Happy Chinese New Year!

When you think about Kansas City, most people think about great barbecue, powerful water fountains and perhaps vast sceneries of miles of open fields. I wonder how many people actually remember that Kansas City is home to a world-class museum called the Nelson Atkins Museum.

If you haven't heard of it yet, I'm positive that you will have to visit for an art class no matter where you go to college in Kansas City. It's known for being the largest collection in the midwest and for housing a rare Caravaggio painting of St. John the Baptist. Luckily for Rockhurst students, it is only about a five minute drive from our campus and most of the exhibits are free to see. 

This week I was able to attend their Chinese New Years celebration on Friday evening. I went with a high school student that I mentored and we had a blast. We were able to get a picture together in front of this huge Buddha:

We arrived just in time to watch the dragons dance to the beat of drums. It was incredible to see how colorful they were and to watch them move. The eyes and mouths of the dragons were able to open and close and they were not afraid of getting intensely close to your faces. Below is a clip that I was able to capture of the dragons: 

We were also able to walk around the museum. They had several activities going on at the same time and there were hundreds of people there that seemed to really be enjoying themselves. 

Hopefully you will be able to visit the museum once you are a student as well!