Popular Four Seasons Sculptures Call Nelson-Atkins Home till Spring

Kansas City, MO. Oct 7, 2015

Exhibition Extended to Span All Four Seasons

The enormous popularity of the majestic contemporary homage to Arcimboldo by Philip Haas animating the south lawn of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has spurred the museum to extend the sculpture’s visit through April 17, 2016. The Four Seasons had been scheduled to close in mid-October.

“Our visitors have found these monumental portrait busts in the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park a playful and engaging way to discover the world of Arcimboldo,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “They have posted so many photos to social media that we wanted them to have the opportunity to interact and photograph these magnificent sculptures spanning every season, so we are excited to be extending the exhibition run through April 17. I, for one, cannot wait to see them under the snow!”

Each sculpture in The Four Seasons is 15-feet-tall. Contemporary artist and filmmaker Philip Haas created these 3-dimensional interpretations of the Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s portrait series of the same name.

“I’m thrilled that The Four Seasons has been so warmly embraced by the Kansas City community,” said Haas. “It is gratifying to have my work become a focal point at the Nelson-Atkins, and I’m delighted the museum is extending the exhibition.”

The Four Seasons has appeared in more than 200 photos on Instagram, and Twitter and FaceBook posts reached nearly 300,000. Visitors are free to wander in and around the monumental sculptures. Smaller maquettes (scale models) of The Four Seasons are on view inside the museum.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 

The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access and insight into its renowned collection of more than 35,000 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and new American Indian and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. The institution-wide transformation of the Nelson-Atkins has included the 165,000-square-foot Bloch Building expansion and renovation of the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.

The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, MO. Hours are Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday/Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free to everyone. For museum information, phone 816.751.1ART (1278) or visit nelson-atkins.org/.