Julz's » Kansas City, MO

quote:

Those infamous shuttlecocks on the front lawn are a shot of funky modernity compared to the staid structure and immaculate lawn behind them, but within the Nelson-Atkins’ façade is a fascinating and comprehensive collection of artwork. Thousands of years’ worth of creative vision fills these marble halls, and you’re liable to be overwhelmed by the variety as much as the beauty of a particular piece. In one wing you’ll be surrounded by elaborate Japanese samurai armor; in the next you may find streamlined, simplistic sculptures or dreamlike surrealist paintings. Art history aficionados will be thrilled with some of the treasures that hide in the Nelson-Atkins (one early Pollock is so stylistically different from his most famous works that it’s easy to overlook it completely unless you read the title card). The Nelson-Atkins’ interior encourages aimless wandering, and that’s often the best way to find its most fascinating displays. If you don’t necessarily have a passion for art and its past, or can’t afford to spend more than an hour in the spacious building, there’s always something captivating just around the next corner.

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