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Wichita Art Museum

Wichita Art Museum
Wichita, KS


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Exhibition: Power to the People: Mexican Prints from the Great War to the Cold War
Through 12/31/2022 (more information)
Jean Charlot
Tortillera with Child (Rest and Work), 1941
Color lithograph,
12 1/2 x 18 1/2 inches
Collection of James and Virginia Moffett,
Kansas City
, . .
Exhibition: Alfred Maurer: Works on Paper from the Weisman Art Museum Collection
10/15/2022-01/22/2023 (more information)
Edward Hopper
Adam’s House, 1928
Watercolor and charcoal on paper,
16 x 25 inches
Wichita Art Museum, Roland P. Murdock Collection
From Blue, 1972
Exhibition: Kaleidoscope
Through 03/05/2023 (more information)
Richard Anuszkiewicz
From Blue, 1972
Acrylic on canvas, 48 1/4 x 48 1/4 inches
Wichita Art Museum, Museum purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Slawson Fund through the National Endowment for the Arts Museum Purchase Plan

Wichita Art Museum
1400 West Museum Boulevard
Wichita, Kansas 67203-3296
Map

E-mail: info@wichitaartmuseum.org

Exhibition Information page 2

Museum Hours:
Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays
Museum Café Hours:
Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Mondays

Admission:
Adults - $7
Seniors (60+) - $5
Students with ID and Youth (ages 5-17) - $3
Children 5 and under – Free
Saturday – Free Admission
Members – Free Admission
No admission charged to student groups on pre-arranged tours, and no admission charge to visit the Museum Café, Museum Store or Library.

Driving Directions to the Museum:

  • From the north:
    *South on I-135
    * Exit on 2nd street
    * Turn west (right) on 2nd
    * Follow 2nd, which turns into Central for approximately 2.3 miles
    * Turn right at next stoplight onto West Museum Boulevard
    * Park in designated parking

  • From the south:
    * North on I-135
    * Exit on 2nd street
    * Turn west (left) on 2nd
    * Follow 2nd, which turns into Central for approximately 2.3 miles
    * Turn right at next stoplight onto West Museum Boulevard
    * Park in designated parking

  • From the east:
    * West on Hwy. 54
    * Exit on Seneca
    * Turn north (right) on Seneca
    * Follow Seneca for approximately 1.5 miles
    * Turn left on West Museum Boulevard
    * Park in designated parking

  • From the west:
    * East on Hwy. 54
    * Exit on Seneca
    * Turn north (left) on Seneca
    * Follow Seneca for approximately 1.5 miles
    * Turn left on West Museum Boulevard
    * Park in designated parking

About the Museum:
As one of the largest art museums in the state of Kansas, the Wichita Art Museum houses one of the country's finest collections of American art, spanning three centuries of painting, sculpture, works on paper and decorative arts. Masterpieces by Edward Hopper, Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, and Charles M. Russell are among the nearly 7,000 works in the permanent collection. Additionally, an important and expanding Steuben glass collection is a significant component to the overall collection. The Museum features a family-friendly interactive area called The Living Room where visitors can create their own works of art, and a unique Museum Store featuring one-of-a-kind jewelry and a selection of children's gifts and work by area artists.

Mission Statement:
The Wichita Art Museum brings people, ideas, and American art together to enrich lives and build community.

Museum History:
The history of the Wichita Art Museum began with the bequest of Louise Caldwell Murdock and the subsequent establishment of the Roland P. Murdock Collection. Mrs. Murdock’s Will, written in 1915, specified that the income from her estate, following the death of her closest relatives, should be used for the purchase of art for the City of Wichita—a collection to be known as the Roland P. Murdock Collection in memory of her husband.

When the Museum opened its doors in 1935, the art that area residents anxiously lined up to see was borrowed from other Museums. It was in 1939 that the first painting in the Roland P. Murdock Collection was purchased and displayed. Mrs. Murdock’s friend and business associate, Mrs. Elizabeth Stubblefield Navas, continued selecting works of American art for the Murdock Collection until the final one was purchased in 1962.

As the Museum grew, so did community interest and support. In 1960, the Wichita Art Museum Members, Inc., was established. Through this non-profit membership organization, interested citizens could contribute funds and service toward the development of new programs. The City approved funds for the construction of additions to the original building to provide space for storage, expanded exhibition programs, educational programs and membership activities. Thus, in 1963, two wings, a lobby and a new façade were added to the original building. The newly acquired space stimulated more individual gifts, and, in 1964, the Wichita Art Museum Members Foundation, Inc., was established for the specific purpose of raising funds for acquisitions.

In the 1970s, the City Commission voted to construct a totally new facility in order to update the building’s temperature control system and provide enough gallery space to feature a comprehensive exhibition of current holdings. Designed by the internationally renowned Edward Larrabee Barnes, the exterior of the Barnes building, which is still standing today, features a sculpture deck on the riverfront side. From this sculpture deck, one can look out upon the park and the city skyline.

At the start of the new millennium, the City joined forces with the community to complete a $10.5 million expansion project that added another 34,000 square feet to the Museum, bringing the total square footage to 115,000. The new addition, finished in June 2003, provided another 6,500 square feet of exhibition space, a new restaurant, gift shop, research library and much needed art services area. Also as part of the renovation, the Wichita Art Museum acquired two dramatic and large-scale works by Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly. Inspired by the intricate patterns of traditional Persian glass, the Wichita Art Museum Persian Seaform Ceiling provides a stunning first impression at the Museum’s entrance. It was the first Persian ceiling created by Chihuly that can be viewed from both above and below. Hanging in the S. Jim and Darla Farha Great Hall is the Wichita Art Museum Confetti Chandelier, also by Chihuly. Both permanent installations are examples of the Museum’s focus on the development of its collection of decorative arts.

Collection


Exhibitions

Power to the People: Mexican Prints from the Great War to the Cold War
Through December 31, 2022
(more information)

Alfred Maurer: Works on Paper from the Weisman Art Museum Collection
October 15, 2022 - January 22, 2023
(more information)

Kaleidoscope
Through March 5, 2023
(more information)

Events

Exhibition Information page 2
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