Several young artists from Manhattan High School were immersed in a full creative experience at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City on April 24.
Upon arriving at the Museum, students were given the option of three different exhibitions to tour. One dedicated to the early 20th century beauty of Art Nouveau, another showcasing a century of ancient Chinese art and a third fascinating exploration of art across the world.
At “Mucha’s Muses” Exhibition, Nelson-Atkins celebrated 100 pieces made by Czech artist Alphose Mucha and his impact on the Art Nouveau movement during the turn of the century. Mucha’s art is distinct for its colorfully fantastical nature, especially in his most famous works depicting actress Sarah Bernhardt. His art has made a major impact in pop culture, having a resurgence in the psychedelic age of the 1960s and is still used today in comics and manga.
“I really liked the distinct style of the prints,” senior Francesca Poggi-Corradini said. “The paler colors and the bolder lines really made the art stick out…Overall, it was pretty cool.”
The Nelson-Atkins Museum is very well-known for their collection of Chinese art, having over 7,000 works spanning over 5,000 years. They presented beautiful landscape paintings, ornate hardwood furniture and towering Buddhist sculptures that embodied the spirituality and tranquility of ancient China.
“I would say my favorite part of the exhibition was when we went to this one room and there was a giant wall with the Buddha drawn on it,” sophomore Jayden Luck said. “I’d say that was definitely the best part overall.”
The final exhibition was “Secondary Art Explorations,” a large compilation of art pieces from European, American and Asian Culture. Students took this tour to analyze the cultural and historical aspects in art and how it connects to the modern day.
“I saw a lot of cool paintings,” senior Laci Johnson said. “The exhibition showed the evolution of art and how it was a way of pushing back on society and challenging the worldview everyone had at the time.”
MHS students left the Museum enlightened by what they had learned in art history and highly encouraged people to do the same.
“I feel like even if someone’s not really that interested in art, they would still enjoy it,” Johnson said. “I know a lot of people who kind of hate museums, but I think they would like it. It wasn’t a very long tour anyways, so it was enough to keep people on their toes…It was very fascinating, especially when we were given the chance to talk and discuss what we thought about the paintings.”
