alumnus and owner of KC’s Grünauer restaurant. Gowin stated plans to cover material and food costs.

  “The in-person experience is super important to do,” Gowin said. “It’s to build social bonds… but also to learn how to get out of the classroom and to explore the community that we have.”

  Emily Shoemake, a junior studying history, said that the course’s blend of art, food, and community stuck out to her. Growing up in the office of a family restaurant, she saw how food brought people together, saying “there’s nothing that beats a big family table.”

  “Being in history, you talk a lot about agriculture… We have to have food to survive. We have to have food to relate to each other, to build that community,” Shoemake said. “It’s just – yes, yes, yes, yes. I need to learn how to do this, or I need to know more about it.”

  However, Charlie Meyer, a studio art sophomore, viewed the course as a “one-off class.” They added that the current art program lacks opportunities for students to work directly with the KC art community.

  “I wish that our program was more robust, less motivated by individual professors and more motivated by students who spend their money on courses,” Meyer said. 

  Rosie Yancey, a media, art, and design major, said she likes the idea of combining food and art. Because most art classes teach the fundamentals, she saw the elective as a challenge to apply and express their creativity.

  However, Valentina Jimenez, a media, art, and design major, stated that her biggest grievance with the class is its elective status. 

  “I would love to take the class, but because I already have so many electives,” said Jimenez. “So I would prefer if  [Art and Food] wasn’t, but I feel like I would take the class even though I have all of my electives built already.”

  The interdisciplinary course (ART 375) presented by Elijah Gowin will be available in the fall 2026 semester. 

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