A Fine-Scale Fundraiser with William R. Robertson
Join The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures for an exclusive evening with William R. Robertson, a Kansas City-based fine-scale miniature artist and one of the field’s most influential living makers. This special event serves as a fundraiser for an upcoming fifty-year retrospective of Robertson’s work in the Museum’s East Gallery.
Enjoy wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres while marveling at Robertson’s miniature masterpieces and getting an inside look at his studio space. RSVP by signing up below or calling Jill Grotzinger at 816.235.8006. Don’t wait—space is limited!
When
Friday, November 6, 2026 / 6:00–8:00PM
Where
26 E 53rd Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
About the Artist
William R. Robertson was born in 1956 in Ohio. In 1962, his parents moved the family to Washington, D.C., because they felt there was a much bigger world out there than what they would experience in the Midwest. Being in the crowd to witness JFK’s funeral and the tumultuous times of the 1960s and 70s helped to expand Robertson’s worldview. Saturdays spent roaming the exhibits of the Smithsonian (and later the back offices) piqued his curiosity and sparked his love of obscure objects and museums. Indeed, Washington was the perfect place to nurture a lifelong interest in history and art.
As a child, Robertson was fascinated by the models in the Smithsonian and was constantly building replicas of the things that fascinated him. He grew up in a “craft culture”, a time when kids built their own toys. A photo taken on his 11th birthday shows a wall of hand-built car, ship, and airplane models. As he grew, he began taking things apart to see how they worked and discovered a high degree of mechanical talent. Getting his first car at 16, he taught himself how to work on it. Within years, he was completely rebuilding and restoring cars. At 21, he discovered the decorative arts world of miniatures, which brought together all of his interests; those of small size, the challenge of making functional and complex items, tools, history, and research. With the completion of his first miniature recreation, his reputation for attention to detail and excellence was recognized, and Robertson decided to make miniatures his profession.
For the past 43 years, William R. Robertson has worked as a full-time craft artist and educator in this field. The subject matter Robertson finds the most interesting are decorative art pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries of American, English, and French origins. His work can be found in many public and private collections around the world. He has been featured in countless books, magazines and television worldwide. Some of the characteristics of his work are the use of mixed materials such as woods, metals, shagreen, and bone, rendered in microscopically perfect details with functioning mechanisms such as working locks.
Robertson’s expertise has also made him uniquely qualified to help design spaces in which miniatures are displayed. In this capacity, he has worked as a consultant for The Smithsonian as well as a guest curator for exhibitions at The National Geographic Society. He has also designed four miniature museum interiors, including The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Missouri and The KSB Collection in Maysville, Kentucky.
Robertson considers his most valuable education that of observation. Robertson constantly strives to improve upon what he has created by doing extensive amounts of research, often traveling to museums and libraries in Europe for the opportunity to spend time behind the scenes examining the pieces he hopes to recreate along with original source designs and writings of the time. His techniques combine ancient shop practices and period tools as well as his own unique techniques required for the precision and craftsmanship demanded by doing work in miniature.
He feels very lucky to have been able to pursue his lifelong interest all these years and often feels he is just getting started. Always eager to move on to his next project, Robertson rarely repeats the same thing twice. When asked to reflect on what his favorite piece is, his answer is usually “the next one.”
Photos courtesy of robertsonminiatures.com / Louis XV Microscope, 1999, William R. Robertson, American / Tilt-Top Game Table, 1981-1987, William R. Robertson (base and tabletop) and Esther Robertson (needlepoint) / Chester County Spice Box, 2000, William R. Robertson, American / Mousetrap, 1979, William R. Robertson, American / “Architect’s Classroom circa 1900,” 1988-1993, William R. Robertson, American
Join The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures for an exclusive evening with William R. Robertson, a Kansas City-based fine-scale miniature artist and one of the field’s most influential living makers. This special event serves as a fundraiser for an upcoming fifty-year retrospective of Robertson’s work in the Museum’s East Gallery.
Enjoy wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres while marveling at Robertson’s miniature masterpieces and getting an inside look at his studio space. RSVP by signing up below or calling Jill Grotzinger at 816.235.8006. Don’t wait—space is limited!
When
Friday, November 6, 2026 / 6:00–8:00PM
Where
26 E 53rd Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
About the Artist
William R. Robertson was born in 1956 in Ohio. In 1962, his parents moved the family to Washington, D.C., because they felt there was a much bigger world out there than what they would experience in the Midwest. Being in the crowd to witness JFK’s funeral and the tumultuous times of the 1960s and 70s helped to expand Robertson’s worldview. Saturdays spent roaming the exhibits of the Smithsonian (and later the back offices) piqued his curiosity and sparked his love of obscure objects and museums. Indeed, Washington was the perfect place to nurture a lifelong interest in history and art.
As a child, Robertson was fascinated by the models in the Smithsonian and was constantly building replicas of the things that fascinated him. He grew up in a “craft culture”, a time when kids built their own toys. A photo taken on his 11th birthday shows a wall of hand-built car, ship, and airplane models. As he grew, he began taking things apart to see how they worked and discovered a high degree of mechanical talent. Getting his first car at 16, he taught himself how to work on it. Within years, he was completely rebuilding and restoring cars. At 21, he discovered the decorative arts world of miniatures, which brought together all of his interests; those of small size, the challenge of making functional and complex items, tools, history, and research. With the completion of his first miniature recreation, his reputation for attention to detail and excellence was recognized, and Robertson decided to make miniatures his profession.
For the past 43 years, William R. Robertson has worked as a full-time craft artist and educator in this field. The subject matter Robertson finds the most interesting are decorative art pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries of American, English, and French origins. His work can be found in many public and private collections around the world. He has been featured in countless books, magazines and television worldwide. Some of the characteristics of his work are the use of mixed materials such as woods, metals, shagreen, and bone, rendered in microscopically perfect details with functioning mechanisms such as working locks.
Robertson’s expertise has also made him uniquely qualified to help design spaces in which miniatures are displayed. In this capacity, he has worked as a consultant for The Smithsonian as well as a guest curator for exhibitions at The National Geographic Society. He has also designed four miniature museum interiors, including The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Missouri and The KSB Collection in Maysville, Kentucky.
Robertson considers his most valuable education that of observation. Robertson constantly strives to improve upon what he has created by doing extensive amounts of research, often traveling to museums and libraries in Europe for the opportunity to spend time behind the scenes examining the pieces he hopes to recreate along with original source designs and writings of the time. His techniques combine ancient shop practices and period tools as well as his own unique techniques required for the precision and craftsmanship demanded by doing work in miniature.
He feels very lucky to have been able to pursue his lifelong interest all these years and often feels he is just getting started. Always eager to move on to his next project, Robertson rarely repeats the same thing twice. When asked to reflect on what his favorite piece is, his answer is usually “the next one.”
Photos courtesy of robertsonminiatures.com / Louis XV Microscope, 1999, William R. Robertson, American / Tilt-Top Game Table, 1981-1987, William R. Robertson (base and tabletop) and Esther Robertson (needlepoint) / Chester County Spice Box, 2000, William R. Robertson, American / Mousetrap, 1979, William R. Robertson, American / “Architect’s Classroom circa 1900,” 1988-1993, William R. Robertson, American
Date
- Nov 06 2026
Time
- 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Labels
- Event
Location
- 26 E 53rd Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
Category
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