Wichita’s Many Arts Venues Attract Residents, Visitors
Published Aug 17, 2009
The Wichita Art Museum is located in the heart of the Museums on the River area.
It doesn’t take much effort to expose yourself to art in Wichita.
From traditional to contemporary‚ museums and galleries showcase a wide variety of paintings‚ sculpture‚ drawings and photography.
The city has long been home to important works of art – the Wichita Art Museum dates to 1915 – but over the past decade‚ community leaders and residents have turned their attention to promoting the visual arts.
This interest has fueled an ever-more vibrant arts scene in Wichita‚ with museums and galleries collaborating to bring in more visitors.
“We do all cooperate‚ and we do all work together because we all have the same goal‚” says Teresa Veazey‚ publicity and outreach coordinator for the Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University. “We want people to visit our places‚ and we want them to see great art.”
And visit they do.
The Ulrich Museum‚ which features contemporary art‚ draws a wide-ranging audience‚ Veazey says.
“We definitely have students and faculty‚ we have a number of people just from the Wichita area who come to see the exhibitions and attend our events‚ and then we have a number of visitors from outside the city – sometimes even outside Kansas. We’ve had international visitors as well.”
The focus at the Ulrich‚ Veazey says‚ is on “what is new‚ what is different‚ what is sometimes unusual.” The museum brings in artists from around the country of national and international reputation.
“I think our role is to show people ‘Here is what is new in the art world today. Here is what’s going on in contemporary art‚’ ” she says.
The same can be said for the Wichita Art Museum‚ says Director Charles K. Steiner. From schoolchildren to senior citizens‚ the museum is a popular place. “We also take steps to encourage the diverse parts of our community to use the museum as well.”
Diversity is built into the museum’s collection‚ Steiner says. Its founders “were very keen on the fact that American art shouldn’t be defined by white male artists. They made sure the artists in the collection reflected the diversity of the community.”
The Wichita Art Museum’s collection includes the works of many major American artists‚ including Mary Cassatt‚ William Merritt Chase‚ John Steuart Curry‚ Edward Hopper‚ Georgia O’Keeffe and Charles M. Russell.
In fact‚ the museum’s collection is recognized outside Wichita as important to the general understanding of art history‚ Steiner says.
“We frequently get requests to borrow works from the collection‚ and they travel all around the world‚” he adds.
Wichita also is home to the Wichita Center for the Arts. This visual and performing arts center features a gallery‚ school and theater. And the CityArts center‚ a part of the city of Wichita’s Division of Arts and Cultural Services‚ offers classes and exhibitions. Numerous independent galleries round out the Wichita arts scene.
Artists and art lovers celebrate on a regular basis with a monthly gallery walk dubbed Final Fridays. On the last Friday of the month‚ galleries keep their doors open late‚ inviting visitors to enjoy art‚ refreshments and live music.
Story by Sue Lenthe
Photo by Antony Boshier
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