Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art arose from the instincts and ambitions of two private individuals who shared the dream of providing a public art museum for Kansas City and the surrounding region.
William Rockhill Nelson, founder of The Kansas City Star, was convinced that for a city to be truly civilized, art and culture were necessities. When he died in 1915, the bulk of his estate was used to establish the William Rockhill Nelson Trust for the purchase of works of art.
Kansas City school teacher Mary McAfee Atkins had similar aspirations. She provided the city with approximately one-third of her million-dollar estate to purchase the land for a public art museum.
The Nelson estate was combined with Mary Atkins’ legacy to build an art museum for the people of Kansas City. The William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and the Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts opened to the public December 11, 1933.
Fountain Gallery
Elmer F. Pierson Sculpture Garden Fountain
This fountain is located in the East Sculpture Terrace on the south side of the Nelson-Atkins Building and was given to the museum by Elmer F. Pierson. The water bubbles up in the upper-most level and runs and trickles down the various levels of rectangular concrete slabs until it reaches the basin below
Elmer F. Pierson Sculpture Garden Fountain
Fountain Basin at Rozzelle Court
In 1933, Rozzelle Court was opened at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The centerpiece of Rozzelle Court is the Fountain Basin. The massive bowl of the fountain was carved out of a single piece of Cipollino marble and weighs approximately four tons.
Fountain Basin at Rozzelle Court
Joy of the Waters
A young woman dances, unleashing her boundless energy of youth with pure joy and happiness. This work exemplifies the most significant period of the artist, Harriet Whitley Frishmuth, where she exploited the expressive potential of the human figure.
Joy of the Waters
Noguchi’s Fountain
Noguchi’s Fountain consists of two basalt stones of similar size but with slight differences. The top of one stone is concave while the other is convex. Water flows gently out of the top of each stone and down the sides.
Noguchi’s Fountain
One Sun/34 Moons
This reflecting pool on the north plaza of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art was created by the artist Walter DeMaria, working in collaboration with the architect Steven Holl. They created the commissioned, site-specific piece during a 30-month period (April 2001-October 2002).