Night/Shift
Night/Shift
Register in advance or on site when you arrive
Thursday, Dec. 11
5-9 pm
Free
Dial up the saturation for a vibrant celebration of color and culture across time and place, from historic Mesoamerica to contemporary Kansas City.
Inspired by the special exhibition Painted Worlds: Color and Culture in Mesoamerican Art, Night/Shift: UltraVivid takes you through a kaleidoscope of experiences to explore connections between color, the cosmos, and how we mark milestones—including the museum’s own birthday, which coincides with this edition of Night/Shift.
UltraVivid celebrates every hue that makes us who we are. Craft your own piñatas as you get to know the tradition’s Mesoamerican origins and how artists interpret it today. Enjoy live music that bends genres and breaches new musical frontiers. Dive into the crystal-blue depths of water’s role in Japanese art. Across a wide spectrum of galleries, build your own palette and explore the properties and personalities of color.
About Night/Shift
Night/Shift is a free and free form evening of creative encounters featuring live art and live acts by local artists among the museum’s 5,000 years of creative culture.
Featured Lineup
Schedule is subject to change
Live Acts
Performance-based experiences and entertainment
Bosque Beats: The Pulse of Plants | Jon Sabillón
5:30-6:30 pm | Kirkwood Hall
DJ and music futurist, Jon Sabillón taps into the bioelectricity of live plants to generate music evoking the sights, sounds, and sensations of the Mesoamerican jungles.
JAM-O-RAMA | Jamogi & the Jammers
7-9 pm | Kirkwood Hall
Celebrate the differences that make us unique and the similarities that unite us with a performance that brings you into the music-making experience and weaves together pop, soul, salsa, dembow, funk and more.
Live Art
Interactive demos, artmaking, and pop-up installations
Community Tree of Life | Andrea Cira
5-9 pm | Bloch Lobby
Meet artist Andrea Cira and create a paper-cut figure to add to a community tree of life rooted in Aztec and Spanish colonial traditions.
Tradition and Transformation | Melissa Wolf, Sue Moreno, Rosalinda Avilas Martinez
5-9 pm | Kirkwood Hall
This piñata installation honors the Aztec and Mayan traditions of ritual vessel-breaking through traditional and contemporary artistic interpretations.
Pequeño Piñatas + Demo | Sue Moreno and Rosalinda Avilas Martinez
5-8:30 pm | Classrooms 4 & 5
Make your own tiny piñata ornament and enjoy a live demonstration by local artists constructing their own colorful creations.
Chroma Photography
5-9 pm | Kirkwood Hall
Play with color and light in this Polaroid photo op.
Mixing Labs
Social spaces for meeting and making connections
Friends of Art Council
5-9 pm | Kirkwood Hall
Share a memory or wish related to the museum or an important milestone. Enter the raffle for a free museum membership or tickets to Party Arty: Painted Night.
Farmers Market | M.A.S.A. (Migrating Assembly for Stories and Art
5-9 pm | Location TBA
Exchange stories about the lore, legends, and traditions in your life as M.A.S.A. artists record them live into a codex.
Food & Drink
Happy Hour 5-6 pm (or while supplies last)
Free ice cream courtesy of Scream Queens with any food purchase
5-8:30 pm | Bloch Lobby & Kirkwood Hall
Lite bites, cocktails, wine, beer, and N/A drinks available for purchase.
THANK YOU to our creative community
Andrea Cira | @acirastudio
DesignWise | @designwisekc
Jamogi & the Jammers | @jamogi.bridges
Sue Moreno | @sumokcmo
Rosalinda Avilas Martinez
Jon Sabillón | @jonsabillon
Melissa Wolf | @melissalupewolf
M.A.S.A. (Migrating Assembly for Stories and Art) | @m.a.s.a.kc
Members are the art and soul of the Nelson-Atkins and receive exclusive benefits throughout the year.
To learn more, visit the Info Desk or artandsoulkc.org.
Night/Shift is made possible with support from the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation.
Night/Shift know-how
Who can attend?
Night/Shift is designed for guests who are 18 and older, however, the museum is open to the public during Night/Shift and all ages are welcome.
What should I wear?
- Appreciate – don’t appropriate – other cultures. Check out our Night/Shift: UltraVivid moodboard for inspiration.
- Glitter is prohibited in the museum.
- From warm-up to curtain call – we’ve got an UltraVivid Spotify playlist to get you ready for the night.
- Large bags and some accessories may not be permitted in the galleries. Free coat check is available near the Museum Store.
What does it cost?
- General admission to museum galleries is free.
- Registration is required. Register online in advance or when you arrive.
- Become a member during Night/Shift to receive free daily admission to special exhibitions and free garage parking — that night and year-round.
- Art and specialty merch will be available for purchase. Support the featured local artists and small businesses and swing by the Museum Store for other goodies.
Will there be food and drinks?
- Yes! Food and drinks will be available for purchase. A valid ID is required to purchase alcoholic beverages.
- Outside food and drink are prohibited.
How do I get there?
- The museum’s parking garage is located at 45th and Oak Streets. Garage parking is $14 per vehicle or free for members.
- Rideshare areas are located in the circle drive on the museum’s North Plaza.
- There are four entrance options: via the parking garage, at street level on 45th Street (one through the Nelson-Atkins Building, one through the Bloch Building), and via the Nelson-Atkins Building from the Sculpture Park.
- See the museum map for wayfinding information.
Can I request an accommodation?
Yes! If you require an accommodation or have accessibility concerns, contact our helpdesk at 1Art@nelson-atkins.org. You may also explore the museum’s accessibility resources.