Kayla Y.
Yelp
I can appreciate the idea behind the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center but it is a little lackluster. I would love to see this place as a thriving center in the community.
The exhibits and resource library are sparse. Plan to spend about 30 mins at the location, unless you decide to read a book at the center. Exhibits consist of art created by black, Kansas City artists. I enjoyed seeing what is produced by some of the professors at local universities and other artists residing in Kansas City. Collections of works from around five primary arts are on display at the moment, though they change regularly. Many artist bios were taped up on printer paper which felt a little sloppy, even for temporary installations. Other exhibits, like the one on the 92th infantry, included screenshots from Wikipedia-- again, sloppy. There is a decent amount of organized information on Bruce R. Watkins, his life, and career, which is a positive for exhibits displayed.
The resource library claims to have over 250 books and magazines on black history. I wonder how this compares to the Black Archives of Mid-America, also located in Kansas City. From the works of the library, I wonder when they add new materials because everything seemed relatively dated.
The executive director, Emiel Cleaver, and the security guard, Carl, we're kind. I wish I would have asked Mr. Cleaver about the direction/aspirations for the center. I assume it stays open because people rent the location to host events.
Overall, I think the center is still getting back on its feet after COVID. I will give them grace for this. I hope they are able to build more partnerships with the community and display a larger range of exhibits.
