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KCAI Expands to the Northland

By Laura Spencer

Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Art Institute announced plans Wednesday, May 14, for a new Northland location. The Art Institute intends to purchase one of six buildings now under construction near Highway 9 and Briarcliff Parkway in Riverside, Missouri. This marks the college's first major off-site expansion.

Associate Vice President for Special Programs, Shirley O'Leary, says they've been considering expanding their reach outside Midtown for the past five years.

"And we looked at all the possibilities in the metro area," says O'Leary. "And our study finally came down and said the Northland is growing so rapidly. It's still close to our main campus, so it would be easily accessed. And just the fact that it's underserved in so many areas."

The location will offer community education art and design classes for children, teens, and eventually, adults. Classes at the Kansas City Art Institute-Northland are expected to begin in mid-February 2009. The cost of the project is $1.2 million dollars.

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