Blog @ the Nelson-Atkins

We have only just begun... to blog that is. We want to hear from you about topics for new blog categories at the Nelson-Atkins. Tell us here what collections, programs or other ideas related to the Museum that you believe merit their own category. As interest grows, we will look to create new categories to meet the demand. Blog on.

There’s nothing better than running into a visitor at the Kansas City Sculpture Park and hearing firsthand about their afternoon picnic or thoughts on the latest sculpture installation. But, with the Park always changing with the seasons and hours of the day, we can’t always be there to hear it in person. So with this new blog, we want to know… what do you think about the Park? What sculptures move you? What can we do better?

Show us your favorite pic or enlighten us with that Henry Moore inspired haiku… whatever is on your mind about the Park, we want to know. And we’ll do our best to keep you up to date on Park happenings, insights on artists or when the Gingko trees are in bloom. This blog will be as useful as you make it, so we hope to hear from you often.

Artist Judith Shea visited the Museum recently to re-site her sculpture Storage (1999). Originally commissioned by the Hall Family Foundation for the Kansas City Sculpture Park, the object had to be removed from its original location due to construction of the Bloch Building. The figures in Storage reflect Shea’s background as a fashion designer. Shea was “standing in” for the fifth part of her sculpture, a mannequin-type figure that faces directly out at the viewer.

Come visit this newly reinstalled artwork along with many others at the Kansas City Sculpture Park reopening celebration, Saturday, September 30.

During construction of the Bloch Building, the Sculpture Park has undergone extensive changes. Many of the sculptures were removed to make way for the new building as well as updates to the Nelson-Atkins Building. While they were out of the Park, many of the sculptures were given some attention by our conservation staff. A few new pieces were acquired and have been installed for the first time.

On Saturday, Sept. 30 we are celebrating the reopening of the Park with a day of free, outdoor activities including art projects, family tours, a fabric play space, a soccer clinic, a dance performance and a screening of The Incredibles.

Bring your own picnic or enjoy snacks and cool beverages available from vendors in the Park. Everyone is welcome to this afternoon, made possible by the generosity of the Hall Family Foundation.

Wondering about the Bloch Building? Check out our blog for the latest news.

The Nelson-Atkins launched a new interactive feature on the website today. The Kansas City Sculpture Park interactive celebrates the official reopening of the Park on Sept. 30. This new feature will give you a chance to experience the Park from the comfort of your home, office or just about anywhere you can get online.

You can get up close and personal with sculptures such as The Thinker, Sheep Piece and the Shuttlecocks. And, because the Sculpture Park is a park after all, there is information on Things to Do as well as Horticulture for all you nature lovers.

Be sure to check out the new feature and let us know what you think!

Progress on the Bloch Building’s commissioning process is advancing so smoothly that the opening date has been moved up to June 9, 2007.

The opening of the highly anticipated Bloch Building is going to be an exciting and memorable moment in both the Museum’s history and Kansas City. You won’t want to miss the amazing events being planned for the opening.

Museum members will be able to enjoy exclusive events and preview days before the building opens to the public.

Two new entryways are under construction to make it even easier to enjoy the beauty of the Museum’s 22-acre Sculpture Park. When completed, this entrance, at the south west corner of Oak Street and Cleaver II Boulevard, (just a mere three blocks east of Kansas City’s famed Country Club Plaza shopping district) will allow you to literally walk off the street and into the Park.

From this corner of the Park, you can stroll up the lushly shaded paths to the Museum entrance surrounded by works by Henry Moore and George Rickey.

Be sure to come see the final product at the grand re-opening of the Kansas City Sculpture Park on Saturday, September 30.

Don’t be alarmed! The Nelson-Atkins is not being invaded by creatures from outer space. In preparation for the re-opening of the Kansas City Sculpture Park on September 30, many of the objects are getting a little extra attention.

Artist Ursula von Ryndingsvard gave a personal touch to her sculpture Three Bowls. The Nelson-Atkins conservators worked with the artist’s team to shim cracks in the cedar wood, apply protective coatings and refresh the graphite patina.

If you’ve walked through the Sculpture Park recently, you’ve probably noticed a flurry of activity. Workers are busy in almost every section of the Park to prepare for the grand re-opening on Sept. 30.

Thanks to the City of Kansas City, The Thinker recently received a treatment to remove the old protective coating and reapply a new synthetic one. A final coat of wax will help protect the statue’s bronze surface from the harsh Midwest elements.

The Thinker is owned by the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri. It was part of the original Henry Moore Sculpture Garden which was a collaborative project among the Nelson-Atkins, the Hall Family Foundation and the City of Kansas City, Missouri.

The Bloch Building is full of surprises! As I learn to navigate my way around the new building, I keep finding new spaces and interesting features.

I was recently poking around for fun things to blog about when one of the helpful security officers showed me something I hadn’t realized until now. Not all the walls in the Bloch Building are walls.

Architect Steven Holl’s design creates a flowing, organic experience. These doors may be closed when maintenance or movement is needed providing for minimal interruption to the visitor’s experience with the collection.

Stay tuned for the next posting to find out what’s behind the door!

If you've ever wondered how Kansas City's own Sculpture Park came to be... or wanted to learn more about the sculpted plantings of Versailles, the graceful ornament of the Taj Mahal, or the latest contemporary parks including Hakone Open-Air Museum in Japan and Storm King Art Center in New York... grab a seat in the three-part lecture series by Jan Schall, Sanders Sosland Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Tickets are priced per lecture at $6 members/$9 non-members/$3 students & faculty or save yourself 10% and purchase the full three-part series. Purchase tickets online or call 816.751.1ART (option 2).

Lectures are scheduled for three Saturdays in October from 10:30am-11:30am in Atkins Auditorium. October 7, 14, 28.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park Executive Director Peter Murray will speak at the 24th Annual Atha Lecture on Wednesday, October 11. This FREE illustrated lecture will discuss a range of issues about art in public places, land art and sculpture parks.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park major holdings include 12 monumental works by Henry Moore, sited on 96 acres. In addition, the YSP was a 2006 Gulbenkian Prize Finalist. The purpose of the Gulbenkian Prize is to recognize and stimulate originality, imagination and excellence in museums and galleries in the UK, and increase public appreciation and enjoyment of all they have to offer.

Reserve your FREE tickets online.

Hearing directly from an artist often changes your perspective of their work. Their motivation for creating a piece, the thought process and technical requirements of a piece are all things often unseen at first glance. Discover what drives Tony Cragg and the ideas behind his works Turbo and Ferryman, the latest additions to the Kansas City Sculpture Park.

Perched atop the new Bloch Building, Cragg's work extends the Sculpture Park into the grassy spaces between Steven Holl's design. Cragg has said, "Sculpture for me has only just begun. We've only just got the materials, we've just established some of the ground rules."

Come find out what makes this sculptor tick at the 11th Annual Mary Atkins Series premiere event on Thursday, September 28 at 6p.m. in Atkins Auditorium.

Tickets are availabe online
$10 members/$15 nonmembers/$5 students

As you enjoy your coffee today before heading off to the last day of the 75th Annual Plaza Arts Fair, be sure to check out Alice Thorson's piece on the Kansas City Sculpture Park in the Kansas City Star. She explores the sculptures, the artists and the plantings in the Park in preparation for next Saturday's reopening. The online version of the article also includes footage of Judith Shea's piece Storage being installed and a interview with Jan Schall, Sander Sosland Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art.

As I promised in a previous posting, here is a glimpse behind the “door” in the new Bloch Building. The Modern & Contemporary galleries were in the process of being installed when I peaked inside.

Along with favorites by Willem DeKooning, Sol LeWitt and Mark Rothko, many pieces have been brought out of storage such as Wayne Thiebaud’s Jawbreaker Machine and Richard Estes’ Bus Window.

The shrouded piece is Duane Hanson’s Museum Guard, whom we affectionately call “Roy.” It looks like Roy is ready for Halloween!

The Nelson-Atkins is a buzz with activity as we prepare for the grand re-opening of the Kansas City Sculpture Park this Saturday, September 30.

Other people are talking about it as well. Check out Tyler Green’s Modern Art Notes for his musings about the Museum. His recent conversation with director Marc Wilson proves you’ll never know who you’ll run into at the Nelson-Atkins.

British sculptor Tony Cragg is in Kansas City today to speak at the Mary Atkins Lecture this evening at 6 p.m. Two of Cragg’s works are recent additions to the Kansas City Sculpture Park. You can come experience his works on top of the Bloch Building this Saturday, September 30, when we celebrate the reopening of the Park.

We ask that you please don’t touch the sculptures. Only the artists themselves are allowed to do that.

The weather may have just started to feel like Fall in Kansas City but the Sculpture Park is already showing the signs of seasonal change.

This gorgeous patch of Autumn Joy Sedum is on the east side of the Bloch Building, along Rockhill Road. When I was out, this field was buzzing with activity from butterflies and bumble bees.

The Sculpture Park will be buzzing with activity this weekend during the grand re-opening celebration on Saturday, September 30. Don’t miss it!