Personal Best

NOTE: Throughout 2026, the Bloch Building will undergo interior and exterior enhancements. Personal Best is temporarily closed and will reopen later this year. Read more about the Bloch Building project and stay up to date on closure dates.

Kansas City artist-athletes push themselves to new heights. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art presents Personal Best, a free exhibition celebrating six local artist-athletes whose dual pursuits put them at the top of their game. Through a variety of styles and media, their work reveals that true achievement is built on relentless commitment, turning everyday effort into continual growth.

The exhibition features glass installation artist and distance runner Kate Clements, football player and painter Kwanza Humphrey, painter and climber Samantha Haan, post-digital printmaker and Shotokan karate practitioner Mike Lyon, multidisciplinary artist and mixed martial arts fighter Thea Wolfe, and interdisciplinary artist and distance cyclist Tj Templeton.

Success is rarely the result of a single moment of brilliance,” said Stephanie Fox Knappe, Sanders Sosland Senior Curator, Global Modern and Contemporary Art and Head, American Art and Personal Best curator. “As these KC-based artist-athletes prove, it derives from countless hours spent embracing the grind of incremental process, conquering doubt, and learning from failure. Their achievements stem from the mental, physical, and creative stamina required to push beyond their comfort zones.”

Credit: Overview from museum website