Spanning 19 inches in height and length, this ceramic plate was made for the Kansas City Public Library’s 9th and Locust Street Location in correlation to Native American collections in Kansas City.
The center of the plate features the Library’s original building in sharp relief aligned with the perspective of the building. Below it is the dates of that location, 1897-1960. The library’s name sprawls the upper rim of the plate while “Daniel Dyer Museum of Indian Artifacts” and “The Western Gallery of Art” flank a buffalo in high relief along the bottom rim. The Dyer Museum of Indian Artifacts is comprised of the Dyer Collection of Indian Artifacts owned by the Kansas City Museum.
The collection was once housed at the Kansas City Public Library’s Central Branch but is now held at Union Station. The Western Gallery of Art refers to a section of the American Art galleries at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Inscribed on the back of the plate is the message “A Gift to the Citizens of Kansas City from John Herbst and Other Dedicated Patrons” and is dated 2015. Each of the plates elements is diligently ornamented with slip, texture, color, or personal detail, making Starr’s commissions truly one of a kind.
