Artists Magazine - USA (2020-04)

54 Artists Magazine April 2020

F

ornearly 90 yearstheNelson-

AtkinsMuseumofArt,inKansas

City,Mo.,hascommittedto

beinga “gatheringplaceforpeopleto

shareandcontemplatethegreatest

creationsinhumankind”andtobethe

typeofmuseum“wherethepowerof

artengagesthespiritofcommunity.”

Inlinewiththatmission,themuseum

hasaninclusiveandfreeadmission

policy,whichallowspublicaccessto

theirextensivecollectionof41,000art

objects—includinginternationallyrec-

ognizedAsian,European,American,

NativeAmericanandEgyptianpaint-

ings,sculpture,photographyand

more—sevendays

a weekinthesum-

merandsixdaysa

weekforthedura-

tionoftheyear.

Inaneffortto

drawa widevari-

etyofviewersto

experienceartin

newandexciting

ways,theNelson-

Atkinsorganizes

severalimmersiveandunexpected

experiencesbothinsideandout-

sideoftheirinstitution,fromthe

educationaltotheentertainingto

thewhimsical.Oneoftheirlatest

endeavorsfallsintoallthreeofthese

categoriesandhasproventobe

quitepopularwiththepublic.The

ArtCourseattheNelson-Atkinsis

a nine-holemini-golfexperience,

TheNelson-AtkinsMuseumoffersa miniaturegolf

coursetoexpandvisitors’educationalexperience.

by Allison Malafronte

Hole 1:

Jawbreaker

Machine,

designed by Lisa

Campbell Ernst,

was inspired by

the painting

Jawbreaker

Machine by Wayne

Thiebaud.

PHOTO BY DANA

ANDERSON

BOTH PHOTOS BY

DANA ANDERSON