Art bridges generations and cultures, and so it has long been essential to Kansas City’s Mattie Rhodes Center and its 124-year mission of community service. Jenny Mendez, the center’s director of cultural arts, joins a discussion of the growth and evolution of its collections. The panel also examines the backstories and cultural significance of pieces selected for the current Library exhibit Craft Research Lab: Mattie Rhodes Folk Art Collection.

Joining Mendez are Olivia Clanton, a Kansas City Art Institute graduate who curated the exhibit, and Laurie Hamilton, a member of Mattie Rhodes’ original Hand-in-Hand Folk Art Collection steering committee.

The Craft Research Lab exhibit, the last in a yearlong series curated by KCAI students, runs through December 30. It is underwritten by the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts and Pam and Gary Gradinger.

For presentation slides, click here.