This exhibition showcases the impact Kansas City jazz musicians and vocalists had on the national jazz movement of the 1920s and 1930s through photographs of and commentary on renowned jazz musicians who got their start in Kansas City. These artists grew from there to have great impact on American jazz as we know it today. Many of them are still performing and remain a powerful influence on the jazz genre. The Fine Art of Jazz consists of 50 black-and-white photographic portraits by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Dan White complete with commentary from exhibition curator Chuck Haddix, co-author of Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to BeBop – A History.

 The exhibition is organized and toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and The National Endowment for the Arts. The exhibition’s appearance at YDL is made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Ypsilanti District Library.