Thomas Hart Benton

Thomas Hart Benton was one of the 20th century’s preeminent artists as well as a writer and a musician and a Kansas City resident from 1935 to 1975. His home is now a museum dedicated to his work and history. In 2015, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art hosted a special exhibition for the exploration of Benton’s work and Hollywood.

East of the Jannes Library on the campus of the Kansas City Art Institute, where he once taught, is this sculpture of Benton. It shows him walking toward the library, using a walking stick in his right hand. Tucked under his left arm is a folder or portfolio with his signature on it. He is dressed modestly in a button-down shirt and jeans.