KCMO’s One Percent for the Arts Program
Artist: Douglas Kornfeld
Installed: 2023
Medium: Stainless steel and epoxy paint
Description: Douglas Kornfeld’s sculpture is comprised of two large, abstracted faces made of bent steel tubing painted bold red. The artist was inspired by the comedy and tragedy masks, traditional symbols of theatre that originated in ancient Greece. The laughing face symbolizes Thalia, the ancient Greek Muse of comedy, while the weeping face portrays Melpomene, the Muse of tragedy. Kornfeld states, “When we experience the live arts today, the wide diversity of audiences and performances means there is a greater variety of emotions and ideas evoked beyond the two symbolized by the masks. My sculpture depicts faces with more ambiguous expressions to invite audiences to share different interpretations.” One Percent for Art funding for this project came from general obligation bonds that voters passed in 2017 for city-wide infrastructure improvements and associated with the Parks and Rec Department’s 2021 Seating Bowl ADA Compliance Project.
