181 Works Significantly Broaden Museum’s Holdings

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has welcomed more than 180 works into its collection from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts. Ralph Tracy “Ted” Coe was a curator of paintings and sculpture at the Nelson-Atkins before becoming the museum’s director in 1977. After leaving the museum in 1982, Coe, an avid collector who had wide-ranging tastes in art, continued collecting and exhibiting works from worldwide Indigenous cultures. His lifelong efforts coalesced into the establishment of his center for the arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which housed 2,500 objects he collected.

“This incredibly generous gift is significant on many levels,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins. “The addition of works of art from the Coe Collection celebrates the passion and legacy of Ted Coe by enriching the collections at the museum he served for nearly a quarter of a century.  It builds on his legacy as an art historian and leader who helped make the museum a vibrant force during our first century as we look to our next 100 years.”

Recently, the Coe Center made the decision to restructure. This restructuring involves a rehoming program that seeks to return its collection of Indigenous artworks to relevant communities and institutions that have demonstrated the willingness and ability to preserve and appreciate these culturally significant pieces.

“While a curator and director at the Nelson-Atkins, Ted Coe inspired a generation of art lovers, including Marion and Henry Bloch, who built the important collection of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art that was a transformative gift to the museum in 2015,” said William Keyse Rudolph, Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs, Chief Curator and Head, Architecture, Design, and Decorative Arts. “He also organized ground-breaking shows, such as Sacred Circles: 2000 Years of North American Indian Art, a major presentation of Native American Art in 1977. That legacy continues with the gift of works from his own collections, which complement and extend the museum’s African, Asian, Native American, and Oceanic holdings.”

The Nelson-Atkins is one of 40 entities selected to receive objects from the Coe Center. The museum will accession 181 works total, including 72 Native American, 54 South and Southeast Asian, 28 African, 14 Oceanic, and 13 East Asian objects.

“To my family and the Coe Center, this moment means more than words can convey,” said Rachel de W. Wixom, President, Executive Director of the Coe Center. “It feels profoundly right that these works will now live at the Nelson-Atkins, a museum that meant so much to my uncle Ted (Ralph T. Coe), and to which he gave so much of his passion and vision. This gift not only continues his lifelong dedication to Indigenous art, but also carries forward the intent of the Coe Center’s Rehoming Program—ensuring that these works will be cared for, celebrated, and shared into the future.”

Four Nelson-Atkins curators spoke to the Committee on Collections before the vote to accept the works.

“Ted’s passion for Native American art was one that respectfully engaged and was welcomed by the innermost circles of Native artists and tribal communities,” said Tahnee Ahtone, Curator, Native American Art. “I extend my sincere gratitude to Rachel Wixom and the Coe Center for the gift of the rehoming program. This makes it special to bring the Coe collection back to Kansas City, where everyone can learn and celebrate Native American artistic traditions, just as Ted did.” 

“I have been inspired by Ted Coe’s lasting legacy in Kansas City and the impact he had on the Nelson-Atkins and its collection,” said Rachel Kabukala, Associate Curator, African Art. “Just as his passion for art was wide-ranging, so too are the 22 African objects included in this gift. These artworks increase the representation of artists from across Africa and expand the narratives from the continent that we are able to share with visitors.”

“We appreciate Ted Coe’s collection of Yao and Ainu indigenous artworks,” said Ling-en Lu, Curator, Chinese Art. “Especially since these are the first premodern objects of their kind that have entered our classic collection of Chinese and Japanese art.”

“This gift nearly doubles the number of works of art from Southeast Asia in the museum.” said Kimberly Masteller, South & Southeastern Art Curator. “These objects will enable us to foreground Indigenous artists and their traditions, to tell new stories, and to make connections across cultures and geographies.”

Coe had a lifelong engagement with the arts. His father, a trustee of the Cleveland Museum of Art, and his sister, a researcher at that institution, cultivated his early interest in the field. Coe studied art history, earning degrees from Oberlin College and Yale University. He continued his training at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and briefly worked at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. before being appointed curator at the Nelson-Atkins in 1959.

Coe expanded the Nelson-Atkins collection through strategic purchases, important gifts, and creating a dynamic community of collectors. During his tenure as curator and director, membership in Friends of Art expanded from 1,573 in 1960 to 2,992 members in 1968. A decade later, that number grew to 6,840. Coe also inspired a group of new patrons who now number among the city’s most celebrated art collectors.  This gift will ensure Coe’s legacy at the Nelson-Atkins for generations to come.

Photo Courtesy of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.