Mrs. Kauffman’s center of attention was the performing and visual arts. Mr. Kauffman was passionate about education and entrepreneurial programs. Although their goals and accomplishments were distinctly unique from one another, in many respects the arts and education go hand-in-hand, allowing each of them to pass on a legacy of giving, sharing, and making a difference.
The opportunity for The Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation to bring to bear a visible and positive influence of Kansas City’s culture and economy for decades to come has been solidified by completing Mrs. Kauffman’s vision of a world-class performing arts center complex. In 1994, she put the full force of her Foundation behind the idea and in realization of her aspirations, construction was completed in mid 2011 on the 316,000 square-foot Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The Center, which encompasses an 1,800-seat proscenium theater and a 1,600-seat dedicated concert hall, opened in September 2011. It embraces the vital performance, artistic, educational, and community based components that she believed were so important in the daily fabric of our lives.
I believe Mrs. K would approve of her Foundation’s commitment to enhance the arts in our wonderful metropolitan city.
Julia Irene Kauffman
Chairman, President and CEO
Memorial Garden – A Kansas City Legacy
 For Ewing and Muriel Kauffman, the true joy of life grew from their opportunities to share with others. Throughout their lives, they found many ways to enrich the community around them. The Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden, an enduring gift for Kansas City, extends the legacy of a gracious couple. More… |
Performing Arts Center
 Perfectly sited as if a crown on Kansas City’s most dramatic hilltop, the Kauffman Center is oriented to the south in a grand, welcoming gesture that connects the revitalized downtown of the city with the great outward spread of its metropolitan population. More… |