Artists draw Kansas City community into their creative world at 91st Plaza Art Fair

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - For 91 years, the Plaza Art Fair has drawn thousands for a cultural experience. And this year is no different!

Over this late-September weekend, there will be plenty of art to see.

“Photography is kind of an unsung medium when it comes to the art festivals a little bit, so I’m glad to see I could be part of ushering in a bit more photography in the show,” photographer Cliff Henri explained.

Henri, who hails from Chicago, said growing up he never saw popular pieces that represented him and his own experience. So he wanted to create it.

“My goal was to be one of the guys that were actually out here and have some representation of those same stories that spoke to everyone, but just had the characters that actually look like me,” he said. “That look like my grandfather, that look like my grandmother.”

Henri won an award at last year’s art fair, and this year he’s a juror.

Mixed media is one style he said he enjoys, and that’s what is made by Kansas City artist Jenny Meyer-McCall.

“I like to take people’s personal items and put it into the art,” she described. “So it allows me to take their tangible objects and layer it, layer after layer, and then develop a story.”

Meyer-McCall has spent years giving Kansas City a glimpse into her creative world. Both she and Henri agree there’s no better place to do it.

“Kansas City loves art and it is such a creative town. I feel so blessed to get to be part of it,” she said.

The Plaza Art continues Saturday from 10 a.m-10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

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