New immersive art experience is opening in Kansas City. Here are the details
Following the success of and positive public reaction to the 2022 immersive Van Gogh exhibit in Kansas City, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art will showcase another immersive experience this summer.
Highlighting 19th-century French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, “A Beautiful Disruption: Impressions of Light & Sound” will open to the public Friday, June 13. The multisensory experience will feature the works of renowned painters Cezanne, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir and Van Gogh.
“We’re constantly changing things and rotating pieces in and out for this particular experience,” said Marla Van Thournout, the manager of volunteer engagement for the Nelson and organizer of the experience. “The artists who are chosen for the Light and Sound portion of the experience ... some of those kind of big, heavy hitting names who are really integral in the development of Impressionism and Post Impressionism as art.”
In partnership with Art Processors, the museum’s new exhibit will use three-dimensional light and sound fixtures to guide guests through a close-up viewing of notable pieces of art. Art Processors, a global technology and design company, is notorious for their ability to amplify guest experiences with their award-winning creative technology.
“We have some really great technology in our Bloch Gallery that we wanted to kind of highlight,” said Van Thournout. “We were looking for a great opportunity to put that technology to use and show people how art changes when the looking experience that you are experiencing changes.”
Partnering up with Starlight Theatre, the Nelson launched “Van Gogh: Alive at Starlight Theatre” from October 2021 to January 2022.
Soon after, in April of 2022, the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit took over the Lighthouse ArtSpace at the Grove at Zona Rosa. While the Nelson was not involved with this exhibit, the popularity and public demand for more immersive art experiences inspired the museum to create their own.
Beginning in the Bloch Galleries of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, the immersive tour is expected to last approximately 45 minutes and will be offered Fridays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m.
Depending on public reaction to the exhibition, the experience could be open for just the summer or be offered year round. Van Thournout said the museum hopes this experience will draw in new audiences and become a long-term offering for the public.
The Nelson will maintain its normal hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Monday, closed on Tuesday and Wednesdays, and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Fridays where visitors are welcome to view the museum’s collection of more than 45,000 pieces of art.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is located at 45th and Oak streets.
Tickets for the exhibition will cost $8 for members of the museum and $10 for the general public. To secure your tickets, visit nelson-atkins.org.
This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 9:15 AM.
