Press Releases
One of America’s finest art museums challenges designers to create ‘a museum for all’.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art today launched a global open call to find an outstanding architect-led team for a world-class expansion that will transform the museum with a dynamic, open, and inviting design. The goal of the expansion is to attract new audiences and design a center that speaks to community, creating a museum for all.
Art Bytes, the newest podcast from The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art launches Friday, Oct. 4. Episodes take listeners behind the art on the walls and into the fascinating stories of how artists work, how art is made, and how the world of art is filled with diversity.
The enormous impact of Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1869), one of the most famous Japanese artists in history, is detailed in a sweeping exhibition at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. Exhibition opens September 21.
Three Bowls, a popular nine-foot-tall sculpture at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City will undergo needed conservation work in full view of the public Sept. 3-6 thanks to a generous grant from Bank of America.
19th Century Photographs Offer Compelling ‘Backstage’ Glimpse. Early photography is ripe with creative fictions. Actors, children, aristocrats, models, artists, psychiatric patients, maids, and all manner of the working class posed in front of cameras and were transformed into imagined figures.
Nelson-Atkins and Linda Hall Library Awarded Climate Planning Grant, Ongoing Initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Linda Hall Library one of just five national grants for a study identifying climate impact and resiliency options.
SOLD! With global interest and multiple bidders, the The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City announced that the Claude Monet painting Mill at Limetz, 1888, was sold at auction at Christie’s in New York May 16for $21,685,000 to an anonymous buyer. The Nelson-Atkins continues to possess strong holdings in Monet that span the artist’s career. The sale of Mill at Limetz will fund the Joseph S. And Ethel B. Atha Art Acquisition Endowment allowing art acquisitions to impact future generations.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City has announced two hires in its Curatorial division, as well as a new Chief Marketing Officer. Tahnee Ahtone joins the museum as Curator, Native American Art, Rachel Kabukala will be the museum’s new Associate Curator, African Art, and Rob Persaud joins as the new Chief Marketing Officer.
Jointly Owned Monet Painting to be Sold at Auction, Proceeds Will Be Used to Support Future Nelson-Atkins Acquisitions. The Nelson-Atkins contracted with Christie’s Auction Company and the auction will take place in May; the museum’s portion of the sale proceeds will support future art acquisitions. The work has been shared between the family’s descendants and the museum and has been regularly on view at the museum since 2008. It is one of five paintings by Monet in the Nelson-Atkins collection.
A major painting by an esteemed 18th-century female artist was gifted to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Realized in 1801-1802, A Religious Allegory on the Death of a Young Woman is the last known work by celebrated painter Maria Cosway (English, born Italy, 1759-1838), and the second known work by the artist in a North American public collection. It is the gift of longtime museum supporters Virginia and James Moffett.
One of the most innovative artists of the second half of the twentieth century, Niki de Saint Phalle burst upon the international art world in the 1960s. Visit the first U.S. museum exhibition of Saint Phalle’s entire career. Works on view explore Saint Phalle’s universe, from her early, explosive “Shooting” paintings, to her powerful Nanas, fantastical sculptures, and her pioneering efforts to combat racism, gender inequality, and HIV/AIDS stigma.
A unique and compelling body of work by photographer Melissa Shook. In a series of approximately 200 self-portraits, made between December 1972 and August 1973, Shook explored her identity on both sides of the camera as a woman, a mother, and an artist.
A dramatic, ever-shifting, hanging sculpture will be installed in Bloch Lobby as The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City continues celebrating its 90th year. Grand HexaNet was created by Venezuelan artist Elias Crespin (b. 1965), who will be in Kansas City to oversee the installation in March.
$4.5 Million Earmarked for Photography Department Over Three-Year Period. The Hall Family Foundation, in its continuing support of the photography program at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, has given a $4.5 million dollar grant to the museum to support the activities of the Photography Department, including staffing, research and travel, acquisitions, and the exhibition and publication program.
Visiting Artist Creates Fantastical Creatures for Dia de los Muertos at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Mexican artist Miguel Bolivar has spent five weeks in Kansas City creating, with the assistance of community groups and volunteers, an array of brightly colored, fantastical creatures that will be on view for the museum’s popular Dia de los Muertos festival.
An intimate exhibition, My Father’s Death, showcases a recent contemporary art acquisition rooted in Buddhist culture and personal history by Tibetan-born artist Sonam Dolma Brauen (b. 1953) opens Oct. 28 at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
In honor of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Impressionism in 1874, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City is mounting an intimate exhibition to celebrate the movement’s founder, Claude Monet, through an exploration of his impact and legacy on a successive generation of artists.
A Layered Presence / Una presencia estratificada addresses personal and national identities, socio-political issues, healing, place, and much more. The exhibition, which is free to the public, opens Oct. 14 and runs through Sept. 8, 2024.
“We are delighted for the opportunity to present these photographs together for the first time at our institutions and to highlight Hofer’s important artistic contributions, including as an early adopter of color photography,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins.
Khalif Tahir Thompson Painting Promised Gift to Nelson-Atkins. A rising star among emerging Black artists, Khalif Tahir Thompson (born Queens, New York, 1995) has, in just a few years since obtaining their BFA from SUNY Purchase, been receiving acclaim for their multi-layered, figural representations of Black life and experience.
Dr. Stephanie Fox Knappe Named Sanders Sosland Senior Curator, Global Modern and Contemporary Art and Head, American Art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum.
“Stephanie has done brilliant work during her stellar career at the Nelson-Atkins,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins. “This is an exciting opportunity for Stephanie to mentor an emerging talent in American art history…”
MuseumBowl23 Continues! Philadelphia Museum Contingent Brings Second “Super Bowl” Eakins Work to Nelson-Atkins.
In a surprise move, the Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art called an audible that resulted in a pleasing twofer at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
Super Bowl Wager Painting Goes on View at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Just Ahead of NFL Draft
Kansas City, MO. April 18, 2023–As the Kansas City Chiefs and football teams around the country prepare for the NFL Draft next week, a side-bet made between The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art on whose hometown team would win Super Bowl LVII, has resulted in a new addition to the American galleries in Kansas City.
Extraordinary Women of Myth and History Focus of Nelson-Atkins Exhibition
A focus exhibition at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City offers dramatic insight into the representation of female role models from 1480s to 1720s Europe.
Super Bowl LVII Kicks Off #MUSEUMBOWL23
Philadelphia Museum of Art faces Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum on social media. It’s the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection versus the BBQ Capital of the World.
Nicolle Ratliff Joins Museum on Eve of Capital Campaign
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City announced that Nicolle Ratliff has been hired as the museum’s Vice President, Development.
Groundbreaking Alberto Giacometti Exhibition to Open at Nelson-Atkins
An exhibition of Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), widely acclaimed as a defining artist of modernism and of the 20th century, opens at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City March 18, 2023.
Nelson-Atkins Partners with City Barrel Brewing to Create Exclusive Pale Ale
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has entered into a partnership with City Barrel Brewing Company to produce an exclusive pale ale themed to the museum called Creative Juice. A portion of each case sold will come back to the museum as a donation.
First Major Exhibition of Evelyn Hofer’s City Photographs
Premiering at the High Museum of Art this spring and organized in collaboration with The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Evelyn Hofer: Eyes on the City is the first major museum exhibition in the United States in over 50 years for Hofer.
Mirror Pavilion Addresses Nature’s Fragility
An arresting sculpture by Jan Hendrix, reminiscent of the pavilions found in 18th century gardens, will be unveiled in the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City on Sept. 14.
Exhibition by Regional Asian American Artists Opens Oct. 8 at Nelson-Atkins
Found in Translation: Explorations by 8 Contemporary Artists reveals the richness and nuance that can be discovered through the process of change and transformation as the artists convert ideas and questions into art.
The 2022 National Docent Symposium will be held in Kansas City at the Intercontinental Hotel Sept. 16-19
Hosted by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Docents and guides from the U.S. and Canada will have the opportunity to meet and dive into this year’s theme reflecting on the post-pandemic desire to gather in person once again: Get Connected. Get Inspired. Get Kansas City.
Starlight Brings Monet & Friends Alive to Life November 1 – December 31
Sponsored by Country Club Bank, Monet & Friends Alive Life, Light & Color is an unforgettable multi-sensory experience celebrating Claude Monet and the world’s most renowned artists of the Impressionists era.
Five Leonard Pryor Paintings Gifted to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The two heirs of Kansas City artist and educator Leonard Pryor (1924-2015) have given five of their father’s paintings to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
American Art Deco
American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1918-1939, traces the trajectory of this design movement, which represents modernity, glamour, and exuberance, while exploring the socio-economic impact of these advancements during the Interwar period.
Between Myth and Reality: Ancient Greek Vases from Joslyn Art Museum
A new installation featuring nearly 40 ancient Greek vases from the collection of Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum will be on view in The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art’s Rozzelle court balcony in Kansas City beginning this June.
Silver Splendor: Conserving the Royal Thrones of Dungarpur, India
A pair of ornate silver thrones with an intriguing history will be revealed at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City beginning May 21.
American photographer Jim Dow has long been fascinated by the ingenuity and creative spirit found in the built environment.
Thoma Collection of Viceregal Art Exhibited at The Nelson-Atkins
A focus exhibition comprising 15 works made by artists in Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru during Spanish colonial rule in the 17th and 18th centuries opens at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City Feb. 12 and runs through Sept. 4, 2022.
Nelson-Atkins Introduces Five-Part Podcast
A five-part podcast produced by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and hosted by local poet Glenn North, features stories that explore issues such as race, representation, identity, and belonging, through personal histories and encounters with the museum. Each episode interlaces the perspectives and voices of 23 Kansas City creatives, community leaders, museum workers, and everyday citizens.
Nelson-Atkins Donor Gifts Enhance European Collection
Two paintings by French Impressionist artist Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin (1841-1927) and two paintings by his near contemporary, French artist Louis Valtat (1869-1952), have been accepted as gifts by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, deepening the museum’s holdings of Impressionist and Fauve works.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Acquires Rare Collection of Early American Daguerreotypes
The Henry Fitz Jr. Archive of Photographic History, an extremely rare group of early daguerreotypes and related material from the family of pioneering practitioner Henry Fitz, was purchased at auction in Cincinnati on November 15.It includes what is believed to be one of the earliest daguerreotype portraits made in the U.S., as well as two paintings and other early photographic works.
Van Gogh Coffee, Chocolate Pairing Third Release in Art-Inspired Series
A third coffee-chocolate pairing in the Nelson-Atkins collaboration of a series of art-inspired products will be released to coincide with a unique digital experience celebrating the work of Vincent van Gogh. The Roasterie created The Rispal Blend, a dark coffee with punchy acidity, inspired by the Van Gogh painting Restaurant Rispal at Asnières in the Nelson-Atkins collection. It is complemented by milk chocolate batons laced with bright, citrus flavor crafted by André’s Confiserie Suisse.
Art of Illusion Photography Exhibition Challenges Adage ‘Seeing is Believing’
Does photography accurately reflect the things we see? Or does it merely present illusions? Those are the central questions explored in an exhibition opening this fall at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
Nelson-Atkins Offers Focused Van Gogh Installation as Companion to Starlight Van Gogh Alive Experience
The unique mastery of Vincent van Gogh takes center stage at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City with a free, focus installation featuring three works from the museum’s collection that will be on view in the Bloch Galleries through mid-January, 2022.
Announcements
Memento # 5 Travels to New York
Our prominent Kerry James Marshall painting was deinstalled for a trip to New York’s New Museum for the exhibition Grief and Grievance: Art and Mourning in America, Jan. 27- June 13. Nelson-Atkins Director & CEO Julián Zugazagoitia talks about the importance of the exhibition — and our beloved painting.