Recommended: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

This past weekend I was lucky enough to have an opportunity to visit Kansas City, Missouri with my roommate and two friends. After attending a Royals baseball game and enjoying the warm summer nights of the midwest, which incidentally make the best weather for partying, something the people of KC know how to do well, we visited a local art museum called The Nelson-Atkins. My mom had heard about this museum before and although I have made the short trek from Omaha to KC throughout my years here I had never made it to this museum, and figuring I might not have too many more opportunities to get there I suggested that me and my cohorts make a visit.


As you drive past the stone building you cannot help but notice the sculptures that decorate the grounds of the museum, the most noticeable are the large shuttlecocks, or birdies as I'd always known them, resting at various angles on the grass that are then followed by slightly less obvious sculptures made of black stone. The building itself is tremendous with different kinds of granite and marble lining the floors and walls and ceilings that are intricately decorated and stand a hundred feet high. As you weave through the galleries the atmosphere of each room changes, but it all flows with the collection you are viewing.


The cultures represented in building are extensive and many of the pieces are truly spectacular. The first exhibit we viewed was an Egyptian collection and although it was not very big it contained every piece of mummy's burial coffin, including the mummy itself. They have sculptures from ancient Greece and Rome, and a complete suit of armor from the 16th century for a knight and his horse. The collection of Asian art is world-renowned, has been in development since the 1930's and is said to be one of the best collections found outside of Asia itself.


One of my favorite collections was one displaying works from Native American tribes. Although many of the pieces are not nearly as old as the ones from other exhibits (only a hundred years or so old, as opposed to several hundred or thousands), but still demonstrate the culture and spirit of the people who created them. Unlike the other collections this section displays functional works of art like clothing and baskets, instead of the typical paintings and sculptures that you would expect to see at an art museum. I love the integration of culture and beliefs into the clothing and tools that these people used, instead of hanging a painting they carried these things with them everyday.

This museum provides everyone the opportunity to view priceless works of art. My favorite part about this place is that its completely free to the public. I'm a firm believer that art cannot be owned and I love that the Nelson allows everyone to take in these special pieces. The museum is so massive it would be impossible to truly enjoy everything available in just one visit (I didn't even get to mention the modern art collection in this post). So if you're ever lucky enough to be looking for something to do in Kansas City, take in a little history, art, and culture at the Nelson.

The First One

Hey there reader! And welcome to the very first blog post for Let Me Blow Your Mind. This blog has been created for personal expression and to serve as a way to share things I love with the world... or maybe just the cosmic void that is the internet since I fear very few people will read these words, at least for now. My very first post is dedicated to the inspiration of the title of the blog.

After a severe music rut I was inspired to review my 90's music collection after a brief trip to Seattle. I was a very enthusiastic Nirvana fan when I was a freshman in high school, almost a full decade after the band's dissolution, but moved on to more modern bands as I progressed through high school and simply had too many other bands to listen to at the time. It had literally been several years since I delved into my grunge collection and I was pleasantly surprised when I remembered just how much I had loved this genre. Since then I began going through my stock of Hole albums (brought to my attention after the premiere of Courtney Love's Behind the Music) and naturally moved on to the No Doubt collection I've also neglected for years.

After looking over Gwen's career I stumbled across an old classic from middle school. In case you don't remember "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" was a single from Eve's album Scorpion that was released in 2001. Although I am personally not an Eve fan this song features my girl Gwen's vocals, and was also co-written and co-produced by the one and only Dr. Dre and is just dripping with his influences. The combination of these artists made the song enjoyable for both hip hop and pop fans and caught my attention in the seventh grade, long before I could appreciate the impact Dre's touch had on the song. After listening to it with older and considerably wiser ears I am in love with the message of female power these two femme fatales send (even if it was written primarily by Dr. Dre as I suspect), and chose to use the title for my blog.



The video is full of glamorous looks that I can still appreciate nine years later. Both women look simply gorgeous, but maintain their own personal sense of style, something I can say has been reflected throughout both of their careers. I can remember wishing I could pull off Gwen's bikini tops at thirteen, and at twenty-two I must admit that I continue to envy her style. This is the song that set the stage to launch Stefani's solo career, and in the same way I hope using this title for my blog will help launch my career as a writer.

Now don't fight that good shit in your ear, and let me blow your mind.