Wanderlust tales : Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas Part 1

Posted by storiesbyankita June 27, 2017

Wanderlust tales : Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas Part 1

As I headed for the day, first on my list to be covered was the 'The Nelson-Atkins Museum' as it would also need the maximum time.

HOW TO GET HERE:

The Nelson-Atkins Museum is at a distance of about 15 miles from where I was put at the "Homewood Suites, Overland Park". I booked my cab for 0930-ish and post a hearty breakfast headed for my solo stint.

The ride from the hotel to the museum was a quick ride of about 15 minutes. The roads in the US are a charm to drive on - so the travel time is considerably reduced.

My cabbie 'Brian', a gentleman of about 48 years old was a jovial and extremely helpful man - he guided me with the areas that can be covered on foot and the others routes/roads which must be avoided at all costs - this was for the matter that I was traveling alone. 😇 He was sweet enough to give me a short tour in his car, about the possible route I must take and of course the ones to be avoided. Much appreciable.😌

GLIMPSE INTO THE HISTORY:

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an art museum with an extensive collection of an art form.

The THINKER statue at the entrance makes the entire structure look so magnificent. There is a beautiful lawn in front of the building, and there are huge shuttle corks placed through the park – how does one come up with such concepts. Beauty at its best.

One must keep ample amount of time in hand, as the display is immense about 34,500 or more pieces – and you need to be patient to be able to cover and understand and appreciate all that it has to offer - the art, paintings, sculptures.

The collections range from

Asian
Egyptian
South East Asian
Indian
Chinese
American
European.

And the best part - the attraction is free of cost.😘

From their official website:

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: Where the power of art engages the spirit of community.

Every day, in all we do, the Nelson-Atkins is committed to nurturing excellence, inspiring creativity, and building community through the power of art.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art arose from the instincts and ambitions of two private individuals who shared the dream of providing a public art museum for Kansas City and the surrounding region.

William Rockhill Nelson, the founder of The Kansas City Star, was convinced that for a city to be truly civilized, art and culture were necessities. When he died in 1915, the bulk of his estate was used to establish the William Rockhill Nelson Trust for the purchase of works of art “which will contribute to the delectation and enjoyment of the public generally.”

Kansas City school teacher Mary McAfee Atkins had similar aspirations for her city. Although relatively unknown, she provided the city with approximately one-third of her million-dollar estate to purchase the land for a public art museum.

The Nelson estate was combined with Mary Atkins’ legacy to build an art museum for the people of Kansas City. The William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and the Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts opened to the public on Dec. 11, 1933.

On June 9, 2007, the Nelson-Atkins unveiled the Bloch Building, an addition designed by Steven Holl Architects, which increased gallery and storage space for the growing collection.

Today, the Nelson-Atkins maintains collections of more than 35,000 works of art and welcomes 500,000 visitors a year.

NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART:

If you are carrying a bag as I did, I was asked to carry it either on one shoulder or over my chest or keep it in their locker in the Bloch building at the lobby which is free of cost. Storing the bag in the locker is the best option, given the fact that you need to walk so much. Also, you can collect the iPod from there, which elucidates each art piece on display.

Pictures from the visit: