Betsabeé Romero Brings Cultural Activations to Kansas City Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

Betsabeé Romero, an internationally renowned Mexican artist, is set to bring a dynamic series of activations across various locations in the Kansas City metro area in anticipation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, kicking off in April and continuing through December 2026. This collaborative effort is made possible through partnerships between the Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City, Belger Arts, the Kansas City Convention Center, Mattie Rhodes Center, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College.

Starting with engagements in Kansas City on April 25, Romero aims to unite the local community, offering a chance for everyone to engage with and celebrate the excitement of a world-class event in their own city. At the Kansas City Convention Center, local artists and volunteers will play a key role in activations around Tejiendo Redes (Weaving Nets), organized by the Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City and Mattie Rhodes Center, joining Romero in the creation of a metaphorical net, binding together diverse voices and fostering a sense of unity among participants. The public is invited to experience this installation through July 30.

On April 29, Romero will be at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College for an artist talk and the opening reception for A Field of Roots, a special installation that engages with ideas of mobility, cycles, and the dynamism of cultures throughout soccer (fútbol) which will be on view through December 6. Romero will be introduced by Mexican Consul Soileh Padilla Mayer.

With over two decades of experience, Romero's work explores themes such as migration and mobility through the recontextualization of symbols and daily rituals from global consumer culture, such as cars, tattoos, and urban signage.

Betsabeé has held over 100 individual exhibitions on five continents, with notable showcases at the British Museum, Grand Palais, York Avenue in Washington, Nevada Museum of Art, the Mexico Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020, Place Du Louvre, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and several more.

Betsabeé Romero's works will also be on view throughout the rest of the year at Kansas City Convention Center, Belger Arts, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College.

APRIL EVENTS

Saturday, April 25 - 11 AM
Weaving Nets Opening Ceremony

South Lawn of the Kansas City Convention Center

301 West 13th Street, Suite 100

Kansas City, MO 64105

UPCOMING WORKS ON DISPLAY

Mexican visual artist Betsabeé Romero brings her acclaimed installation, Tejiendo redes for the World Cup (Weaving Nets), to the Kansas City Convention Center.

Merging contemporary art with folk traditions, the work includes two oversized steel soccer-goal structures developed with volunteer artists at the Mattie Rhodes Center. Positioned at opposite ends of the Convention Center's South Plaza Lawn, each structure incorporates 160 metallic figures and hand-woven gold and red ropes.

"This project invites the community to a stage of endless creative possibilities. We want every resident to feel part of this event, showing that you don't need to be at the stadium to showcase Kansas City as a vibrant destination. Beyond local collaboration, this project connects the city with artistic communities in other host cities, creating a shared network of creativity. By transforming public spaces into canvases, we foster a sense of ownership where every citizen becomes a co-author of the city's-and the tournament's-global narrative through art" said Soileh Padilla Mayer, Consul of Mexico. "Above all, this collaboration celebrates the profound friendship between Mexico and the United States, proving that our cultural ties are the bridge to shared prosperity and a brighter future".

"We are honored to welcome Betsabeé Romero and Tejiendo Redes to the Kansas City Convention Center at such a meaningful moment for our city," said Executive Director of the Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facilities Kimiko Gilmore. "This installation captures the spirit of the FIFA World Cup by bringing people together across cultures to create something powerful and shared, and created alongside our local community, it honors tradition while celebrating bold creativity in the heart of Kansas City."

"I believe Weaving Nets will spark meaningful new relationships within our community and beyond, connecting us with artists and cultural organizations on both a national and international level. I'm truly excited about the impact this exhibition will have." -John Fierro, CEO of Mattie Rhodes

Artist Tyson Johnson says "Doing the project with Betsabeé as a part of something international and being a part of something that is extremely women-led - all of my other co-artists have been women as well and so that's been really exciting to work with such a deep community involved with Mattie Rhodes in Kansas City. Go soccer!"

A Field with Roots (Un campo con raíces)

Romero's work at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College, A Field with Roots, engages with ideas of mobility, cycles, and the dynamism of cultures throughout history - a history where migration and cultural blending have enriched humanity creativity and expression around the globe. Sport is a vital part of culture, and soccer (fútbol) specifically represents, for Romero, social fabric and resistance. People may not speak the same language, but they speak fútbol, finding identity and refuge through sport wherever they go.

A Field with Roots, which will be on view April 30 through December 6, 2026, is comprised of three works - The Soccer Endless Resistance Column (Columna a la resistencia interminable del fútbol), The Reflection and the Trace: Around the Globe (El reflejo y la huella: Alrededor del globo), and The Serpent's Egg (El huevo de la serpiente).

"The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art is proud to have engaged Betsabeé Romero to create three new site-specific artworks for the Museum's lobby," said JoAnne Northrup, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Nerman Museum. "Romero's work will inspire the Johnson County Community College campus community, the greater Kansas City, and international visitors."

Endless Spiral (Espiral sin fin)

"Betsabeé Romero has a long relationship with The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art," said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins. "In 2012, she collaborated with the museum for its annual Día de los muertos festival, transforming Kirkwood Hall. The following year, the museum acquired two of her works for our collection. Thanks to the generosity of C. Richard Belger and Evelyn Craft Belger, this relationship continues to deepen along with the museum's holdings of artists with ties to Latin America with their gift of Endless Spiral (Espiral sin fin), which we are thrilled will make its debut this summer as part of this city-wide celebration."