North Lawn Shuttlecock

A gift of the Sosland Family, this is one of four 18-foot shuttlecocks that have graced the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins since their installation in 1994. At the time, opinions varied widely about the artistic value and even the propriety of "scattering four birdies" on the lawn of a museum that featured a vast collection of classical works. While some of the city's most influential residents denied the artistical value and suggested that the aluminum and fiberglass-reinforced plastic works were not worthy of inclusion within a museum dedicated to art, others embraced the whimsical imagination of husband and wife artistical team of Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The pair imagined the vast lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum as a badminton court divided by the neoclassical building much as a net separates a court. Each of the shuttlecocks weigh 5,500 pounds. Over the years, the four shuttlecocks have become a beloved symbol of the museum and the city.

Katy Bergen, “Seeking KC’s defining images,” The Kansas City Star. July 2, 2012.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, "Inventing the Shuttlecocks," accessed 3/3/2024 https://art.nelson-atkins.org/objects/16574