Don't Forget the Nelson

Back when Cutest and I were in grade school, a visit to the Kansas City Zoo and the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art were always on the field trip calendar. The zoo was always fun.

Who doesn’t get a kick out of seeing wildlife up close and personal, even if back in the day they were kept in crude confinement. Today it is a much more entertaining and educational experience, not to mention humane.

But the Nelson was like going to visit your aunt’s home in the big city. Look but do not touch was the stern parental warning. Just walking near one of aunty’s precious antiques brought sweat to my palms. Walking into the Nelson brought forth those same sweaty palms.

Here shiny marble floors and three-story high pillars surrounded Egyptian mummies, Chinese art blending gold fish (later I found out they were koi) and long swords, Buddha, and more   All were barely visible in the dark, creepy lighting. A Halloween haunted house could not be scarier.

The highlight of the day, for a ten-year-old boy, came when you found yourself nose to canvass to a nude painting, only to have that topped by a bigger-than-life sculpture of a man and woman wrapped in a very tight embrace, minus their clothing. Man, this was so much better than National Geographic.

Let’s leave those prepubescent years and fast forward to today. Yes, there’s still lots of marble and dimly lit rooms with pre and post gothic art in abundance. However, in 1993, the Nelson trustees sought a new vision for this grand edifice. The Block extension began construction that year, designated to showcase contemporary, African, photography and special exhibition galleries of those genres.

In an effort to attract a more diversified cross section of area citizens, the Nelson throughout the year now invites members and non-members to attend themed events. This past Thursday, Night/Shift, Second Nature found Cutest and me in attendance. Small plates of food plus wine and cocktails were available. To spare any fine piece of art having a cola or worse splattered on it, libations were confined within two areas.

Activities ranged from constructing a pocket journal, writing postcards (which the Nelson would mail), watching interpretive dance, adding fabric to wire for a mycelium sculpture, listening to how music sounds when surrounded by various architectural styles, plus other creative subjects. Use the > to see more. In the summer on the south lawn, an art inspired miniature golf course is open while inside on select nights, movies play in the Alkins auditorium.

Do yourself a favor and download the Nelson app so that you can keep abreast of the many and varied upcoming events. The shroud of glumness has been lifted. And oh yes, the nude couple still embrace there, among other exotic statues. Cutest and I noted a definite resemblance to us so that's why we've included it below.