Laundry Day

June 21 – Oct 4, 2016

Laundry Day is a temporary public art installation created by Chris Dahlquist. It is an oversized iconic clothesline displaying large historic photographs of Kansas City’s colorful past, installed in Ilus Davis Park, near the corner of E 10th St and Oak, in Kansas City, MO.

The history of Kansas City shapes and influences all that we experience today, yet much of that history, outside of the built environment, is tucked away in libraries and universities. Laundry Day airs that history on the lawn of city hall. Just as the clothesline makes no distinction between the work clothes and the delicates, our history provides both what we wish to reveal and the tales that bring us embarrassment, yet all are on display. The photographs acknowledge the importance of this civic history, and as our own memories become faint with time, the fabric printed images are designed to fade over the four months of exposure to the elements. Additionally, the playful nature of a giant clothesline situated between the federal courthouse and city hall acts as a reminder of the humanity that lies within these institutions and the constituency they serve.