Courtesy Akron Art Museum
Akron Art Museum
Akron, Ohio
Described by critics as a work of art in itself, the architecture of the Akron Art Museum spans three centuries with a late-19th-century brick-and-limestone building and the 21st-century James L. Knight Building, a soaring glass- and-steel structure.
“In a way, visitors get to experience two different art museums in one visit,” said director and CEO Mitchell Kahan. “The 1899 building features key historical works by Ohio artists and American Impressionists, while the dramatic new Knight Building presents some of the most exciting modern and contemporary artists from around the world, including the largest collection of Paul Stankard’s mesmerizing glass sculpture and famous artists like Andy Warhol, Chuck Close and Mark Rothko. And, of course, there are always changing exhibitions and new perspectives to discover, from places as different as Nigeria and Britain, Japan and the U.S.”
Two upcoming exhibitions include “The Anniversary Show: Commemorative Art Through the Years,” part of the ongoing celebration of the museum’s 90th anniversary, and “Adolph Gottlieb: Sculptor.” “The Anniversary Show” will include paintings, photographs, print design, jewelry and pottery that commemorate milestones of the museum, and Adolph Gottlieb, though best known as an abstract expressionist painter, also created two- and three-dimensional works. His exhibition will feature creations rarely seen in the United States.
Nelson-Atkins Museum
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum, recognized as one of the finest general art museums in the country, immediately impresses visitors with its approach to the old and the new, according to press officer Kathleen Leighton.
“The original 1933 limestone structure and the 2007 sleek and modern Bloch Building are where 35,000 works of art call home,” Leighton said.
Those collections include African, American, American Indian, Chinese and Japanese works; decorative arts; photography; and more.
“Indeed, there are so many cultures and periods of time represented, coming here is like walking into a time machine,” Leighton said. “And our Asian art collection, without peer, offers the same old and new theme. One collection centers on luxuries in the tomb, and the examples of modern and ancient Asian art and sculpture are just stunning.”
“Heartland: The Photographs of Terry Evans,” an upcoming exhibition, showcases this Kansas City’s native’s love of rural landscapes. “There are just beautiful aerial, landscape and prairie views,” said Leighton.
The Nelson-Atkins is also home to the Kansas City Sculpture Park, a 22-acre oasis of parkland that features 30 sculptures. And one section of the grounds has gained notoriety as a romantic destination.
“Our Rozzelle Court Restaurant, reminiscent of a 15th-century Italian courtyard, was recently voted the ‘best place to sneak a kiss,’” said Leighton. “And in my opinion, it’s the best place for a chicken salad sandwich.”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2013. The collection contains 30,000 works — 19th- and 20th-century American and European art, contemporary art, American decorative arts, and folk and self-taught art — spread throughout three buildings: the Kahler Building, the Quadracci Pavilion and the War Memorial Center.
Among the best in the nation are the museum’s holding of American decorative arts, German Expressionism, folk and Haitian art, and American art after 1960, according to Kristin Settle, public relations manager. The museum also holds one of the largest collections of works by Wisconsin native Georgia O’Keeffe.
Next year will bring a variety of feature exhibitions. Here are just a few: “Color Rush: 75 Years of Color Photography in America,” presenting 140 color photographs made between 1907 and 1981; “30 Americans,” a showcase of work by many of the most important African-American arts of the last three decades; and “Thomas Sully: Innovation and Imagination,” an exhibition that reveals this artist’s contribution to the nation’s artistic and cultural life.
MAM After Dark is a series of monthly happenings where groups can enjoy not only after-hours access to the galleries but a variety of entertainment, from swing dance to country music, and food from renowned chefs and the best local food trucks.
