arts & entertainment

Musings at the Museum

Philip Haas - Four Seasons Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

There’s nothing like getting away for a little bit and enjoying well-deserved R&R with your loved ones. And the holidays are the perfect excuse. It’s one of the times a year that people get the chance to take a few days off from work and actually get out of town. In our case, this year we headed to my husband’s hometown in beautiful Kansas City. And boy did we get our fair share of treats!

I’ve always had a lot of love and appreciation for art of all kinds; I guess that’s where my fondness of fashion comes in! There’s just something about art that appeals to me. So it should be no surprise, then, that we just so happened to stumble upon a stunning sculpture park on the grounds of Kansas City’s famed Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. And let me tell ya, it was a ‘larger than life’ experience… literally. So we decided to take a closer look.

And I’m so happy we did!

Nelson Art Gallery

Nelson Art Gallery

1 of 4 Shuttlecock sculptures by Claus Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen

Nelson Art Gallery

Among the many large-scale sculptures scattered across the museum grounds was a very unusual exhibit. Created by contemporary artist and filmmaker Philip Haas, the exhibit titled The Four Seasons had stoic features that I just had to know more about. Upon further investigation, the installation’s 15-foot sculptures are 3D interpretations of the “Four Seasons” paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who was of the Italian Renaissance period. Each sculpted bust features characters comprised of flowers, fruits, vegetables, limbs, bark, and trees, respectively related to Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter as the ‘four’ cycles of nature. It’s such a fascinating concept that you can’t blame Haas for taking the idea into his own hands (literally!).

Many great artist’s use one another’s work for inspiration and as a result produce fresh perspectives. Much like what Haas did with Arcimboldo’s concept, I also took my artistic liberty in conducting an impromptu photoshoot alongside these wondrous works of art. After all… You should never miss a picture perfect photo op! 😉

Philip Haas - Four Seasons Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

The Four Seasons portrait [Spring] – Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Philip Haas - Four Seasons Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

The Four Seasons [Spring] – Philip Haas

Philip Haas - Four Seasons Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

The Four Seasons [Summer] – Philip Haas

Philip Haas - Four Seasons Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

The Four Seasons [Autumn] – Philip Haas

Philip Haas - Four Seasons Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

The Four Seasons [Winter] – Philip Haas

I also took a look at the soaring 56-foot stainless steel sculpture by Roxy Paine. Titled Ferment, this silvery tree celebrates the power of human imagination and technological innovation. Branching out in a mixture of mayhem and melody, Ferment is equally intriguing as it is marvelous.

Roxy Paine - Ferment Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

Ferment – Roxy Paine

Roxy Paine - Ferment Exhibit - Nelson Art Gallery

Ferment – Roxy Paine

It was so wonderful to do some unexpected exploring at this artistic site, even while visiting my husband’s hometown for the holidays. It just goes to show that no matter where you are or where you go, your passions will find you!

Nikka Shae The Undercover Socialite

Hey, if you are visiting Kansas City, you should stop by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and check out some of the uh-mazing works on the grounds. You never know what will inspire you. 😉

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21 Comments

  • Reply Robin Rue (@massholemommy) January 6, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    Ok, that museum is SO COOL. We have an art museum here in Boston, but it’s one of those stuffy ones, you know? Nothing cool like this stuff.

  • Reply Kaylene January 6, 2016 at 6:28 pm

    This sounds like such a fun trip! I love to visit museums. They’re so inspiring!

  • Reply Yanique January 6, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    These images are fantastic. Im always blown away by the creativity of artists.

  • Reply Ana De- Jesus January 6, 2016 at 7:41 pm

    Wow the art sculptures are stunning, that must have taken years to cultivate. If only I lived a bit nearer!

  • Reply Jenn January 6, 2016 at 9:45 pm

    What a great detour while you were away visiting relatives. That art is just amazing, and I love the sculptures based on the paintings–so well done!

  • Reply Debra January 6, 2016 at 11:03 pm

    This all looks absolutely amazing. It looks like a place that I would absolutely love to visit. Gorgeous!

  • Reply Roxanne January 6, 2016 at 11:19 pm

    Such gorgeous pics!!! Thanks for sharing this gem!!

  • Reply nicole January 6, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    Great post. I love going to the museum, its amazing art is such an expression. i love it I can spend days there.

  • Reply laura londergan January 7, 2016 at 1:15 am

    wow – this looks amazing and exactly the kind of place I would enjoy! I have only been to KC once and wish I would have known to go check this place out!

  • Reply LauraOinAK January 7, 2016 at 11:29 am

    The Four Seasons sculptures are amazing! What a neat place to visit and it looks like you had a gorgeous day for it.

  • Reply Erin January 7, 2016 at 11:40 am

    What an amazing trip! And can I just say this? You are stunning! Seriously, gorgeous!

  • Reply Natalia January 7, 2016 at 4:04 pm

    I love the pictures you took! Looks amazing!

  • Reply jill conyers January 7, 2016 at 6:07 pm

    We love to go to museums. We started taking our kids to them when they were little and to this day they love it.

  • Reply Di January 7, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    Wow what a great find! Looks like the kind of place I’d definitely go to. And yes PHOTO OPS must be had when they present themselves!

  • Reply Bri January 8, 2016 at 12:08 am

    Wow! Those are some really interesting pieces, I do love the shuttlecock! 🙂

  • Reply Heather January 8, 2016 at 12:30 pm

    I can’t remember the last time I went to an art exhibit! These look so fun! I often get outside in Mother Nature’s art though, and I think that counts 🙂

  • Reply Kelly B. January 8, 2016 at 9:33 pm

    Ooooh I love art museums, such a good way to spend the day! And those Haas sculptures are so unique, great photos!

  • Reply Paula January 9, 2016 at 4:29 am

    I love the Nelson! My parents lived in KCMO for quite awhile and I really enjoyed visiting the museum. Lovely photos 🙂

  • Reply Pam January 22, 2016 at 2:11 am

    This is super cool! I love all of those statues – especially the badminton one! Thanks for sharing this cool find!

  • Reply Koninika January 29, 2016 at 10:17 am

    Have you tried looking at pro photo? Its for photography bloggers but looks like it’ll suit your blog too. You have great collection of pics.

  • Reply Denea February 1, 2016 at 1:22 pm

    This is really neat! Your pictures are great and it looked so much fun. Living through you!

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