JOHN T. LOCKTON III GALLERY HONORS KANSAS CITY LEADER ...

JOHN T. LOCKTON III GALLERY HONORS KANSAS CITY LEADER AND
PHILANTHROPIST IN NEW NELSON-ATKINS BUILDING
Modern & Contemporary Gallery, Project Space, dedicated by Lockton Family Foundation
Kansas City, MO— The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art announced today the Lockton
Family Foundation has generously donated $1 million in honor of the late John T. Lockton
III. The modern and contemporary gallery known as the Project Space in the new Bloch
building, opening in spring 2007, will be named the John T. Lockton III Modern &
Contemporary Gallery. This gallery is dedicated to the presentation of cutting edge and
internationally recognized contemporary art.
Known as Jack to colleagues and friends, Lockton served as founder and chairman emeritus
of Lockton Companies, the largest independently owned retail insurance broker in the
country, founded by his parents in 1966. Native to Kansas City, Lockton was dedicated
throughout his life to giving back to the community, a tradition the foundation continues
today.
The Lockton Family Foundation’s support of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art will be
matched by the Museum Trustees Henry Bloch, Don Hall and Estelle Sosland, providing in
total a $2 million gift for the institution’s operating endowment.
“Jack believed in institutions that enrich individuals by supporting and inspiring them to
improve their own lives and the lives of others,” said Cheryl Slusher Lockton, wife of John
T. Lockton III. “The Nelson-Atkins is source of cultural inspiration for all of us and the
vitality of the Project Space reflects Jack’s entrepreneurial spirit for pushing boundaries.”
Lockton’s dedication to community service and philanthropy was demonstrated throughout
his life through membership and leadership on the Board of Trustees of the Kansas City
Museum, the University of Missouri—Kansas City, and the Midwest Research Institute, as
well as the Board of Directors of the Kansas City Crime Commission and Executive
Committees of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and the Chamber of Commerce of
Greater Kansas City.
During his career Lockton was honored with many top local and national awards including,
the 2003 Corporate Citizenship Award from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars, the Outstanding Directors Award from the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial
Achievement in 2000, the Distinguished Citizens Award 2000 Heart of American Council
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Boy Scouts of America, Regional Entrepreneur of the Year— Henry W. Bloch School of
Business and Public Administration in 1996, the Insurance Industry Leader of the Year in
1995 and the Service Industry Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1992.
Lockton and Lockton Companies have been long supporters of the Museum as members of
the Society of Fellows and Business Council respectively. Exhibition plans for the Project
Space will be announced in mid-2006.
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The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Campus Transformation Project currently under way at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of
Art encompasses the addition of the new 165,000-square-foot Bloch Building by Steven
Holl, the renovation of the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building, the reinstallation of its
encyclopedic collection, and the expansion of the Museum’s renowned Sculpture Park. The
project, which includes major endowment initiatives, will increase Museum space by 71
percent, providing new galleries, expanded educational facilities and Museum-support
spaces. The expanded resources of the Museum will ensure that the institution continues to
attract and engage the next generation of audiences, and is equipped to present and interpret
the art of the past, present and future.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art of Kansas City is recognized nationally and
internationally as one of America’s finest encyclopedic art museums. The Nelson-Atkins
serves the community by providing access and insight into its renowned collection of more
than 34,500 art objects and is best know for its Asian art, European paintings and modern
sculpture. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is
a key educational resource for the region and a national model for arts education. The
Nelson-Atkins’ expansion is also leading a field of new investments in local cultural
infrastructure that is becoming known as Kansas City’s “$6 Billion Renaissance.”
The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45th and Oak streets, Kansas City, Mo. Hours are Tuesday
through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection is free to
everyone. For Museum information, phone 816.751.1ART or visit its website at
www.nelson-atkins.org.