In July 1994, Shuttlecocks, the first outdoor sculpture commissioned for the Museum, was installed in the Kansas City Sculpture Park. The work by internationally known artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen is a gift to the Museum from the Sosland family. It consists of four sculptures of badminton "birdies," or shuttlecocks, each nearly 18 feet tall, placed in various positions throughout the Museum’s grounds. Key to the artists’ concept for Shuttlecocks is the idea of the Museum’s expansive green lawn as a playing field, with the building serving as a game "net." The giant shuttlecocks appear to have been swatted over the "net," landing in different positions around the grounds. These monumental "birdies" have become a landmark on the city’s cultural landscape.

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