After nearly three decades as director, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's Marc Wilson retires today (June 1, 2010). KCUR's Laura Spencer reports. By Laura Spencer
Kansas City, MO – After nearly three decades as director, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art's Marc Wilson retires today (June 1, 2010). KCUR's Laura Spencer reports.
Marc Wilson began his career at the museum in the late 1960s on a fellowship, returned as associate curator, then curator of Chinese art, and took the helm as the museum's fourth director in 1982.
During Wilson's tenure, the museum acquired 15,000 new works of art, including the Hallmark Photographic Collection, the Kansas City Sculpture Park, and the signature Shuttlecocks. The museum received wide acclaim in 2007, when it opened the Steven Holl-designed Bloch Building as part of its campus transformation project, and in recent years, has reinstalled and expanded collections, including most recently American Indian and Egyptian art.
In his retirement, Wilson plans to tend his farm in Weston, Missouri, and remain active in the art profession.
In March, the museum announced Juli?n Zugazagoitia (HOO-lian SZU-ga-sa-GOY-tee-ah) as the fifth director. He starts September 1, 2010.