Kansas City Reciprocity by Sean Nash

Artist Sean Nash’s connection to Kansas City's food network informs his piece, “Kansas City Reciprocity.” Drawing on his ties to underrecognized agricultural workers and regenerative agriculture practices, Nash created a landscape of vibrant foods to symbolize colorful forms like a rainbow, waves, and a sun, but also the ingenuity of local farms who are reclaiming agricultural knowledge.

Sean Nash’s art is vitally connected to food processes, fermentation, and microbial life. He holds an MFA in Painting from Yale University and has had solo exhibitions nationwide. When Nash was asked to design a piece for Kansas City’s airport terminal, he wanted to spotlight a different view of Kansas City than cultural attractions or tourist sites. Instead, Nash chose to create a networked model of Kansas City’s foodscape in his art piece, “Kansas City Reciprocity.” Nash believes the farmers and workers of the city’s many farms and food organizations are unsung heroes, preserving ancient and non-industrial methods of food production, and he wanted to commemorate the intricate network they form. He believes some of the most extraordinary and overlooked things about Kansas City are the farmers who do such important agricultural work.

Nash sees gardening’s affinity to art. Not only can gardens be represented as art (as in his piece), but gardening itself is an art form, especially as practiced by the six local organizations Nash depicts in his artwork: the Buffalo Seed Company is represented by Cherokee White corn and Kiwano melon; Ki Koko Farms is represented by long beans; Longfellow Farm is represented by tomatoes; Maseualkualli Farms is represented by jicama and patty pan squash; Sankara Farm is represented by hot peppers and okra; and The Young Family Farm is represented by okra and cherry tomatoes. Detailed entries on each organization can be found at the link to “’Kansas City Reciprocity’ – Meet the Farmers and Growers” on Sean Nash’s artist website below.

“Regenerative agriculture and farming practices are exciting,” Nash says. “People are working hard in that space to do sustainable growing, to bring cultural and diasporic food ways into the mainstream. Having a relationship with those growers was important to me, especially centering on BIPOC and LGBTQ+ growers. I’m a grower, I’m always interested in lifting up unheard voices, promoting interdependence, and acknowledging farmers. I want to make sure these regenerative ideas about foodways are lifted up.” Nash hopes viewers of his piece come away from it with a feeling of joy, freshness, and vitality, because he believes those things represent Kansas City and its possibilities.

Nash, Sean. Kansas City Reciprocity, Sean Nash. Accessed July 17th, 2024. https://senash.com/kci.