Who would have thought that Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas, in the middle of the United States, are a hotbed of the arts and have superb art museums? So many museums in these three States … You could spend a whole month to visit one every day.
New York City or Los Angeles maybe - but in these semi-rural areas? They might be known for hillbillies, extreme weather, frequent storms, rice and poultry production, or their rich folk music tradition. Yet still, they have countless art museums and galleries, many in Kansas City, and in Wichita but also in Bentonville in the southern part of the Arkansas state.
I visited several of these museums during the last ten years and I highly recommend them if you are in the area. Many of these museums are completely free. Their coffee shops and restaurants are often filled with art too and their menu is usually classy, healthy, organic, but affordable. Here is a quick list of some of these museums:
KANSAS CITY
Mark your calendar! On the First Friday of every month, thousands of residents and visitors fill the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City to enjoy what has become the City’s most dynamic and popular event. Visit the exciting new Art Alleys between Baltimore and Wyandotte from 18th Street to Southwest Blvd which are filled with Art Vendors and their individual artistic creations! Take the free KC Streetcar and avoid the parking hassle!
During the high season months of April through October, a participation fee is charged. No participation fee is charged from November to March.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO
This cultural jewel museum in Kansas City is home to more than 42,000 works of art, with a campus that includes the original Nelson-Atkins Building, the Bloch Building expansion that opened in 2007, and the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. Works ranging from Caravaggio to Monet, alongside indigenous and modern pieces.
Explore the museum’s sculpture park, where the whimsical giant Shuttlecocks installations spark the imagination. The museum harmoniously integrates art with nature through its peaceful walking paths and reflective pools, fostering a space for both, artistic admiration and quiet reflection. Visit the Bloch Building for coffee, tea, and espresso drinks or the Rozzelle Court Restaurant which offers fast casual dining for lunch.
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City
The Belger Arts Center has staged over 70 large-scale exhibitions that represents the best in contemporary art. As the first contemporary art museum in the state, Kemper Museum has connected Midwest communities with the artists of our time since 1994.
The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art acknowledges it resides on the ancestral territory of the Osage, Kaw, and Otoe-Missouria, among other tribal nations forcibly moved to the region such as the Shawnee, Wyandot, Delaware, Potawatomi, Sac and Fox, and Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo) nations.
Café Sebastienne serves a seasonal menu in two unique spaces: one in an intimate dining room with a floor-to-ceiling installation of more than 100 paintings by Frederick James Brown, and the other in a natural light-filled enclosed courtyard.
Belger Arts Center, Kansas City
It houses a fine art collection and also holds exhibitions of various art. The Belger Arts Center has staged over 70 large-scale exhibitions that represents some of the best in contemporary art. In addition to its exhibitions, the Belger Arts Center also houses the John and Maxine Belger´s Family Foundation collection. This collection includes more than 1,500 pieces of fine art, primarily from American artists of the late 20th century.
LITTLE ROCK
Urban travel to Little Rock, AR, includes a strong art scene - not only The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts but more than a dozen art galleries. Speaking of public art, there are plenty of sculptures to see around Little Rock and interactive maps have been created to help find them too. A highlight is Riverfront Park and the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden. Many murals can be found in Little Rock that help bring a colorful flare to the city landscape. If you are interested in seeing them, there are self guided tours that have been created to help locate them.
The Arkansas Museum Of Fine Arts in Little Rock, AR
The Museum's history dates back more than 100 years. In 1914, a group of intrepid women formed the Fine Arts Club with a mission to bring the arts to Arkansas. The Fine Arts Club planted the seeds that were realized when the Museum of Fine Arts opened in downtown Little Rock's MacArthur Park in 1937. The AMFA Foundation offers 14,000 objects of permanent collection, compelling temporary exhibitions, lively theatre, and enriching courses.
This fall (2024) an exciting Art Nouveau show is presented.
BENTONVILLE
Bentonville is a small town that makes a big impression - especially in the arts. The beauty of the areas
natural surroundings and the proximity of museums, galleries, and entertainment inspire visitors to walk the city. Whether it is a sculpture in a gallery or a mural that stops you in your tracks, creativity pops up around every corner.
Crystal Bridges Museums in Bentonville
If you think Bentonville is the headquarter of Walmart only, you might be surprised that it is a hotbed of art, close to the Ozarks and rural America. Since opening in 2011, the museum has welcomed more than 13 million visitors across its spaces, with no cost for admission. The museum belongs to the leading art museums in the United States and bridges the power of art with the beauty of nature on 120-acres of Ozark Forest. Crystal Bridges is the only museum in Arkansas that’s also an arboretum.
Founded by philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton (a Walmart heiress), Crystal Bridges is a public non-profit charitable organization. The collection spans five centuries of American masterworks from early America to current day and is enhanced by temporary exhibitions. Visit the Early American Art Gallery - The Art of Architecture, Near People on the Move Gallery and other exhibitions - also through audio.
The architecture of Crystal Bridges is as stunning and inspirational as the artwork housed inside it. The museum's glass-and-wood had been designed by architect Mosche Safdie. Crystal Bridges celebrates the visionary work of architects such as Safdie and Frank Lloyd Wright, whose buildings work in harmony with the natural environment.
Explore the architecture of Crystal Bridges, as well as that of Wright’s classic Usonian house on the museum grounds. Enjoy a docent-led tour of Wright's last brick prairie-style house. Self-guided tours are NOT permitted. Tour times and types vary by season. Finished in 1918, the house was one of the last Prairie-style projects (with a low roofline and sweeping horizontal aspects) that Wright completed, but it retains a contemporary feel.
In 2014 Crystal Bridges acquired the Bachman–Wilson House by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The New Jersey house was dismantled and relocated to Bentonville.
The museum's permanent collection features American art from the Colonial era to the contemporary period. All of the featured artists are United States citizens. Notable works include a Charles Willson Peale portrait of George Washington as well as paintings by George Bellows, Jasper Cropsey, Asher Durand, Josef Albers, Susan Catherine Moore Waters, Mary Cassatt, and many other artists.
Contemporary artworks shown are by Georgia O'Keefe, Thomas Eakins, Andy Warhol, Jasper Jones, Maxfield Parrish,
A Nighttime Experience Like No Other
This 2024 fall, roam a world outside time as acclaimed studio Klip Collective uses light, sound, and state-of-the-art projection mapping to transform acres of Ozark nature into a never-before-seen journey across time and space.
Designed exclusively for the museum’s North Forest, this outdoor, site-responsive experience features six immersive installations for you and your crew to explore. Backed by a custom soundtrack and open during the Ozarks’ most beautiful season, Time Loop truly offers an outdoor experience unlike any in Northwest Arkansas.
Art Hotel 21C Museum, Bentonville
Located on the northeast corner of the Bentonville town square and a short walk to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville is a 104-room boutique hotel, contemporary art museum and cultural center. With more than 12,000 square feet of exhibition space seamlessly integrated into all areas of the property, there are opportunities to discover art around every corner. Galleries are open daily and exhibitions rotate, so make plans to visit often. And please take advantage of regular cultural programming, too.
WICHITA
Explore Wichita's art scene: museums, vibrant murals, events like Riverfest, and interactive art experiences.
Wichita boasts a dynamic art scene with many art museums and galleries, like the Wichita Art Museum, The Ulrich Museum of Art at WSU, & MarkArts, which will spark your creativity. The city comes alive with art events year-round, from the spirited Riverfest to the diverse Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair. These gatherings not only celebrate local talent but also foster community spirit, making art accessible to everyone.
Wichita Art Museum
Located west of downtown Wichita in the Museums on the River District, WAM boasts an outstanding collection of American art, with works by Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Mary Cassatt among others. With a permanent collection of over 10,000 artworks, featuring icons like Cassatt, Homer, and Hopper, alongside Pre-Columbian and contemporary glass art by Dale Chihuly - the essence of American artistic heritage. Coupled with our ever-changing traveling exhibitions, there’s always something new and exciting to discover.
The Wichita Art Museum is surrounded by an Art Garden with lush plantings–more than 100 new trees, nearly 600 shrubs, and more than 20,000 perennials and grasses–with 13 outdoor sculptures gracing the garden meld art and nature, urban leisure, and aesthetic enjoyment.
Mid-America Fine Arts, Wichita
Not really a museum - but more an art gallery, Mid-America Fine Arts in Wichita, KS. It began in 1973 by Les and Courtney Ruthven. With increasing knowledge of artists and the art market, they found and acquired more pieces by major American artists at regional auctions. This was first done for their private collection but they soon discovered they had more art than could be displayed. In 1973, they became art dealers, and Mid-America Fine Arts was begun.
Artworks include among others American artists Lloyd Foltz, John Edward Costigan, Arthur W. Hall, Herschel C. Logan, William J. Dickerson, Ted Hawkins, and many others.
IF YOU VISIT:
The Arkansas Museum Of Fine Arts
501 E 9th St
Open Tuesday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm / 8 pm
Museum Admission is Free
https://arkmfa.org/
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO
4525 Oak Street
Sat-Mon | 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tue-Wed | CLOSED
Thur-Fri | 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Museum Admission is Free
https://www.nelson-atkins.org/
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, in Kansas City, MO
4420 Warwick Blvd
Wednesday to Sunday 10 am to 4 pm, Thursday to 9 pm
Museum Admission is Free
https://www.kemperart.org/
Belger Arts Center in Kansas City, MO
2100 Walnut Street
Wed-Saturday 10 am - 4 pm
Museum Admission is Free
https://belgerarts.org/
Wichita Art Museum
1400 Museum Blvd
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday: 10 am – 5 pm.
Friday Nights: Open until 9 pm
Museum Admission is Free
https://wam.org/
Mid-America Fine Arts, Wichita, KS
2601 E Central Ave
Weekdays: 8:00 – 2:00
Weekends: Closed
https://midamericafinearts.com/
Crystal Bridges Museums in Bentonville
600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR
Mon | Wed 11 am—6 pm
Thur | Fri 11 am—8 pm
Sat | Sun 10 am—6 pm
Tue Closed
Crystal Bridges trails and the extended grounds open daily from sunrise to sunset.
https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/space-makers/
https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/drop-in-tour-big-picture-tour-art-architecture-nature/
Art Hotel 21C Museum, Bentonville
200 NE A Street
https://www.21cmuseumhotels.com/bentonville/
Art Museums are not the only interesting places you will find in Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas: A myriad of galleries, history, aviation, science, music, sport, native, and other specialty museums can be found here. Not to mention the wonderful foliage in fall. A perfect vacation from September to November!
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