Kansas City Museums

[Karl-G]

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Kansas City. I will be coming for a visit shortly, and I just discovered the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park in checking out the web. I never heard of it before, but from the pictures it looks very interesting.

 

Does anyone know anything about it? Has anyone been there? How far from the Nelson-Atkins is it?

 

Anyone interested in visiting this weekend?

 

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[Guest Merlin]

I don't know, but Overland Park is across the river in Kansas.

[+ Axiom2001]

Overland Park, in suburbia Kansas, is a drive from the Nelson. If you rent an auto, it should be easy to get there, but don't plan to take bus or a taxi. The latter would cost you!

 

Ring the gallery in Overland Park, Kansas and ask specifically. Thanks much for this thread.

 

As a native from Kansas who visits his mother who still lives in Missouri, I always take in the galleries and museums during my visits. Thanks for informing us about this one; I shall try to go to it on my next visit to the "Heartland!" - - -

[Karl-G]

Nerman

 

*

 

The Nerman claims to have won architectural prizes and looks very exciting. It is on the campus of Johnson Community College. Yes, it is in Kansas and on the map, it does not look too far from Country Club Plaza, where I shall be staying. I will have a car.

 

If anyone is interested, you can almost always get fantastic deals on hotels and cars in KC by using priceline. I am getting great prices on both, as I have before.

 

In regard to museums, the Nelson-Atkins is one of the best art museums in the U.S. They have just expanded and rehung their collection of American art, which is quite good. And the Bloch Addition of a few years ago, which has been rated perhaps the best museum addition in the U.S. in the past 50 years, is a fantastic place, both day and night. The nine galleries are half underground and glow at night like gigantic ice cubes sliding down the hill. It is worth walking around every night just for the fantastic views. And the late 20th century collection is very good and very well displayed. Admission is always free, and the acoustiguide lectures are excellent to walk around slowly. The restaurant is in a beautiful Renaissance court, which was brought in toto from Italy and is delightful. Live classical guitar is often provided at lunch, and the acoustics are superb and the ambience exceptionally nice. It is quite a contrast to the new Metropolitan institutional restaurant in the dark basement in NYC. Twenty Henry Moore sculptures outdoors on the extensive grounds.

 

Right across the street from the Nelson-Atkins is the Kemper Art Museum, which is not large but also very good and always free, based on the art collection which Kemper Insurance brought together. Beautiful Bourgeois, Chihuly, Stella, Frankenthaler, Mitchell, O'Keeffe, and much more.

 

If you enjoy art, Kansas City is certainly worth a visit and not very expensive at all. I am eager to see the new Nerman Museum.

 

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[trilingual]

Kansas City is quite sprawling. The Nerman, located at the intersection of College Blvd. and Quivira Rd., is probably about a half-hour drive from the Nelson-Atkins. The museum is worth visiting -- it has a relatively small permanent collection and puts on numerous special exhibits throughout the year. If you visit on a weekday, allow some time to find parking; the college has thousands of students and parking can be problematic. Enjoy the museum and let us know what you think of it!