Unique Guest Experience Premieres at Nelson-Atkins to Offer

Glimpse into Impressionists’ Struggles

Light, Sound Activate Bloch Galleries, Bring Impressionism to Life

An exhilarating new experience that allows guests a window into the insecurities and emotional struggles of the group of artists known as the Impressionists begins Friday, March 3 at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. A Beautiful Disruption: Experiencing the Bloch Galleries takes guests on a journey through the minds of the Impressionists as they reached for the impossible: capturing a moment in time through the fleeting effects of light.

“Creativity is very often borne out of hardship,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “This group of artists broke new ground in their approach to representation. Critics derided them for their hazy, ‘impressionist’ art-making, yet they pushed through these and many other setbacks and became some of the period’s most important artists.”

Even though the Impressionists ultimately changed the way people see the world, they were, in their time, derided by critics and struggled with self-doubt as they experimented with a bold and exciting new way of painting.

“Art history is often presented as a linear narrative, when in reality these artists were experimenting and trying something new without knowing how they would be received,” said Rachel Nicholson, Director, Visitor Engagement and Research. “We wanted to capture that spirit and bring people closer to the artists behind these now iconic works.”

The free, 15-minute experience is offered every Friday evening between 6 and 7 pm beginning March 3. Each experience is facilitated by a Museum Guide, with guests listening to artist quotes and sound effects to put them into the mindset of the Impressionists, with lights and sound used as cues as guests move through the gallery. The museum partnered with Art Processors, an award-winning creative technology company with an international reputation for enhancing visitor experiences, to create the multisensory stories in A Beautiful Disruption.

Immersive experiences built around the Impressionists are ubiquitous. Reproductions of their work can be found on tee shirts, mouse pads, mugs, umbrellas, and tote bags. But in this special presentation, guests are guided on a journey that brings the artists’ struggles to life as they stand before original works of art in the prestigious Nelson-Atkins collection, with the stories behind these familiar pictures revealing the vulnerability and self-doubt of artists who are now revered. Their gritty ambition allowed them to continue to work at achieving purpose in their lives through their bold creative endeavors. The Impressionists formed a tight community that also helped them realize their innovative artistic achievements. Guests will be able to discover this new and all-encompassing narrative while contemplating the art at their leisure.

Although A Beautiful Disruption: Experiencing the Bloch Galleries is free, guests must reserve a spot in the experience through the museum website, nelson-atkins.org.

Photo credit: Joshua Ferdinand

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The museum opens its doors free of charge to people of all backgrounds.

The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access to its renowned collection of more than 42,000 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and Native American and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. In 2017, the Nelson-Atkins celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Bloch Building, a critically acclaimed addition to the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.