KCUR: KCAI Ceramics Professor Who Broke Gender Barriers Retires after 3 Decades
06.02.2026
KCUR reporter Julie Denesha attended the retirement celebration honoring Senior Professor of Ceramics Cary Esser, spotlighting Esser’s influence on generations of students and her contributions to KCAI’s academic programming.
The article opens with: “The first woman to chair the Kansas City Art Institute’s ceramics program retired this month. Cary Esser overhauled the department’s curriculum, modernized studio facilities and supported a generation of student artists.”
The story continues with interviews from multiple KCAI alumni, colleagues, and friends of the institution, highlighting Esser’s lasting impact on students, the ceramics program, and the broader KCAI community.
Esser ('78 Ceramics) is also an alumnae of KCAI.