MY MISSION

My name is Cassandra Flores, and I am a Filipino-American attending UMKC. I am advocating for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art to include two new permanent collections in the American Art Section as well as an annual AAPI celebration event on top of the current roster, in honor of AAPI Heritage Month.

While Nelson-Atkins has an extensive Asian collection, as of now, there are NO permanent collections in the American section or annual events celebrating AAPI artists. This is ZERO AAPI artists compared to the 305 artists featured in their American collection.

While the Lunar New Year and Passport to India festivals each celebrate important cultural traditions, they tend to focus on specific regions. The event that I am advocating for does not have to be on as large a scale as both the Passport to India Festival and the Lunar New Year Festival. Adding an AAPI event gives these communities room to voice their experiences, share the diversity of our Asian cultures, and bolster AAPI creative expression.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

This is a cultural need, especially for our robust AAPI population in KCMO.

Asian Americans are often erased from definitions of “American,” even in diverse cities like Kansas City. Representation is more than just presence – it is validation. What message does it send when not a single Asian American artist is featured in the American Art section? What are we left with? We continue to reinforce White narratives to be the dominant representatives of American art history. And while they undeniably are a part of American history, they should not be represented as the ONLY facet of American history.

WHY IT MATTERS

Representation is not a luxury but a right. It is the right of all people to be able to see and learn about our past. This would be a HUGE step for Kansas City in making these voices visible. There needs to be a diverse representation of art to be able to showcase not only the depth of  American history but also the range of the human experience.

The goal is not to hyper-prioritize these voices but to add themselves to the American narrative – a narrative that they’ve been a part of that has yet to be heard. Counter-storytelling allows us to challenge dominant narratives that focus mainly on Eurocentric practices in the arts field. It amplifies AAPI artists’ stories and experiences, especially against the current misrepresentation of Asian Americans.

We need at least 500 signatures to be able to move forward.

Help us expand our community through this small yet IMPACTFUL change!