KC Reporter

The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City will present the exhibition "Andrea Carlson: Shimmer on Horizons" from August 29, 2025, through February 15, 2026. Andrea Carlson, an artist of Grand Portage Ojibwe and European descent based in northern Minnesota and Chicago, creates landscapes that explore the intersection of history, memory, and Indigenous presence. Her works span painting, video, and sculpture.

Carlson’s approach to landscape art is informed by Anishinaabe understandings of space and time. The exhibition reflects on how land retains memories of colonial expansion as well as Indigenous resistance. Rather than depicting specific places, her imagined scenes layer motifs from colonial tactics alongside references to family, Ojibwe culture, and Indigenous sovereignty.

A key element in Carlson's work is the horizon line—an art historical trope often used to depict vast territories as empty or available for taking. In contrast, her landscapes are densely composed with imagery that challenges these narratives.

The exhibition at Kemper Museum is curated by Iris Colburn from the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; Jessica S. Hong serves as Chief Curator for the Kansas City presentation. The focus at Kemper will be on effigy mounds—Indigenous earthworks across the Midwest—many of which have been destroyed due to urban development and infrastructure projects. In Carlson’s pieces, these mounds serve as symbols for both loss and renewal.

Hong stated: “The Kemper’s presentation centers the living breadth of Indigenous histories and experiences across the Midwestern region. Connecting present-day Chicago and Kansas City, this exhibition foregrounds Indigenous presence and resilience and the complex histories woven through these lands, while honoring the distinctiveness of the nations, communities, and narratives rooted in each place.”

An opening celebration featuring remarks by Executive Director Jessica May and Chief Curator Jessica Hong will take place on August 28 at 6 p.m., followed by an artist talk with Andrea Carlson. A media walkthrough led by Hong is scheduled for August 29.

Support for the Kansas City presentation comes from several foundations including The Bebe and Crosby Kemper Foundation for the Arts; William T. Kemper Charitable Trust; Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation; Missouri Arts Council; and Visionaries Members of Kemper Museum.

The exhibition was first organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago with lead support from R.H. Defares and Zell Family Foundation.

Since its founding in 1994 as Missouri’s first contemporary art museum, Kemper has featured a collection approaching 1,500 works with a focus on artists from underrepresented communities. The museum offers free admission due to member support and presents eight to ten major exhibitions annually along with public programs designed to engage visitors across ages.

More information about current exhibitions or programming can be found at kemperart.org.