The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, developed from the separate bequests of Mary McAfee Atkins and Kansas City Star publisher William Rockhill Nelson, whose combined funds established a public art museum on Nelson’s Oak Hall estate. Opened in 1933 in a Beaux-Arts building by Wight and Wight, it later took its formal current name in 1983. Because its curators built the collection from scratch, the museum was able to acquire major works during the Great Depression, with Laurence Sickman playing a key role in building its renowned Asian holdings. A major expansion came with Steven Holl’s Bloch Building in 2007, strengthening its standing as a leading cultural institution.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Kansas City, Missouri · USA