This is stellar, once in a generation gift for the Southmoreland Neighborhood, Kansas City, the state, the country, the entire art world!Back in June of 2015, twenty nine masterworks by the leading Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists of the 19th century were enthusiastically welcomed by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The list of artists among them is astounding: Pierre Bonnard, Eugène Boudin, Gustave Caillebotte, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Alfred Sisley and Vincent van Gogh. The Marion and Henry Bloch Collection was created over many years. It was among the few outstanding collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art remaining in private hands. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is the grateful recipient of this transformative gift. A gift of this nature was the inspiration for a major renovation of the museum's European 19th- and early-20th-century galleries.In March of 2017, the new Bloch Galleries will open to the public, offering visitors an immersive experience with the Bloch Collection masterpieces, integrated into the museum's rich collections. If you are a member like we are at Southmoreland, you can take advantage of Member Preview Days for Bloch Galleries. These will be held:March 9 from 10 am -4 pmMarch 10 from 10 am -9 pm Members will receive a Bloch Galleries sketchbook (how cool is that!) while supplies last. Membership card must be presented.The Public Opening Event will be held:March 11 & 12 from 10 am-5 pmAttendees may view the spectacular new galleries and enjoy a French pastry, while supplies last! Note that timed tickets are required for this opening weekend.Walk-in Tours, entitled "Real to Surreal: 19th & 20th-Century Art in the New Bloch Galleries" will be available:March 15-December 31 at 1 pm, Wednesdays - FridaysThe new galleries themselves were made possible by funding from the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation. Kansas City is incredibly fortunate to have such philanthropic residents and organizations!A visit to these galleries is a must. Add it to your bucket list! When you stay overnight at Southmoreland on the Plaza, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is just a quick two block walk away. Make a left out of the front of the Inn, cross through the path at Southmoreland Park, and you're there. Make sure to take a leisurely stroll around the museum's sculpture garden once you arrive. The grounds themselves are breathtaking, and the infamous shuttlecock sculptures on the expansive lawns will beckon you and your camera. Ahhh, ain't art grand!Mark Reichle and Nancy Miller Southmoreland on the Plaza
