The Kansas City Museum (KCM) is excited to announce that a new artwork commissioned by the Kansas City Museum Foundation (KCMF) has been created by former astronaut candidate and artist Ed Dwight and is now on temporary display in Corinthian Hall. Entitled The Loula Long Combs & Tom Bass Memorial Weathervane, the artwork will be on temporary display in Corinthian Hall while it awaits permanent installation on the cupola of the Carriage House when the entire building is restored and renovated.
At the age of 90, Ed Dwight was one of six individuals on board Blue Origin’s seventh human flight, NS-25 on Sunday, May 19, 2024, and KCM is honored to align the display of the weathervane with Dwight’s most recent national recognition.
“I am proud Ed Dwight’s life and legacy will be honored in Kansas City, and I am looking forward to seeing his artwork being included as the newest addition to the Kansas City Museum property,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “Ed’s work will inspire us all to explore more about our shared past and find new ways to come together as we advance our city through innovative arts, culture, and experiences.”
Born in 1933 and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, Ed Dwight joined the U.S. Air Force in 1953. After completing pilot training, he served as a military fighter pilot and obtained a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Arizona State University. In 1961, Dwight was chosen by President John F. Kennedy to enter training as an Experimental Test Pilot in preparation to become the first African American Astronaut. Dwight completed the Experimental Test Pilot course and entered Aerospace Research Pilot training in preparation for Astronaut duties. He successfully completed the course and continued to perform duties as a fully qualified Aerospace Research Pilot.
Three years after the death of President Kennedy, Ed Dwight left the military and began new endeavors. A new National Geographic documentary entitled The Space Race, explores Dwight’s story including the racial discrimination and injustice he experienced on his journey to becoming an astronaut.
The Kansas City Museum Foundation (KCMF)—the nonprofit that governs, operates, and manages the Kansas City Museum—commissioned the weathervane by Ed Dwight and KCM executive director Anna Marie Tutera, KCMF vice chair Sonié Joi Thompson-Ruffin, and International Architects Atelier began working with Dwight on the concept in early 2022.
Entitled The Loula Long Combs & Tom Bass Memorial Weathervane, the artwork will be on temporary display in Corinthian Hall while it awaits permanent installation on the cupola of the Carriage House when the entire building is restored and renovated. Made of copper, bronze, ceramic, and wood, the artwork is 60″ x 70.” Currently, KCM is working with International Architects Atelier on the architectural design for the Carriage House and aims to start the capital fundraising campaign for this project in 2024.
Though sculptural elements and imagery, Ed Dwight’s new weathervane includes a tribute to Loula Long Combs and Tom Bass, who were both leading figures in the American Royal Horse Show. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the American Royal.
Loula Long Combs (1881–1971), the youngest daughter of Robert Alexander Long and Ella Long, had a lifelong passion for horses. Considered the grand dame of show-horse owners, Loula rode in shows in North America and Britain. Tom Bass (1859-1934) was a world-renowned saddle horse rider, trainer, and equestrian showman. Born into slavery in Boone County, Missouri, he was the first African American to ride in the American Royal Horse Show. Bass invented the revolutionary “Bass Bit” still used today to prevent pain to horses during riding.
To learn more about Ed Dwight and the Carriage House project, visit Ed Dwight’s Weathervane – Kansas City Museum.