"We used to build temples, and museums are about as close as secular society dares to go in facing up to the idea that a good building can change your life (and a bad one ruin it)."
- Alain de Botton
If you're a lover of the arts, or even just rather fond of it, one must see place here in the Midwest is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.
Opened on December 11, 1933, the building itself presents an imposing stone fortress. Situated on a the top of a gently sloping hillside, the exterior gives little hint of the eclectic mix of styles within.
The interior styles of the building change from one area to another, creating the most appropriate ambience for the collection housed within each room.
Most well known for it's collections of Asian art, the Atkins houses works from all around the globe, and from a wide portion of history.
And a plus for shutterbugs, the museum is photographer friendly! Just remember to leave your tripod in your car, and your flash turned off.
Upon arriving at the Nelson-Atkins Museum one of the most notable pieces in the Donald J Hall Sculpture Garden is the piece "Shuttlecocks", by artist Claes Oldenburg. Consisting of a number of aluminum and fiber glass shuttlecocks, it has become a "must do" to create a photo of someone appearing to hold one their hand, ala holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Inside are art works of paint, wood, bronze, porcelain, and almost any medium imaginable. Even the fixtures have their own little touches of elegance.
Guarding the main entrance the Atkins is home to one of only ten copies of The Thinker by Auguste Rodin.
The Nelson-Atkins, be there or be square. Or cubist. Or surrealist. You never know who you'll see there.
Helpful hint, click on any photo to see the complete slide show.
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