Kansas City–Arts galleries, shops, and museums are blooming along with the spring flowers here. The venerable Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, with a 33,000+ collection, in May opens a new Egyptian permanent exhibit featuring a 7-foot tall sarcophogus of Meretites. Other don’t miss sites at the free admission, free parking museum: many Thomas Hart Benton pieces and the 17-ft tall shuttlecocks on the lawn.
From there, head over to the small but significant Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. An enormous spider sculpture stands sentinel on the lawn. Glass works by Dale Chihuly decorate the entrance to the intimate Cafe Sebastienne. Their motto, “Come to eat, stay for the art.” Again, free admission and free parking.
The Kemper has a satellite gallery in the burgeoning Crossroads District. Paintings by Ian Davis, the “Earnest Skeptic” are on display until June 19, 2010. his work is characterized by crowds of identically dressed men assembled around massive works of architecture or construction.
Kansas City offers so many art venuesthat there’s now a First Friday, a Second Friday, and a Third Friday of gallery walks. Artistic spots seem to pop up like flowers after a spring rain. 
