RECLAIMING THE CANVAS · YEAR TWO

THE FUTURE
WE REMEMBER

An Afrofuturist exploration of Black memory, imagination, art and the future.

FEB 6 — MAR 27, 2027HISTORIC 18TH & VINE · KANSAS CITY

CREATED BY ROI WALL

SANKOFA / LOOK BACK · MOVE FORWARD

We look back—not to stay there, but to retrieve what we need to build what comes next.

Inspired by Sankofa, The Future We Remember asks what becomes possible when Black communities look to ancestral knowledge, cultural memory and artistic imagination to envision the future.

The second annual Reclaiming the Canvas brings visual artists, performers, writers, photographers, filmmakers and cultural thinkers into one interdisciplinary experience rooted in Black history, Afrofuturism and possibility.

This is not simply an exhibition. It is a conversation between our past, our present and the future we have yet to create.

THE 2027 EXPERIENCE

One world. Many disciplines.

Visual Art

10 artists interpreting memory, identity and imagined futures.

Live Performance

Music, poetry, dance and multidisciplinary performance.

Featured Experience

A major artist joins RTC for an unforgettable cultural moment.

Words + Ideas

Authors, artists and thinkers exploring Afrofuturism and Black imagination.

Artist Development

Workshops helping artists market, sell, book and sustain their practice.

Film + Storytelling

Original photography, interviews and film documenting the people behind the work.

ART IS NOT SIMPLY
DECORATION; IT IS
DOCUMENTATION.

— ROI WALL

2026 / THE BEGINNING

A Tribute to 100 Years of Black History Month

The inaugural Reclaiming the Canvas brought Black visual artists, performers and community together for an experience rooted in history, resistance, creativity and Black joy.

2026 Reclaiming the Canvas exhibition poster — THE INAUGURAL RTC · FEBRUARY 2026

25BLACK VISUAL ARTISTS

~700OPENING-DAY ATTENDEES

1stANNUAL RTC EXPERIENCE

Artwork installed inside the 2026 Reclaiming the Canvas exhibition — THE EXHIBITION · VISUAL ART AS MEMORY, RECORD + POSSIBILITY

Visitor viewing artwork at Reclaiming the Canvas

Visitors exploring the Reclaiming the Canvas exhibition

Portrait artwork displayed at Reclaiming the Canvas

Community members connecting at Reclaiming the Canvas

COMMUNITY / ACCESS / STORY

From young people discovering the work to artists telling their own stories.

RTC created room for intergenerational engagement, conversation, media documentation and a full audience experience—not simply viewing art, but responding to it together.

Young attendees discussing artwork during Reclaiming the Canvas — YOUTH + COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Artist being interviewed on camera during Reclaiming the Canvas — ARTIST VOICES DOCUMENTED

Visitors gathered throughout the Reclaiming the Canvas exhibition — A GALLERY FULL OF COMMUNITY

Audience watching the Reclaiming the Canvas performing arts showcase — THE PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE

THE ROOM CAME ALIVE

Visual art was only the beginning.

RTC moved across disciplines—storytelling, spoken word, music, movement and community—turning the exhibition into a living experience.

Spoken word performance at Reclaiming the Canvas

Trumpet performance at Reclaiming the Canvas

Dance performance at Reclaiming the Canvas

FOR ARTISTS

Your work deserves more than exposure.

Reclaiming the Canvas is committed to creating opportunities for artists to create, earn, develop, connect and be documented.

CREATE

EARN

DEVELOP

CONNECT

BE DOCUMENTED

BUILD NEXT

Artist Call — Link Coming Soon

CORPORATE + COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Invest in the people creating culture.

Partnerships directly support artist commissions, performance fees, materials, professional development, film and documentation, and accessible community programming.

View Sponsorship Deck

$10,000Presenting Community Partner

$5,000Artist Development Partner

$5,000Future Storytelling Partner

$3,000Community Experience Partner

$2,500Artist Materials Partner

$1,500Artist Hospitality Partner

SAVE THE DATE