KANSAS CITY, MO — The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) recently broke ground on an 18,000-square-foot building, Paul and Linda DeBruce Hall. The facility is designed specifically for art history, creative writing, entrepreneurial studies, liberal arts and student services. Named for two of Kansas City’s philanthropists, Paul and Linda DeBruce have a desire to give back to organizations that provide people with the opportunity to improve their lives and to programs that make a difference in the community.
“All of us at KCAI are grateful to Paul and Linda and their vote of confidence in the college and in the future of art and design education,” said Tony Jones, The Nerman Family President. “This beautifully designed facility will have a tremendous influence on our students and will become classrooms in a garden, a building our neighbors will be proud of, and a pleasure to work in and walk past.”
The hall is designed by Hufft, a Kansas City-based architecture firm known for creating meaningful spaces and objects inspired by integrating designers and builders into one holistic process. Award-winning landscape architects Hoerr Schaudt will design the expansive outdoor spaces and Kansas City construction company McCownGordon will build the facility.
A unique architectural feature of the hall will be the entry portal on Oak Street. Visitors will enter through a portal adorned with panels, each engraved with the name of art historians of the past and present. The entrance will become a tribute to the individuals who have interpreted and written about art and artists for future generations.
“Many museums and art centers celebrate artists by having their names of the façade, but no one has honored art historians — the scholars who interpret, explain and tell us the stories of those artists,” Jones said. “I think they deserve thanks and recognition.”
Construction on Paul and Linda DeBruce Hall is scheduled to begin in late spring.