Now Showing: Historic Tivoli Cinemas reopens at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Less than a year after closing its doors in Westport, the historic Tivoli Cinemas is reopening in a more recognizable location –– the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on Oct. 21. 

The Tivoli was one of a handful of local independent theaters to show history, art and documentary films. It operated for nearly four decades, but closed in April for financial reasons.

The Tivoli at the Nelson will hold a special showing of the film, “The General,” in the 1933 Atkins Auditorium — primarily for donors, with a limited number of public tickets available.

However, just two days later, the theater will launch to the public, showing a variety of independent, foreign and artistic films, according to the Nelson website.  

Upon hearing the news of the Tivoli closing, Director of the Museum and East parent, Julian Zugazagoitia, called Tivoli owner Jerry Harrington to find a way for the theater to continue showing unique films in the community. He pondered on the idea of the theater possibly becoming a part of the Nelson. 

“When he announced that he was closing, I was traveling and I called him saying ‘Don’t talk to anyone about anything,’” Zugazagoitia said. “I wanted him to wait until we talked and worked something out together.”

According to Zugazagoitia, Harrington was thrilled to partner with the Nelson and jumped on the offer to re-open at the Nelson. With the opening of the theater, Harrington will serve as film curator at the museum, where he will choose which films are shown.

Zugazagoitia felt that bringing the theater to the Nelson was an opportunity to show off another important art form. The Nelson has explored paintings, writings, sculpture work and even music, but never film.  

The museum focuses on displaying historical art forms from all across the world, and so did the Tivoli through its films before closing, according to Zugazagoitia. Although the two institutions focused on different mediums previously, their commonalities made their partnership a great fit. 

“We felt when the theater closed that a venue for high quality art films had disappeared,” Zugazagoitia said. “As a house of the muses, film being one of the muses, we thought we had to give [Tivoli] a new home. People love [Harrington’s] programs and the Nelson so it was a great opportunity to bring two brands together.”

As manager of strategic initiative for the Nelson, Casey Slaps is leading the initiative alongside Zugazagoitia. The humanity and artistic importance of film was one of the areas the Nelson needed to explore, according to Slaps. 

“We are, as the Nelson-Atkins, the key holders and the stewards of the greatest examples of creativity in human history,” Slaps said. “Our mission is to showcase what humanity is able to do. In that vein, film is one of those art forms that very much speaks to our mission and our outlook on what we should be doing to serve the community.”

According to Slaps, independent film houses are struggling to keep up financially. With the loss of Tivoli and the Cinemark on the Plaza, she believes that midtown Kansas City is going through a shortfall, so “it just made sense” to find the film house a new home. 

“You cannot do without having independent movies, foreign films, documentaries or old movies being restored because people need to get the whole expanse of what movie making is and has been,” Zugazagoitia said. “The museum, that is what we are, we give you access to history and culture, so in that sense [the Nelson and Tivoli] are very much aligned.”

Senior Margaret Veglahn recalls enjoying her experience at the Tivoli theatre when it was located in Westport and is excited to explore another art form in the Nelson. 

“It is definitely a different atmosphere than a normal movie theater, and I think moving it to the Nelson is a really cool idea,” Veglahn said. “The Nelson has been developing so much that I think [film] has been a hole that people have noticed. Film was something that makes a lot of sense to fit there.”