
Inaugural Collections and Exhibitions::
The Bloch Building will feature two inaugural collections:
Developing Greatness: The Origins of American Photography, 1839-1885 June 9—December 30, 2007

One architectural firm, however, broke all the rules. Steven Holl Architects presented a design that ran along the east side of the Museum, tumbling into the Kansas City Sculpture Park and incorporating landscape and light as key elements in his overall plan. Rather than block the grand north façade of the original building, Holl’s design found its own space along the gently sloping eastern edge of the Museum’s 22-acre campus.
His design was a daring and unexpected solution to the Museum’s needs, balancing innovation with respect for the beloved Nelson-Atkins neoclassical building. Steven Holl Architects was the clear choice of the Architectural Selection Committee and was selected as the Bloch Building architect in July 1999. Considered one of America’s most important architects, Steven Holl is recognized for his ability to blend space and light with great sensitivity. He specializes in seamlessly integrating new projects into contexts with particular cultural and historic importance.
Steven Holl Architects has designed cultural, civic, academic and residential projects in both the United States and internationally. The Kiasma Museum of Contemporary is generally considered to be his masterpiece. Most recently, The School of Art & Art History at the University of Iowa received the AIA’s 2007 Institute Honor Award, their highest award for architecture.
Steven Holl Architects continues to work on a variety of projects such as the Linked Hybrid (Beijing, China); The Nanjing Museum of Art & Architecture (Nanjing, China); Herning Center of the Arts (Herning, Denmark), Cité du Surf et de l’Océan (Biarritz, France), Sail Hybrid (Knokke-Heist, Belgium), Vanke Center (Shenzhen, China); and the NYU Department of Philosophy in New York City.
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art opened October 2, 1994. At the core of the permanent collection is the Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection, a gift by the Museum’s donors R. Crosby Kemper and his wife Bebe Kemper, and the Kemper Foundations. The collection includes works by such artists as Louise Bourgeois, Christian Boltanski, Manuel Neri, Jasper Johns, Helen Frankenthaler, Frank Stella, Joan Mitchell, Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Hung Liu, Robert Motherwell, Deborah Butterfield, Fairfield Porter, Wayne Thiebaud, Grace Hartigan, William Wegman, Red Grooms, Georgia O’Keeffe, Christopher Brown, Willem de Kooning, and Robert Mapplethorpe.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is dedicated to the enjoyment and understanding of the visual arts and the varied cultures they represent. It is committed through its collections and programs to being a vital partner in the educational and cultural life of Kansas City and a preeminent institution both nationally and internationally. The Nelson-Atkins strives to achieve this goal by adherence to the highest professional standards in the collection, preservation, exhibition and interpretation of works of art.



The Kansas City Museum will be celebrating the “century mark” each month with a dynamic series of lectures, workshops, books, films and seminars that highlight Corinthian Hall’s unique architecture and the Long family’s deep and abiding commitment to the civic well-being of Kansas City.