First opened to the public in 1933, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art maintains collections of more than 35,000 works of art.
A few highlights from the collection include Native American art from pre-European to contemporary, more than 7,000 works of Asian art spanning 5,000 years, 900 works of European art ranging from the medieval period to the late 19th century, a large collection of Old Master prints and drawings, and a collection of Modern Art from 1900 to 1959 representing Cubism, Expressionism, Fauvism, Dada, Surrealism, Bauhaus and Abstract Expressionism. The collection is displayed by culture, theme and medium.
An ongoing program of art acquisition meant the original Museum of Fine Arts building no longer provided sufficient space. This led to the unveiling, in 2007, of the Bloch Building, a state-of-the-art addition designed by Steven Holl Architects, which increased gallery and storage space for the growing collection.
Exhibitions & Dates
Make Room for Color Field
Dec 11 2016 - Dec 30 2018
Four works of Color Field painting
The Bloch Galleries
Mar 11 2017 - Dec 31 2019
29 masterworks by leading Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists
More than Words: The Art of Calligraphy across Asia
Oct 21 2017 - Jul 8 2018
Explores the roles and aesthetic qualities of writing in Asia
Fine Lines: Whistler and the American Etching Revival
Dec 1 2017 - Jun 24 2018
The wide-ranging possibilities of etching during the American Etching Revival
All the World’s a Stage: Theater and Costume
Feb 7 2018 - Aug 5 2018
Explores theatrical comedy and tragedy through prints and drawings
The Big Picture: A Transformative Gift from the Hall Family Foundation
Apr 28 2018 - Oct 7 2018
A selection from 800 photographs acquired as a gift
Into the Fold: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics - From the Horvitz Collection
Aug 5 2017 - Jul 28 2018
A glimpse of the variety of Japanese ceramics in modern times
From Farm to Table: Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterworks on Paper
Mar 16 2018 - Mar 17 2019
Works on paper in this gallery change every twelve months to showcase the variety of the collection
What Lies Beneath: Rediscovering Hieronymus Bosch and Albrecht Bouts
Jun 30 2017 - Jan 6 2019
Two paintings now firmly attributed to Netherlandish masters
Unexpected Encounters
Jun 2 2018 - Aug 12 2018
Highlights significant acquisitions of the last decade
Italian and Spanish Textiles
Jun 20 2018 - Feb 16 2019
5 velvet textiles in radiant reds created during a period of expanded exploration and trade
Napoleon: Power and Splendor
Oct 26 2018 - Mar 3 2019
200+ items from Napoleon’s chateau include masterpieces of painting and sumptuous decorative arts
Ralston Crawford
Oct 26 2018 - Apr 7 2019
Works provide an essential look at a vital era of abstraction in American art
Regency Fashion in Miniature
Mar 21 2018 - Mar 22 2019
Portraits by some of the leading miniaturists of the Regency period
Wendell Castle: Shifting Vocabularies
Jun 23 2018 - Jan 20 2019
Furniture design as sculpture
A Figure of Influence: Lincoln Kirstein and American Art
Jun 28 2018 - Dec 10 2018
Examines Kirstein's influence on the American art world
The Human Body
Jul 18 2018 - Jan 13 2019
Includes prints from the 16th century with a focus on the human figure
