Blog @ the Nelson-Atkins

From Greek tragedies to modern-day musicals, the theater has been a part of the arts for centuries. All the World’s a Stage: Theater and Costume, a new exhibition of works on paper, explores theater’s impact on artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The walls of Gallery P27 are graced by prints and drawings by artists such as Eduoard Manet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Marc Chagall and James Ensor.

A large two-piece set by León Bakst dominates the space (see above). Measuring 4 x 6 feet, the panels are placed on opposing walls. Each one contains three characters from The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian by Gabriele d’ Annunzio. The play opened at the Théâtre Châtelet in Paris in 1911 with music by Claude Debussy and costumes by Bakst. He made more than 500 costumes for this production alone.

The other works of art in the gallery may not be as large, but they are full of compelling details. The two that intrigued me the most were Polichinelle by Eduoard Manet and The Vengeance of Hop-Frog by James Ensor.

Polichinelle (right) immediately caught my eye with his colorful clownish costume, including a big floppy hat and ruffled collar. As I looked closer, I noticed the stick behind his back and the stern look on his face. I wanted to find out who this interesting character really was so I began to read the label.

Polichinelle is derived from the Italian Commedia dell’arte character Pulcinella who was associated with deceit and duplicity. Manet has dressed his version as Marshall MacMahon, the president of the French Third Republic. MacMahon was nicknamed “Marshall Baton” for his brutal oppression of the Paris Commune of 1871 which fought to replace the exploitation of the working class with a more equal system.

One final tidbit explained that Polichinelle was also the model for Punch, the English puppet from the Punch and Judy show. Like MacMahon, Punch was known for using his baton at every opportunity.

The other image I found interesting (in a disturbing sort of way) was The Vengeance of Hop-Frog by James Ensor (left). This etching illustrates a scene from Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, Hop Frog.

In Poe’s story, Hop-Frog is a dwarf court jester who avenges the mistreatment that he has suffered at the hands of the king and his entourage. Hop-Frog convinces them to wear orangutan costumes, chains them together like wild beasts, and leads them into a grand masquerade ball, where they gleefully terrify the guests. At the climactic moment, he hoists them to the ceiling, climbs up to “discover” their identities, and “accidentally” sets them afire with his torch.

As engrossed as I was in the story, I noticed something that wasn’t mentioned on the label. A figure stands in the foreground with his back to us. He wears a sash inscribed with the artist’s name. Ensor used theatrical metaphors to criticize the world around him but that didn't mean he hid behind a costume.

Works on paper rotate about every six months. Because of their sensitivity to light, they may be displayed for only six months at a time before they are stored away for at least five years.

FIRST Léon Bakst, The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, 1911, Color-lithographed poster in two parts. Purchase: acquired through the generosity of the Leawood Women’s Club, Richard Shields, and Felice Stampfle in memory of her uncle Arthur J. Suiter, F85-9 B. SECOND Eduoard Manet, French (1823-1883). Polichinelle, 1874. Seven colored crayon, lithograph. Purchase: Nelson Gallery Foundation, F87-9. THIRD James Ensor, Belgian, 1860-1949. The Vengeance of Hop-Frog, 1898. Hand-colored etching. Purchase: William Rockhill Trust, 73-17.

With all the recent snow in Kansas City, one might think that the Sculpture Park hasn't seen to much activity lately.

Well, I can't confirm it but there are rumors that dozens of children used the east side of the grounds for sledding and other winter games last week. With school cancelled throughout the metro area, the Park was packed with kiddos, parents and even some furry friends.

Personally, I prefer the Sculpture Park in any season but winter. Unless I am behind the glass of the Bloch Building with a beverage of choice in hand. But I'm glad the Park is able to provide entertainment all through the year.

The holiday season is usually pretty hectic around here. Staffers completing last-minute projects before vacation, the Museum Store packed with holiday shoppers, budding artists attending Holiday Giftmaking classes and the galleries full of visitors seeking places of quiet reflection in the midst of seasonal madness (and wanting a reprieve from relatives, no doubt).

In the spirit of giving, here are some images of how we decoratively express our holiday joy!

Eddie Hankins, Maintenance, on his tricked-out floor cleaner.

The tree, stockings and family photo ornaments make the Maintenance Office a cheerful place to visit.

Being Fabrications, it only makes sense that this stocking is constructed from wood and styrofoam.

This gorgeously decorated tree in the Museum Store persuaded me to buy a Shuttlecock ornament in honor of my goddaughter's first Christmas.

This jolly fellow adorns my desk. I hope he's taking notes; I've been very good this year.

Happy holidays!

Over the weekend, the Museum hosted thousands of visitors for the member preview of the new American Indian art galleries.

The new galleries greatly increase space for American Indian art from approximately 1,500 square feet to just over 6,000. The Nelson-Atkins is one of the only comprehensive museums in the US to dedicate that much space to native American art.

The new galleries are positioned adjacent to the new American art galleries which opened in April 2009. This bold step establishes American Indian art as part of American heritage and creates an unprecedented continuity and commitment rarely seen in a fine arts museum.

The two new galleries are now on the second floor in what used to be the Modern & Contemporary galleries. However, they look nothing like the former space.

Grouped by eight main culture areas of North America, the new installation includes masterworks from a wide spectrum of cultures from pre-European contact to the present, including Woodlands, Plains, Southwest; Plateau; California and the adjacent Great Basin, Northwest Coast and Arctic. Navajo textiles, Woodlands and Plains quillwork, beadwork and sculpture, Pueblo pottery, Southwestern jewelry, Northwest Coast sculpture and California and Plateau basketry are among the artistic traditions represented in the Museum’s collection.

There are approximately 200 objects in the new galleries including many masterworks such as this incredible Objiwa Coat, Lonnie Vigil's gorgeous Micaceous Pottery Jar and one of my favorites, this Arikara Shield.

There are many "smaller" objects in the galleries too. Some literally only a few inches such as this ivory Toggle that is only 1 5/8 inches long. One pair of objects I found fascinating are these Prescription Sticks here and here.

Prescription Sticks were used by a healer as he or she prepared herbal medicines. The edges of the sticks are incised with pictographs that represent plant species and quantities. These are from the Potawatomi tribe in either Wisconsin or Kansas.

I'm looking forward to exploring the galleries in depth and learning more about the objects and sharing stories about the people who created them. The galleries are open to the public now. This weekend is the community celebration with special activities and performances.

Gallery 214 is unique. It is devoted to American Art on Paper, and these art objects are often smaller in size, which I have learned is typical of the predominant media represented: lithographs, pastels, etchings and woodcuts. The sizes of earlier prints, particularly those of the 19th and early 20th centuries (pre-1945), were quite likely dictated by available materials, the desire to sell or distribute reproductions, or the desire to create more intimate viewing experiences. I have been told that some contemporary print artists (for example, Tom Huck) are experimenting with larger prints.

In Gallery 214, the text labels that hang beside the prints blend almost seamlessly into the walls. The subdued ambiance of the gallery is appropriate considering the art objects it houses. The work required to create a print is intensive (I strongly recommend individual research on these interesting processes), and the gallery does not detract attention from these deceptively "simple" objects. To adequately consider their layers, a person must be patient enough to really slow down, pause and look.

The art objects in the gallery’s current exhibition, Impressions of the Southwest and Mexico, depict a wide range of early-twentieth century life in that geographic area.

In the early 20th century, there was widespread fascination with the American Southwest (in this exhibition, specifically New Mexico, Arizona, California) and Mexico. The artists featured in this exhibition were clearly stirred and motivated by the people, architecture, landscapes, weather and customs of these spaces.

These prints ask viewers to examine the lives and worlds of their inhabitants. The prints invite viewers to see the internal and external beauty, history and multiplicity of peoples and a space often defined as isolated, arid and deserted.

Activities represented range from celebrations to daily labor to reflective moments. The prints depict moments that are intimate and also voyeuristic. Simple and complex. They are dynamic and calm. Direct and subtle. Mourning and hopeful. Innocent and brave…

But only if we take a moment to really see them.

Image: David Alfaro Siqueiros, Zapata, ca. 1930.