Elizabeth Darr, a docent at both the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum, admits she only took one course in art history in college — and it was only the second half of a yearlong survey course. Although her university studies may have been limited, she has since completed a rigorous training course to become a docent. Darr moved to Kansas City in 1997 to work as an ob-gyn; after five years, she found another practice in central Massachusetts.

With the restoration of another iconic fountain underway, Kansas City is burnishing its reputation as a city that cares about public art, cultural diversity and its “City of Fountains” bragging rights. The “Spirit of Freedom Fountain,” located at Cleveland Avenue and Brush Creek Boulevard on the city’s historically neglected East Side, was taken down for a long-needed fix-up after a removal ceremony on Dec. 8.