Wendell Castle, Dante’s Heaven, 2015, bronze, 89 x 75 1/2 x 52 3/4 in. and 87 3/4 x 58 1/4 x 41 3/4 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Acquired with funds provided by the Barton P. and Mary D. Cohen Charitable Trust. Photo: EG Schempf

Jarrett Mellenbruch, Haven, 2015, Corian, stainless steel, wood, aluminum, honeybees, 192 in. Overland Park, KS. Photo: EG Schempf

Bobby Silverman, Metric Figure #2, 2007, porcelain and glaze, 35 3/4 x 28 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation. Photo: EG Schempf

Do Ho Suh (b. 1962), Some/One, 2004, stainless steel military dog tags, steel structure, fiberglass resin, fabric, 75 x 114 x 132 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation in honor of their children. Photo: EG Schempf

Jonathan Lyndon Chase, 2 trade bois, 2019, spray paint, glitter, acrylic and marker on canvas, 72 x 60 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of the Jedel Family Foundation

Elizabeth Murray, 1999, oil on canvas, 115 x 138 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of JCCC Gallery Associates

Roger Shimomura, American Infamy, 2006, acrylic on canvas panels, 61 5/8 x 100 1/2 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Acquired with funds provided by JCCC and Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation

Kerry James Marshall, Untitled (Altgeld Gardens), 1995, acrylic and collage on canvas, 79 x 103 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS. Photo: EG Schempf

Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977), Alexander the Great (Variation), 2005, Oil and enamel on canvas, gold leaf on wood

Hayv Kahraman, The Audience, 2018, oil on linen, 73 x 97 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of the Jedel Family Foundation

Dana Schutz, oil on canvas, 75 x 91 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation

Brad Kahlhamer, Eagle Fest USA, 2005, oil on canvas, 108 x 144 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation. Photo: EG Schempf

Warren Isensee, Wiggle Room, 2011, oil on canvas, 27 x 48 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation

Amy Sillman (b. 1955), Elephant, 2005, Oil on canvas

Karin Davie (b. 1965), Lover, 1998, Oil on canvas

Jordan Ann Craig, We Don’t Have to Talk About It, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 70 x 65 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Purchased with funds from Beyond Bounds · 2020. Photo: EG Schempf

Angel Otero, Let Water Run, 2009, oil on canvas, 84 x 84 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of Marti and Tony Oppenheimer and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation

Dyani White Hawk Untitled (All the Colors), 2020, acrylic, bugle beads, thread and synthetic sinew on canvas, 48 x 48 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of the Barton P. and Mary D. Cohen Charitable Trust

Raven Halfmoon, She’s Something Else, 2020, stoneware, glaze, 55 x 38 x 38 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Gift of Richard and Gloria Anderson, Lake Quivira, Kansas. Photo: EG Schempf

Linda Besemer, Fold #84, 2002, acrylic on aluminum rod, 46 1/4 x 54 1/8 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS. Photo: EG Schempf

vanessa german (b. 1976), Et Al, or The Child Plaintiffs as Power-figures: Courage and Play, Love and Hope, Grace and Compassion, Will and Might, Serenity and Music, Light and Joy, Warrior and Intellect, Creativity and Vision, 2024, Love and research, plaster, wood, wood glue, plaster gauze, rage, wire, multiple conversations with historians Sherrita Camp and Donna Rae Pearson, tears, shock and the understanding that these children made a new world, auto body paint, pedestals so tall that the figures MUST be looked up to, love, prayer for a crack in the world to bleed new light, ceramic and porcelain birds and figures as finials, cloth, twine, strands of beads, buttons, keys put together by the community of Topeka: the beads are an acknowledgement of our African Ancestry and the wealth, power and creative force of Africa in relationship to the crime of stealing African bodies to build a new world in which the descendants of enslaved Africans have continued to be systemically, strategically, tragically dehumanized, stomped on and denied full access to true liberty. The buttons speak to the power of MENDING — for how many of our mothers, aunties, and homemakers had a button box, knowing that it is always possible to find a button that fits the missing space into a mending. The keys are forgiveness — internal and external forgiveness.

Polly Apfelbaum (b. 1955), Blink, 1994, Found bed sheet, cut/applied fabric and dye

Jeffrey Gibson, American Girl, 2013, found punching bag, wool blanket, glass beads, steel studs, artificial sinew, tin jingles and chain, 43 x 16 x 16 in. Collection Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS, Gift of the H Tony and Marti Oppenheimer Foundation. Photo: EG Schempf

Kori Newkirk (b. 1970), Firefly, 2003, Plastic pony beads, synthetic hair and aluminum

Caroline Monnet (b. 1985), Lungs, Polyethylene, fiberglass insulation, and thread

Emmanuel Taku (b. 1986), Prop Pose, 2021, Acrylic and newspaper collage on canvas

Cornelius Annor (b. 1990), Afie Abosea, 2021, Acrylic, fabric collage, fabric transfer on canvas

Wahab Saheed (b. 1998), At the Core of Man, 2021, Acrylic, charcoal, chalk and oil pastel on canvas

Jaime Muñoz (b. 1987), When Do Robots Rebel?, 2020, Acrylic, glitter, texture paste, and paper on panel

Dylan Mortimer (b. 1979), Airway Clearance, 2015, Foam, corrugated plastic, paint, glitter

Pamela Brown, Sneaking In, 2012, Wool and natural dyes

Jeff Davis (b. 1967),These Yearning Hierarchies Evolve and Compress, 2005, Colored pencil on paper

Kim Dorland (b. 1974), Untitled, 2008, Watercolor on paper

Kent Monkman (b. 1965), Sepia Study for The Deposition, 2014, Watercolor and gouache on paper

Kent Monkman (b. 1965), Sepia Study for Death of the Female, 2014, Watercolor and gouache on paper

Balint Zsako (b. 1979), Untitled, 2006, Watercolor, pencil and ink on paper

Adolfo Gustavo Martinez (b. 1954), El Desplanchado, 2009, Mixed Media and cut paper

Renee Stout (b. 1958), Marie Laveau, 2009, Color Lithograoh (from 4 plates)

Kwanza Humphrey (b. 1975), Family Peregrination, 2020, Oil on canvas, 48 x 36”

Russell Easterwood (1958-2021), God Bless This House, 2007, Acrylic on paper

Adolfo Gustavo Martinez (b. 1954), El Desplanchado, 2009, Mixed Media and cut paper

Dylan Mortimer (b. 1979), I Want More Air, 2015, Foam, corrugated plastic, glitter, Christmas lights

glyneisha (b. 1994), The Help, 2018, Mixed Media on paper

Erik Hanson (b. 1959), 220 Punk Songs, 2004, Graphite on Mylar