Night/Shift
Free your inner spirit and find yourself in full bloom at Night/Shift: Iconique.
Art nouveau poster child Alphonse Mucha is the evening’s muse whose floral glamor rewrote the visual language of pop culture. Local artists cultivate a night of curvilinear creativity — bursting with tunes by queer musicians, drag fashion, and sapphic flirty flair.
Like Mucha’s haloed heroines, this is your opportunity to let your hair down and be your own iconic self.
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
She Speaks in Tongues with shadows by Mikal Shapiro & Ritu Nanos of Firetale
6pm & 7pm | Noguchi Court
Let shadows, color, and light draw you in an immersive depiction of female rage, using looping voice, projection, and a chemical vulnerability.
Femme Fatale | DJ Baby
5-9 pm | Bloch Lobby
A curated vinyl set of French new wave, rock, dance, and disco inspired by feminine energy and queer musicians.
Lights. Camera. Vogue. | Stephonne, Queen Ki’Yanna, & The City of Fountains Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Pre-show | 7:00 pm | Kirkwood Hall
Final Show | 7:45 pm | Atkins Auditorium
Finish off the night with a performance-fused-fashion show inspired by iconic 1960-70’s cover art, from the Woodstock Musical Festival to today’s pop, rock, and soul.
Live Art
Interactive demos, artmaking, and pop-up installations
Improv Poster Design | Frank Myles
5-9 pm | Kirkwood Hall
Bring your ideas to generate the visual language of Mucha’s inspired advertising.
Studio Sprint: We Love a Fan!
5-9 pm | Classrooms 4 & 5
Craft your own Art Nouveau inspired fan to summon a breeze and a little intrigue. Then put your fan to “werk” at the fashion show.
Studio Sprint: From Bugs to Bones | Oracle Natural Science
5-9 pm | Classroom 6
Pay homage to the early insect and botanical studies from Alphonse Mucha by drawling butterflies and other specimens while watching insect pinning and skeletal articulation demos.
Mixing Labs
Social spaces for meeting and making connections
The Flirt Lab | The Lovely Lez
6 pm & 7 pm | Lens 2
Part class, part mixer, learn the art of sapphic flirting and build confidence, chemistry, and community. Inspired by Mucha’s flowing curves, embrace the non-linear nature of queer connection and the ways it lingers, glances, and returns.
Member Mingle @ Night/Shift | Friends of Art Council
5-8:30 pm | Rozzelle Court & Kirkwood Hall
Calling all Nelson-Atkins members! Kick off your evening with a complimentary specialty cocktail or mocktail. Grab your drink tickets at the FOA table in Kirkwood Hall then mix, mingle, and meet.
Not a member? Stop by the FOA table to enter a raffle to become one or join at the Info Desk to unlock this perk.
Food & Drink
5-8:30 pm | Bloch Lobby & Kirkwood Hall
Light bites, cocktails, wine, beer, and N/A drinks available for purchase.
Happy Hour | Bloch Lobby
Grab a Raygun-designed, Mucha-inspired tote. First come, first served!
Gallery Connections
Go Baroque or Go Home | 115
Keeping it French | 121
Meet Your Muse | 129
Tiffany Classics | 214
Mucha Madness | L14
THANK YOU to our creative community
DJ Baby | @laurenlouvel
Frank Myles | @nervous_lemon
KiYanna | @the_kiyanna
Oracle Natural Science | @oraclekc
Mikal Shapiro | @mikalshapiro
The City of Fountains Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence | @cofsisters
Ritu Nanos | @rnanos
She Speaks in Tongues | @she_speaks_in_tongues
Stephonne | @lovesickwriter
The Lovely Lez | @thelovelylez
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: Iconique for inspiration.
- Glitter is prohibited in the museum.
- From warm-up to curtain call – we’ve got an Iconique 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.