Best of KC 2025: ArtsKC constructs the future of local creatives
Photo courtesy of Branden D.S. Haralson
Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we thought clearly won 2025. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November.
For 25 years, the heart of Kansas City’s creative community has been founded in ArtsKC, as the organization ensures that artists and audiences get the tools and exposure they need to thrive. As the region’s nonprofit arts council, they serve five counties with a mission that blends funding, advocacy, and connection.
2025 has been historic. With performances by Ensemble Ibérica, the Ernest Melton Trio, Owen/Cox Dance, and Stone Lion Puppet Theatre, ArtsKC held a well-deserved celebration for its 25th anniversary with a grand event at CPKC Stadium. In addition to commemorating a quarter-century of influence, this milestone demonstrated the vibrancy and diversity of the Kansas City subculture today.
That momentum soon brought national recognition. Earlier this year, ArtsKC was selected to join the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Program, becoming the first Missouri organization invited into this innovative cohort. The initiative helps cultural nonprofits build digital capacity and deepen audience engagement—an investment in the arts ecosystem’s long-term resilience.
Grantmaking remains central to ArtsKC’s work, having supplied Mission Support Grants worth $215,000 to support dozens of local arts nonprofits. But ArtsKC’s impact goes far beyond grant dollars. Their Marketing Capacity Program gives small and mid-size arts organizations the tools and coaching they need to grow, while ArtsKCGo.com serves as a go-to hub for events, artists, and venues across the region. Through their Now Showing program, they bring art into mundane spaces to transform lobbies and workplaces into galleries where local artists receive fair compensation and visibility while keeping 100% of their sales.
At its core, ArtsKC remains an advocate for the local creative scene, bringing together civic leaders, enhancing the arts’ cultural and economic influence, and guaranteeing fair access throughout the metro. Their work in 2025 serves as a stark reminder that Kansas City’s arts sector is nurtured, supported, and developed with a purpose.
Click below to read the November Best Of 2025 Issue of The Pitch Magazine:
