Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | May 6, 1966 |
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| Location | 2818 Frederick Avenue, Saint Joseph, Missouri, United States |
| Public transit access |  St. Joseph Transit |
The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art is a cool art museum in St. Joseph, Missouri. It's located in what used to be the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Albrecht. This museum has a huge collection of American art from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s.
The Albrecht-Kemper Museum is also a fun place for cultural events. They have special art shows, learning programs, and performances. It's a really important art center for the Northwest Missouri area.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
The museum building has an interesting past! In 1906, a man named William Albrecht started the Western Tablet Company. This company became very successful. They even made the famous Big Chief tablet, which many kids used for school.
In 1933, William Albrecht bought land on Frederick Avenue. He built his "dream house" there. Years later, in 1965, the Albrecht family gave their beautiful mansion to the St. Joseph Art League. They wanted it to be an art gallery. This was done to remember Mr. and Mrs. William Albrecht.
The Albrecht Art Gallery officially opened on May 6, 1966. It started with six art pieces in its main collection.
Growing Bigger and Better
The museum grew a lot over the years! In 1991, a large 21,000-square-foot addition was built onto the back of the house. Herb Duncan designed this new part.
The new addition added many cool spaces. It has a big gallery area with two tower galleries. There's also a dining room, an auditorium for events, and a gift shop. Plus, it has special rooms for educational programs.
At this time, the museum changed its name. It became The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. This new name honored Mr. R. Crosby Kemper, who was a big supporter of the museum.
Exploring the Art Collections
The Albrecht-Kemper Museum has many different types of art. You can see art from different time periods and styles.
American Portrait Gallery
The Terry and Kay Oldham Portrait Gallery shows amazing American artists from the 1700s. You can see paintings by artists like John Wollaston, Gilbert Stuart, and John Neagle. These portraits show how people looked long ago.
Contemporary Art
The museum also has a large collection of modern American art. This art is displayed in Thedinger Gallery and the JP Barclay Gallery. Sometimes, you might find special "pop-up" art shows throughout the museum too!
Western Art
If you like art about the American West, you'll enjoy the Manning and Bebe Grimes Western Art Gallery. It has great paintings by artists such as Olaf Wieghorst, James Reynolds, and Thomas Hart Benton.
Regionalist Prints
The Schroeder Gallery features prints by famous Regionalist artists. These artists often painted scenes from everyday American life. You can see works by Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, and John Steuart Curry.
Special Exhibitions
The museum often changes the art on display in its galleries. Both upstairs and downstairs galleries are used for these rotating shows. They feature different artists and even an annual exhibition for museum members. These galleries include the J. Douglas and Susan H. Essen Gallery, the Alison Wyeth-Campbell Gallery, the Steuart and Charlotte Campbell Gallery, and the Thedinger Gallery.
