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The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: A History
Current price:
$39.95
Publication Date: January 14th, 2020
Publisher:
University of Missouri
ISBN:
9780826221971
Pages:
434
Description
When Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opened to the public in 1933, it was viewed as a miracle, an oasis of culture in a Midwestern town whose image was still largely one of cowboys and steaks. In an engaging style, Kristie Wolferman tells the history of the Nelson-Atkins from its founding to the present day, a fascinating combination of people, events, and circumstances that culminated in an art museum that now holds its own among the finest in the world.
Wolferman begins by relaying how the trustees of the estates of the reclusive widow Mary Atkins and the family of Kansas City Star newspaper editor William Rockhill Nelson joined forces to establish a museum from scratch, then goes on to consider all of the highly talented people who directed and staffed the Nelson-Atkins along the way, their efforts resulting in many bold innovations, among them new collections, grounds, and educational programs and offerings.
With 100 color and black and white photographs, this book will be treasured by all who love and admire this remarkable institution, one that attracts half a million visitors—from across the city, state, nation, and world—each year.
This is a co-publication of the University of Missouri Press and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Praise for The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: A History
“Lavishly illustrated.”—Kansas City Star
“This fascinating story is a must-read for anyone interested in Midwestern cities and how art can transform them. Kristie Wolferman has created a page-turner about art and international culture orchestrated by numerous Kansas City personalities that will surprise and excite you at every turn. Lively and well-researched, this book will not only inspire you to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art but will also urge you to learn its amazing social history, with art front and center.”
—Susan Earle, PhD, curator of European & American Art, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas
“Kristie Wolferman’s The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: A History provides an engaging and richly illustrated account of the rise of one of America’s most treasured art museums. Her account celebrates the power of people, tracing the personalities and partnerships that led to the Museum’s founding and later helped it flourish. Museums aren’t just collections of objects, however beautiful or significant. They’re first and foremost collections of people, sharing both a common vision and an uncommon commitment. Wolferman’s history celebrates the people behind the scenes who bring museum galleries to life, and by their efforts bring a world of art to Kansas City.”— Alex Barker, Director of the Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Missouri
“By tracing the people and purchases that have shaped the museum and its collections over time, Wolferman offers museum professionals and laypeople a thorough account of a museum’s progression from idea to respected cultural institution.”—Missouri Historical Review