Tour of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art
Mary Cassatt - Pastel Painting
I was amazed when we drove up to this grand old mansion. This is St. Joseph, Missouri?
Can you imagine in 1913 twelve women wanted to increase the public awareness and understanding of the arts by starting an Art Museum. They raised money by having teas and performances. Finally, they raised enough to purchase a William Merritt Chase painting titled A Venetian Balcony. They had special showings of this painting to raise more money to purchase other paintings.
Forming the St. Joseph Art League, they opened the Albrecht Gallery in 1966 in the former home of Mr. and Mrs. William Albrecht. At the initiation of a major building expansion in 1991, the Museum became The Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, honoring the patronage of Mr. R. Crosby Kemper.
Around every corner, there was another artist I had admired. There was a Mary Cassatt pastel; Mother Looking Down, Embracing Both of Her Children (you know how I love pastels!). The Wayne Thiebaud painting, Man Sitting-Back View, 1964 was exhibited in the first exhibit held at the Museum in 1966. My favorite was a Olaf Wiefhorst oil painting called The Runaways, 1950. It depicts horses running out of control pulling a wagon. A cowboy is trying to grab the reins of the running horses. The really unusual thing is the perspective - it shows the horses from the front. They look like they could run right over you! The action is incredible!
You must go see the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art in St. Joseph, Missouri!!
Wayne Thiebaud - Oil Painting -1964
Don't get ran over!!
Olaf Wiefhorst - Oil Painting - 1950
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