JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MAR. 30, 2021 – Missouri State Parks and Mid-Continental Library invite the public to attend the Art, Race and Thomas Hart Benton virtual program, at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15. The program will be held virtually as a Zoom meeting and is part of the Show-Me Kansas City: A Missouri Bicentennial Lecture Series.
Thomas Hart Benton was one of the first major white artists to regularly depict African American life, painting sharecroppers, musicians, churchgoers and racial violence. Steve Sitton, site administrator for the Benton Home and Studio State Historic Site, will discuss the positive and negative aspects of this Missouri painter’s career. Program registration will close 30 minutes prior to the start of the program. Those interested in participating, should register at mymcpl.org/events/69308/art-race-and-thomas-hart-benton-zoom.
Participants must provide an email address when registering and will be emailed a Zoom access code 15 minutes before the start of the program. Please note: Participants must sign into the room prior to the start of the program. Admittance to the classroom will close five minutes after the program's start time. Space is limited.
On Aug. 10, 2021, the state of Missouri turns 200 years old. The bicentennial gives citizens the opportunity to reflect on what Missouri has become, how it got here and the different ways communities have contributed to the development of this great state. In celebration of the statehood anniversary, Missouri State Parks and the Mid-Continent Library invite the public to attend a year-long, virtual lecture series every third Thursday of the month. The series will explore the Kansas City region’s unique natural, cultural and historical landscapes that greatly contribute to Missouri’s diversity and advancement. All lectures are free, open to the public and welcome all ages.
The Kansas City Area Office (KCAO) is the Missouri State Parks outreach office for the Kansas City area. Located in the heart of the city, it is housed in the Department of Conservation’s Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center at 47th Street and Troost Avenue. The mission of the KCAO is to bring nature, history and recreation to urban populations through school and club visits, how-to-camp programs and sponsored visits to area Missouri State Parks.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.