KC Current Launch Special Art Exhibit honoring First U.S. Women’s National Team at CPKC Stadium

The Kansas City Current launched a special art exhibition at CPKC Stadium honoring the first U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) today. The art exhibit honoring the 1985 team will live at CPKC Stadium and on the KC Current App. The KC Current will honor the 1985 U.S. Women’s National Team at Saturday’s inaugural match at CPKC Stadium.

“The 1985 U.S. Women’s National Team is a group of trailblazers and history-makers, therefore we wanted to honor their legacy at CPKC Stadium,” said Current co-owner and founder Angie Long. “The gallery is a stunning representation of who they are as women and athletes. We are excited to have the team in attendance for the for the inaugural match at CPKC Stadium.”

The exhibit will be located in the Northwest part of the stadium, on the concourse behind section 108.

“The 85'ers”, produced by the Kansas City Current and in collaboration with acclaimed portrait photographer and filmmaker Randy Bacon, is a powerful exhibition consisting of portraits, written narratives, and short films that tell the stories of the 1985 U.S. women’s national soccer team (USWNT), which was the very first for this country. These seventeen women, groundbreaking pioneers, unknowingly laid the foundation for the immense success of women’s soccer as we know it today, as well as inspired countless athletes throughout the years all around the globe.   

As part of "The ‘85ers" exhibition, viewers can also experience the corresponding short film series that feature personal stories focused on each person intimately sharing in their own voice, not only their journey including their earliest memories of soccer and dreams as a child, but also what led them to the 1985 ground-breaking USWNT; and to where and who they are in the world today. Their authentic, vulnerable stories demonstrate not only the strength and tenacity of these women and their pioneering soccer experience, but also the complexity of our individual yet interconnected histories and their lasting impact on all of us. 

With "The ‘85ers" exhibition, you will experience portraits by Randy Bacon that reveal each of these incredible women in their honest, yet powerful self. Bacon is an esteemed artist that is noted in his artistic ability to capture an individual’s true, raw essence through his portraits, narratives, and film work, which creates a captivating connection for viewers to each of these women, and in turn provides a sense of shared humanity with "The ‘85ers". 

Members of the 1985 U.S. Women’s National Team roster will be honored at halftime of the Current’s match against Portland. Players scheduled to appear Saturday are:

• Michelle Akers
• Ann Germain
• Stacey Enos
• Margaret "Tucka" Healy
• Pam Cornell
• Lori Henry
• Kathy Ridgewell-Williams
• Lori Bylin Sweeney
• Linda Gancitano
• Denise Boyer Merdich
• Emily Harner
• Ruth Harker
• Denise Bender
• Kim Wyant
• Tar Buckley O'Sullivan

The 2024 NWSL regular season kicks off Saturday, March 16, highlighted by a rematch of the 2022 NWSL Championship, as the Kansas City Current host the Portland Thorns in the inaugural match at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team in the world.

A limited number of single-game tickets for 2024 regular season matches are on sale now. Visit kansascitycurrent.com/schedule for availability and pricing. Current Club members receive priority access to 2024 single match tickets and an opportunity to add their names to the waitlist for future season ticket availability. Visit kansascitycurrent.com/premium to learn more about premium seating options at CPKC Stadium.