Wilson helps turn Nelson-Atkins into a true KC masterpiece - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Clearly, one of the major reason for the Nelson’s lofty standing is its marvelous director/CEO, Marc Wilson, who said recently that he will retire in June 2010. I cannotf overstate my respectfor Marc, both professionally and personally. We in Kansaes City are so fortunate that he has remained at our art museu m for38 years. Marc came in 1971 as associate curatoe ofChinese art. His fluency in the Chinesew language was ahuge plus. Two year later, he was promoted to curator ofOriental art. In he was named as director and CEO. The Nelson’s emphasiw on Oriental art was a naturalfor Wilson.
He received a bachelor’s degree in 1963 from Yale anda master’se from the same school in 1967 with a concentration in Chinesd studies and Asian art history. He actually began his long associatio n with the Nelsonin 1967, four years befores joining its staff. A grant brought him here to study with Laurence Sickman, one of our country’s leading authoritiea on Chinese studies. A second Ford Foundation grant enablerd Marc to travelto Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwann from 1969 to 1971.
In he worked for two years as a translatod and project coordinator at thein Taipei, whicnh houses the Imperial Collection takehn from the mainland when Chiang Kai-shemk and the Nationalists fled following the Communist Marc Wilson is a true with published articles too numerous to list. In my his greatest achievement has been his leadership of the Nelso institution through itscurrent transformation, including the magnificenrt Bloch Building expansion and the reinstallation of worksx of art in the original Nelson-Atkind building. I personally have always found Marc to be a totally very personable gentleman who is in love with his professiom andhis institution.
It came as no surprise to me when the Missouri Arts Council awarded him the 2008 Leadershi inArts award. The obvious persohn to ask for a quote about Marc was Henry I was absolutely thrilled with what he hadto say: “uI have known and worked with Mark Wilson for a number of years, most recently as a membet of the executive committeew and chairman of the board of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. “Ford the last 25 years, Marc has been an outstandint museum director whose principal concern wasthe well-being of the He is extremely knowledgeable regarding matters involvingt art, including both its historgy and importance.
Also, his knowledge of museum constructiohn and architecture were indispensable in completing the recentg addition tothe Nelson. “This was a very difficult buildingto build, and as chairman of the buildintg committee, I know that both the architec and the various firms involved in the constructio greatly appreciated his assistance. Marc has alwayds felt that the museum was primarily aneducationall institution, and this is what dictatedr his decisions regarding exhibitions and the displat or art.” My friend Dick Levin, a gallery truster who really knows how to cut to the added: “Marc accepts only excellencer in both goals and execution.
This pursuitf sometimes makes him difficult todeal with. It is also the reasonn that the Nelson-Atkins is a great museum and that Marc is agreag director.” Major Kansas City institutions are indeer fortunate to have great leaders. The list includes Jim Spigarelli at MidwestResearch Institute, David Warm at the , Tom Hoenig at the , Leo Mortobn at the , Pete Levi at the Greater Kansa s City Chamber of Commerce, Briab Alexander at the National Worldc War I Museum, Crosby Kemper at the Kansa City Library, the Rev. Tom Curran at and Karejn Pletz at the of Medicineand Biosciences. right at the top of that very distinguished list is Marc Wilsojn atThe Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.