Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins sculpture park piques art interest

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Taking a stroll through the park takes a different meaning at Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum.

The museum, near the Country Club Plaza shopping district, is home to the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. The trail around the museum grounds takes up 22 acres and has about 30 sculptures.

Near the start of the park’s walk is a large bronze sculpture. IMG_9046

Walking around the grounds, you see several pieces of artwork. They are diverse. You will see a Native American totem pole with the US bicentennial logo carved in it. You will see a group of headless bodies.

The walk offers a great view of art.

At one point, we saw an art student working on a pencil drawing of one the pieces. She was engrossed in her studies.

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Several people were taking advantage of the sunny day. They ranged in age from high school students to senior citizens.

One sculpture we really liked was a tree that looked aluminum. It was shining brightly in the sun; in the background were real trees.

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“Ferment” stands 56 feet high. It combines the combination of all things nature – human bodies to river deltas to erosion patterns, according to the museum’s description.

It’s described as an agitation and turbulent change. The branches represent “the surging energy of creation, growth, transformation, decay and regeneration,” the description says.

The park walk offers a fantastic view of the museum and its landscape.

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An interesting piece near the museum building highlights the invisibility and isolation during rush hour in a city like New York. The George Segal (artist, not actor) used friends as the models for the piece.

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Farther along in the walk, you encounter an orange-painted sculpture called “Rumi.”  It stands 24 feet tall. Described as metal calligraphy, it’s a leap into the air, says the artist, Marc Di Suvero. IMG_3277

The upper side of the Nelson-Atkins has a reflection pool. It adds to the aesthetic view of the grounds.

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“Standing Figures” is just off the upper side of the museum. The 30 figures by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz gives different interpretations. It’s basically up to the observer to determine what they mean – holocaust victims? Mob? Ghosts? It’s up to you to decide what you think it is.

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A Native American totem pole sits near the front of the museum. It was created to celebrate an exhibition of Native American artwork in 1977. At the top of the totem is a raven. Its claws hold the Kansas City symbol. At the bottom is a frog. Three figures between the raven and frog represent a patron, the city’s mayor and the museum’s director.

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Near the front of the museum is a replica sculpture of the famous “The Thinker.”

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Perhaps the best known sculptures on the museum grounds are the badminton shuttlecocks. Four shuttlecocks are located throughout the park.

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The front lawn of the museum has two shuttlecocks. The sculptures are the collaboration of married artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

The shuttlecocks stand more than 17 feet tall and weigh more than 5,500 lbs. The sculptures were dedicated to the museum in 1994.

While I admit I’m not very art museum-cultured; exhibits like the ones on the park trail engage me. They help me realize I need to visit art museums more often and actually take in what they have to offer. IMG_3206

So, who knows, next time you’re in a museum, I may be the guy holding a program and talking all hoity toity about the meaning of a painting or sculpture. Ok, just kidding.  It’s unlikely I could ever try to determine the meaning of a piece of art.