Blog @ the Nelson-Atkins

Another sign that the museum world is starting to join the 21st century: the Nelson-Atkins now has online streaming audio on our website from our new audio-guided tours. You may listen to any of the stops from tours of the Museum collections, the Kansas City Sculpture Park and the Museum architecture.

Now, through the magic of technology, you may download the entire tour on your MP3 player and bring it with you on your next visit. Of course, if you prefer to do it the "old-fashioned way," the audio guides are available free of charge in the lobby of the Bloch Building everyday.

I mentioned previously that Modern Art Notes has been blogging heavily about the new Bloch Building and how it compares to the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building. While he does rave about the new building, he has taken a different approach than any of the other reviews. His premise is that the Bloch Building challenges the 1933 building at every step along the way (and wins, from his point of view).

I appreciate MAN's obvious delight in the new building but there are many people who respect and flat out love the original building (myself included) just as much as they celebrate the new Bloch Building. I can see how some would see the exterior of the 1933 building as cold and traditional but there are gorgeous details at every turn. The craftmanship that went into the original building is amazing from the carved bronze doors depicting scenes from Longellow's Song of Hiawatha to the inscriptions that run along the building's cornice to the hand-carved stone capitals in Kirkwood Hall.

There are also incredible spaces inside the 1933 building that bring just as much joy and wonder as does the new Bloch Building. If you haven't stood in the middle of Kirkwood Hall and looked from east to west, you really should. On the very western edge of the building is a stained-glass window from the 16th century installed in the Cloister (Gallery P7), while on the very eastern edge (just above the entrance into the Bloch Building) you can see a beautiful painting by Vigee Le Brun.

Today, I found a very thoughtful response that made some nice points about how the new building is meant to complement the original one. He also notes that the original building was constructed at a very different time but that doesn't mean it wasn't meant to inspire awe or that it was staid and conventional.

He concludes that the Bloch Building defers and compliments the Nelson-Atkins Building, even at night. I agree. Even though most people think the exterior of the Bloch Building is at its strongest at night when it is lit, I think that is when it is most referential. Its glow feels more like a celebration of the 1933 building than an attempt to outshine it.

If you haven't seen the Museum's stunning featured exhibition Manet to Matisse, (or even if you have) be sure to stop by this Thursday night. After you view the paintings, you may enjoy one of our Snapshot Talks, brief 30-minute glimpses into the world of Impressionism. These talks focus on a single work or thematic aspect of the exhibition.

This week's talk is by Simon Kelly, Associate Curator of European Painting and Sculpture and will explore the theme City and Country. There are two time options for the talk, 6 and 7 p.m.

Word just came down the food chain that an interview with Steven Holl will be on the Charlie Rose show tonight. For local viewers, that is 11 p.m. on KCPT.

I'm sure he will have something fascinating to say about polar bear hair or something like that (see The News Hour with Jim Lehrer).

After you have devoured the new Harry Potter tome, be sure to grab your lawn chairs and a friend and head down to the Nelson-Atkins for another installment of Shuttlecock Cinema at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 21. Bring a picnic basket or pick up something yummy in one of our restaurants and enjoy a free screening of E.T., the Extra-Terrastrial in the glorious setting of the Kansas City Sculpture Park.

Museum members can enjoy a picnic on the East Sculpture Terrace at 6 p.m. with a special performance by one of Kansas City's most popular bands, Sometimes Three.

One of the Museum's most treasured works of art is getting a little check up. The Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva is possibly the best-preserved and most magnificent sculpture from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125)of Chinese Buddhist art.

The sculpture sits majestically in the Chinese Temple Room which was researched thoroughly a few years back. You can read more about that here.

As part of a research grant from the Mellon Foundation, the Guanyin will be examined, sampled and tested as necessary to understand the decorative history and determine what is the best way to preserve it for the future. The actual examining will take place over the next few weeks.

The Guanyin has always been one of my favorite art works in our collection. I'm glad to know it will be around for many more years.

A lot has been said about the new Bloch Building in print, broadcast and blogs. While many of the blogs are about personal visits to the Musuem, there has been an increase in postings from the "arterati" including Modern Arts Notes, i.e. the most influential visual arts blog of all time.

Mr. MAN himself came for a last week and he has lots to say about the new Bloch Building here and here. He has promised more posts all week. I can't wait!

For those planning ahead for Friday night, be sure to stop into the new photography galleries between 7-8p.m. this Friday, July 20. Our new Associate Curator, April Watson will be hosting a free program, The Curator is IN! She is the perfect person to provide you with insights on the Hallmark Photographic Collection and reveal some of the intriguing stories behind the photographs in the new galleries. Before or after spending some time with April, stop into the Cafe and enjoy a little libation outside on the beautiful north side of the Museum.

In an effort to expand our community of online friends, the Museum has ventured onto MySpace. We'll be building our profile there in weeks ahead, but we are always looking for "new friends." And for those inclined to learn more about our Young Friends of Art Group, check out their own MySpace profile as well.

And if you haven't seen them yet, check out all the footage that's popping up on YouTube. Happy Monday.

Today is my daughter's 7th birthday. Having worked at the Nelson-Atkins for 6 of those 7 years, she is quite familiar with "my museum." She loves to take classes in the Ford Learning Center and eat in Rozzelle Court Restaurant (and the new Cafe).

I'm proud to say that I think she likes looking at the art the most. She is a big fan of the contemporary collection. With so many great paintings such as Thiebaud's Jawbreaker Machine and Mound Magician by Radcliffe Baily as well as tantalizing works like Duane Hanson's Museum Guard, Deborah Butterfield's Horse and Six Secret Places by Anish Kapoor, what kid wouldn't be?

As we were walking through the new contemporary galleries last week, she told me she wanted to show me her favorite painting. She took me around the corner to show me No. 10 (above) by Ad Reinhardt. She said she likes how if you look at it closely, you can't see the pattern of boxes but when you move back, they appear. As I read the label I was impressed to see that Reinhardt agrees. He said "Looking isn't as simple as it looks. Art teaches people how to see."

I can only hope that she continues to keep learning "how to see" and in the process, teaching others to do the same.

If you are leery of going out on Friday the 13th, don't be! Ward off the evil spirits with a Second Friday Happy Hour at the Museum. Enjoy the good karma of the zen-like setting in the Isamu Noguchi Sculpture Court. The program is sponsored by the Young Friends of Art, one of our special interest groups for members. Second Fridays are open to everyone and are a great way to meet other art-minded individuals. Members enjoy drink discounts at the Happy Hour.

The Nelson-Atkins is now open until 9 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. This Thursday, you can enjoy a brief glimpse into the world of Impressionism with a 30-minute Snapshot Talk at 6 p.m. This week, curator Ian Kennedy will discuss what was one of the Impressionists' most radical concepts, painting "en plein air" (in the open air). Be sure to visit Manet to Matisse: Impressionist Masters from the Marion and Henry Bloch Collection to see some Impressionist paintings. The Snapshot Talk will be repeated at 7 p.m.

Make it a night at the Museum! Rozzelle Court Restaurant is open for dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. or stop by the Museum Cafe for coffee and dessert. The strawberry parfait is down right addictive.

A blog reader sent me this image of her daughter from opening weekend of the Bloch Building. The young girl is enjoying the painting Good Afternoon by Alex Katz in the Museum's new contemporary galleries. The girl's mother is a photographer and has a beautifual photo montage of their day at the Museum on her website.

Pictures of people at the Museum are showing up all over the internet. I hear that Flickr has over 2,300 images of the new Bloch Building and there are several videos on You Tube as well. If you have images or videos you would like to share with this blog, please let us know. We would love to see them.