Kansas City Offers Numerous Variations
to ‘Art in the Park’
by Gigi Cowell
Kansas City is blessed with bountiful park land and green space. And we’re rightfully proud of the quantity and quality of our region’s art collections. We forget, sometimes, that it’s possible to admire some of Kansas City’s best artwork while enjoying a leisurely, sunny afternoon outdoors.
So why not surprise a spouse or the family by spending a beautiful weekend day this spring or summer with a picnic basket, while appreciating the idyllic wedding of art and nature?
Serving as the grand entrance to The Plaza, the J.C. Nichols Fountain provides the perfect backdrop to stroll hand in hand, relax on the benches and begin a leisurely tour of mythical, historical and whimsical sculptures. Immediately across from the fountain, high atop the halfsize model of the Giralda Tower in Spain sits Faith, a statue that in old Spain was originally turned in the direction of attacking enemy forces. Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon, is adorned by cherubs, and is located on the corner of Ward Parkway and Wornall.
Bacchus, surrounded by nymphs and satyrs rests in the
center of Chandler Court in what was previously home to
Swanson’s, and Neptune and his seahorses rise above an
oval pool at 47th and Wornall. A cozy bench for two is
located next to the “Four Fauns” fountain. Farther down in
Seville Square sits a life-sized bronze sculpture of a man
reading a book entitled “There’s no such thing as a free
lunch” while he eats a hamburger in front of the McDonald’s restaurant.
Just east of the Plaza, the Kauffman Foundation Legacy Park and Memorial Gardens is not only a tribute to the philanthropy of the Kauffmann family, but a public green space. Although privately funded, it is free and open to the public. It offers a pristine environment in which to enjoy lush vegetation and sculptures. Duane Hoover, horticulturist with the foundation since 1999, is justifiably proud of the 468 varieties of perennials, as well as topiaries and trees formed into arches, noting that “plants can be sculpted into art as well as any other materials.”
Visitors can sit among the various nooks and crannies of the garden while admiring the variety of fountains and bronze sculptures. Near the entrance to the garden, the “Shell Girl” pours water from a sea shell, while the main garden is home to the “Dancing Girls”, all of which are rumored to be representations of Kauffman family members. The aptly-named “Secret Garden” offers three fountains that dance between each other to non-repeating, random programs, providing a hypnotic backdrop to a glorious afternoon.
“A sculpture garden of precisely the right sort” is how New York Times art critic John Russell described the Henry Moore Sculpture Garden when it opened in 1989. Located on the grounds of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the collection of outdoor works has grown considerably from the initial 12 offerings by leading international and American artists. In addition to the restful beauty of thousands of flowers and plants, visitors can contemplate sculpture by Auguste Rodin, Gaston LaChaise and Pierre- Auguste Renoir, and the largest collection of grand scale Henry Moore outdoor bronze sculptures in the United States. The Walter De Maria sculpture, “One Sun/34 Moons,” and Magdalena Abakanowicz’s “Standing Figures” are two other popular works. This 22-acre park, including the Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen Shuttlecocks, is the perfect setting for a leisurely picnic lunch or dinner.
Kansas City offers many opportunities to enjoy outdoor
art throughout the metro. No list would be complete
without mentioning the “Crying Giant” or the “Spider” on
the lawn of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, the
lifelike statue of Thomas Hart Benton or the “East Gate
Piece” on the campus of the Kansas City Art Institute, and
sculptures by internationally recognized artists on the
grounds of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at
Johnson County Community College.
Outdoor Venues in the Greater Kansas City Region
The Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, MO
http://www.countryclubplaza.com/plaza.aspx?pgID=913
Kauffman Foundation Legacy Park and Memorial, Kansas City, Mo.
http://www.kauffman.org/foundation.cfm?topic=legacypark
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Mo.
http://www.kemperart.org/
Kansas City Art Museum, Kansas City, Mo.
http://www.kcai.edu/
Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS.
http://gallery.jccc.net/nerman/