After getting more Black art into Kansas City spaces, Natasha Ria El-Scari looks to expand her...

The gallerist and curator has kept busy during the pandemic, and has big plans for the rest of 2023 — she wants to finish two books and has her sights set on building a women-focused recording studio.
A Renaissance woman, Natasha Ria El-Scari — gallerist, curator, poet, spoken word performer, educator and life coach — has surrounded herself with art throughout her life.

However, as the Kansas City native watched her hometown’s art scene flourish and thrive, she noticed not everyone was included.

“As the city started to change, and the Crossroads was starting to grow, I was realizing, ‘Wow, I don’t see any poor artists here. I don’t see any African American artists here.’ I saw us not even in the margins — I didn’t even see us on the page,” El-Scari said.