It’s a well known fact that the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is one of Kansas City’s gems. From family outings to aesthetic pictures with its shuttlecocks, it has remained a staple spot to visit if you’re looking to relax + unwind. So, step onto the court as we swing some of its history your way.
William Rockhill Nelson + Mary McAfee Atkins were two strangers who had never met, but they shared one thing in common — a goal for Kansas City to have its own public art museum. Nelson, the founder of The Kansas City Star, was inspired by the art in Europe during his trip in 1896. He bought fine reproductions of famous paintings and even left a trust fund of $11 million to purchase more art after his death. Atkins was similarly moved with art during her trips to Europe and left ~$300,000 of her estate for the construction of a museum.
The funds left by Nelson and Atkins joined forces to finally build their dream, with Nelson’s estate + Atkins’ trustees pooling their resources to achieve a grander gallery. Prominent architectural firm Wight & Wight designed the museum, with doors opening to the public on Dec. 11, 1933. The east wing was initially named the Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, and the rest of the building was called the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art. In preparation of its 50th anniversary celebration, the public art museum’s name was renamed to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and has remained so ever since.
In July 1994, four shuttlecockswere donated to the museum from the Sosland family. Three of the shuttlecocks are sprawled along the front of the museum, with the fourth one in the back. This placement was intentionally chosen to mimic the museum building as a badminton net and the shuttlecocks as… well shuttlecocks.
Local funding for the public art museum did not stop with just Nelson and Atkins. In 2007, Marion and Henry Bloch donated$12 million to expand the Nelson-Atkins with the addition of the Bloch building. The building was designed by Steven Holl and received critical acclaim, including its No. 1 ranking in Times’ “The 10 Best (New and Upcoming) Architectural Marvels.”
Bon Iver | Wed., June 15 | 7:15 p.m. | Starlight Theatre | $31+ | The Grammy-winning American indie folk band is going on tour with Bonny Light Horseman. 🎶
John Fullbright | Wed., June 15 | 8 p.m. | Knuckleheads, 2715 Rochester Ave., Kansas City, MO | $20 | This Oklahoman native is a Grammy-nominated musician.
Thursday
Margaret Cho | Thurs., June 16 | 7 p.m. | The Comedy Club of Kansas City, 1130 W. 103rd St., Kansas City, MO | $35+ | Experience a night of laughter with one of the 50 Best Stand Up Comics named by Rolling Stone magazine. 🎤
Chvrches | Thurs., June 16 | 7 p.m. | Uptown Theater | $35+ | This Scottish pop group comes all the way from Glasgow to introduce their album “Screen Violence.”
Friday
Riverdance | Fri., June 17-Sun., June 19 | 8 p.m. | Starlight Theatre | $16+ | Enjoy the Grammy award-winning score with Irish + international dance.
Boulevardia | Fri., June 17-Sat., June 18 | Times vary | Crown Center | $45 | If you love craft beers and sampling great foods, this two-day street music festival may be for you. 🍺
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Need a cool spot in this heat? With temperatures reaching high levels + heat indexes around 100 degrees, it’s important to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. If you don’t have access to air conditioning, here’s a list of cooling centers in the city. (KCUR)
Coming Soon
Looks like we’re truly the Paris of the Plains. A Parisian-style café is making its way to Westport — 3940 Main St. Cheval, slated to open in August, will serve coffee and milk in separate small pitchers + pastries in the mornings, with drinks and desserts served in the evenings. ☕ (CityScene KC)
Sports
Major League Soccer and Apple announced a 10-year partnership worth~$2.5 billion. Apple TV will broadcast all MLS games starting in 2023. Sporting KC fans will have to pay to watch next season’s matches, while season ticket holders to all MLS clubs will receive a free subscription. (Kansas City Star)
Watch
Kansas tourism dropped a promotional video featuring six of the state’s barbecue spots. The video comes with a warning though — “Don’t watch when you are hungry.” The spots featured in the video were Jones Bar-B-Q, Billy Sims BBQ, Bite Me, Roy’s Hickory Pit, Luther’s + the Ole Cook Shack. 🍖 (Kansas City Star)
Ranked
Doordash dropped a list of “100 Most Loved All Stars” in the United States, and four Kansas City metro restaurants were featured. Aoyama Ramen, Custard’s Last Stand, Taj Mahal + Twisted Fresh made the cut based on their food quality, service, reliability and the overall experience. (Kansas City Business Journal)
Food
This & That Eatery is expanding to a new spot — 5946 Troost Ave., KCMO — after its temporary home-based operation. Its grand opening is scheduled for Sat.,June 25 at 3 p.m. with festivities like giveaways + face painting. It plans to offer soul food on Sundays starting in July. (Kansas City Star)
Festival
Big Slick Celebrity Weekend announcedadditional celebrities to its lineup. Comedians Brian Quinn, Heidi Gardner, and James Murray will attend. Country singer Logan Mize and magician Blake Vogt will also make appearances. Tickets to the festival are on sale. (KSHB 41)
Try This
It’s like a beach party… without the beach. Love Boat — a group of local “experience designers” and “nightlife curators” — is hosting Beachless, a two-day club + pool party downtown KC. Chill at The Ship and the Westin Crown Center pool this Sat., June 18-Sun., June 19. Tickets start at $15. 🏝️
Shop
Summertime grilling hack:Order 10steakhouse-qualityTop Sirloin Steaks Wrapped in Hickory Bacon from Kansas City Steak Company for $79.99 and receive 10 free Steakburgers. Plus, it all comes with free shipping. 🥩*
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The people have spoken. Boulevard Brewing Company brought back its Quirk Hard Seltzer Watermelon Salt & Lime just in time for the summer. The 12-pack will be making waves across shelves soon for a limited time. We’ll be rimming it with some Carmona’s Chamoy.
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Editor’s pick: Shoutout to State Your Line for having us on their podcast to talk about KCtoday. Listen to it here, or simply type “State Your Line” anywhere you listen to podcasts.
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