The Cockefair Chair and members of the talented faculty at UMKC deliver short, engaging courses on national issues, Kansas City history and current events and literature and the arts. Join in to experience thoughtful analysis on a variety of subjects.

What is the purpose of public art on a university campus? Is it merely an ornament, something nice to look at or to fill in a blank space? Or does it play a role in the education of students and the public? In 1940, the University of Kansas City installed its first public artwork, the Three Graces, three terracotta figures from Greek mythology. The purpose was to instill value and knowledge of the arts in the university’s students through the decoration of their campus. Since then, UKC/UMKC has commissioned or been gifted over 20 major public artworks, and some have become iconic symbols of the university. Each is both a potential gateway into a wider world of art appreciation and also a doorway into the university’s past. UMKC’s art is a recording of its historical development.