Wichita Art Museum

05/09/2020

Painter David Gilmore Blythe, born #OnThisDay in 1815 in East Liverpool, Ohio, was a self-taught portraitist and published poet.

Although he worked as an apprentice woodcarver in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Blythe received no formal artistic training. After a stint in the U.S. Navy, he returned to Ohio and established himself as an itinerant portrait painter. Always restless, he traveled widely from Baltimore, Maryland to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After a failed attempt at a panorama—an early precursor to motion pictures where a large canvas was mounted on rollers and each scene displayed to the audience with narration—Blythe returned to Pittsburgh, where he established a studio he called "the rat's nest" and concentrated on paintings of social and political issues.

Pictured: David Gilmore Blythe, "The Doctor’s Night Caller" (detail), about 1850. Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 inches. Wichita Art Museum, Gift of Mr. Frank D. Stevens

05/08/2020

Preston Singletary Glass

Preston Singletary Glass

"My great grandmother, who was full-blooded Tlingit, shared a lot of information about where we came from and lots of stories. For me it gives me a tremendous sense of purpose, taking this new material and trying to represent my cultural art."

Take a look at Singletary's inspiration behind the traveling exhibition "Raven and the Box of Daylight", currently at the Wichita Art Museum and then headed to the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian in Washington DC. in October.

Although the Wichita Art Museum is temporarily closed, you can still check out their #MuseumFromHome offerings of videos, activities and more!

05/06/2020

ICYMI: Choose Wichita created a list of 22 to in #Wichita while most of us are still staying at home. Check out No. 7, the Wichita Art Museum!

Sometimes, you just need to take a break and watch a live video of flamingos and hippos at the zoo. Find a list of 21 more social distancing activities in Wichita at www.choosewichita.com/news/duringcovid. #RelentlesslyOriginal

05/04/2020

Let’s get to 100! We have 80 & need 20 more #YouTubeSubscribers to be eligible for a custom YouTube URL. Did you miss Gloria Groom from The Art Institute of Chicago when she was here discussing #Paris fashion? Find her illustrated talk & others on our channel: bit.ly/youtubewam

05/03/2020

Check out today’s Wichita Eagle article by Dining With Denise on WAM’s #MuseumFromHome challenge!

05/01/2020

Wichita Eagle

Thanks to Dining With Denise for her article on kansas.com today (and this Sunday's Arts & Culture section in the Wichita Eagle) about WAM's #MuseumFromHome challenge. Can you recreate works of art from things you find around the house?

Shut up and shut out of museums, Wichita art lovers and students recreate famous pieces of art using things they can find at home.

04/29/2020

One of the first American artists to embrace abstraction, Charles Green Shaw - Abstract American Artist was born #onthisday in 1892 in New York City. Shaw began painting in his late 30s, before which he had enjoyed a career as a freelance writer for The New Yorker, The Smart Set, and Vanity Fair. He was also a published poet and novelist.

He studied under Thomas Hart Benton (Thomas Hart Benton Home & Studio State Historic Site) and George Luks. Traveling to Paris in the 1930s, he was particularly influenced by Paul Cezanne and Pablo Picasso. Returning to the United States, he began a series titled Plastic Polygon, drawn from the architectural forms of the New York City skyline and often painted on shaped canvases that echo the silhouette of the skyscrapers.

Image: Charles Green Shaw, "February 4th," 1961. Oil on canvas., 40 ¼ x 57 ¼ inches. Wichita Art Museum, Gift of Georgette Passedoit

04/25/2020

American artist Toots Zynsky creates beautiful, luminous glass vessels like the one pictured in WAM's collection using a unique glass thread technique, “filet de verre.” The artist helped invent a special machine that produces the threads, which are a signature of her pieces.

Born #onthisday in 1951 in Boston, Massachusetts, she studied at the Rhode Island School of Design. After receiving her BFA, she moved to Seattle to work at the Pilchuck Glass School under Chihuly Studio.

#museumfromhome
#tootszynsky

Image: Toots Zynsky, "Vellutino," 2008. Fused and thermo-formed glass, 12 X 12 3/8 x 8 1/2 inches. Wichita Art Museum, Museum purchase, F. Price Cossman Memorial Trust, INTRUST Bank, Trustee

04/21/2020

The #MuseumFromHome challenge continues! Can you recreate a work of art from WAM's collection while you #StayAtHome?

WAM docent Jim Farley shared his version of "American Farmer" by Carl Wuermer.

Which artwork will you choose?
wichitaartmuseum.org/collection
Make sure you tag WAM in your post!
@wichitaartmuseum
#wichitaartmuseum

04/19/2020

Out of O'Keeffe's Closet: Clothes, Fashion, and Dressing Modern with Wanda Corn

Painter Georgia O'Keeffe's clothing style became an intimate part of her artistic identity. She dressed like she painted, putting high value on abstraction and simplicity. Learn more from Dr. Wanda Corn, who has researched the apparel of modern artists and explores how they redefined themselves and their art.

Dr. Wanda M. Corn, Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor in Art History, Emerita, Stanford University, explores artist Georgia O'Keeffe's use of dress to join b...

04/16/2020

Outdoor Activities to Enjoy While Social Distancing

Thank you Visit Wichita for including WAM's Art Garden as one of the city's many outdoor spaces people can enjoy while practicing social distancing. #ICTStrong #ILoveWichita

04/09/2020

Can you recreate a work of art from our collection using whatever you can find around the house? #museumfromhome

The daughter of a WAM docent got creative with a lampshade and some Christmas decorations to replicate Walt Kuhn's "Girl in Shako."

Which artwork will you choose?
wichitaartmuseum.org/collection
Make sure you tag WAM in your post!
@wichitaartmuseum
#wichitaartmuseum

04/08/2020

Wichita Art Museum's cover photo

04/07/2020

What a great photo reproduction from our art collection!

Grecco, Michael. American, born 1958
"Jack Lemon, Portrait of (1992)"

Long, Henry. American, born 1962
"Grace Long, Portrait of (2020)"

#witchitaartmuseum #museumfromhome #stayathomechallenge

04/03/2020

Many thanks to SKT for including WAM on their list of local resources for at-home educational opportunities! Check us out: wichitaartmuseum.org/kids

Museums, Zoos, Aquariums, National Parks, and more have been sharing their exhibits via technology like YouTube, Facebook Live, and Virtual tours—all so you won’t miss out on fun and educational opportunities!
Each is just a quick Google Search away!
We wanted to share with you some of our favorites—links below!

Be sure to share some of your favorites in the comments!

Local:
Wichita Art Museum: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNj61jecHOQaSglxAbPVTGg

Sedgwick County Zoo: https://www.facebook.com/SedgwickCountyZoo/ (Virtual Visits-Weekdays at 11am and 2pm)

Botanica Wichita Gardens: https://botanica.org/virtual-tours/?fbclid=IwAR2LiiUlbPvB4Rt49HypQIa5Aaa_QTCFjfD-juupImuWC2C0IS4MZ_5rB0w

More:
The Louvre: https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne#tabs

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/hawaii-volcanoes/nahuku-lava-tube-tour

04/01/2020

Recreate a work of art from WAM's collection using whatever you can find around the house. #museumfromhome

Here are members of WAM's education team with the Raphael Soyer painting "Dancers."

Which artwork will you choose?
wichitaartmuseum.org/collection
Make sure you tag WAM in your post!
@wichitaartmuseum
#wichitaartmuseum

04/01/2020

Love Mad Libs? Try WAM Libs! Download your PDF copies here: wichitaartmuseum.org/kids

#MuseumFromHome

03/26/2020

Progress is being made! Renovations to the Living Room, with designs by @glmvarchinc & construction work by @dondlingerconst, are moving right along while WAM is closed. Photos courtesy of @andrewict
#welcome
#encourage
#inspire
#animate
#stimulate
#impact
#powerofart
#remodel @ Wichita, Kansas

03/26/2020

Thanks for sharing this, Wichita Mom!

👩‍🎨 Our friends at Wichita Art Museum are hosting Artcation from Home - and we could not love this more! ❤️

Be sure to check out wichitaartmuseum.org/kids for the full rundown!

📝 Here is the Homecation Packet:https://www.wichitaartmuseum.org/user/file/Homecation.pdf with the following themes:

🌊 The Deep Dark Sea
💡 The 5th Dimension of Imagination
🚀 Outer Space
⏳ Time Travel

We are so lucky to live in a community full of enrichment opportunities - it's so important to continue to support our museums, attractions, and local businesses! Even from home 🏡

03/25/2020

Careful but clever reminders from our art colleagues over at Wichita State University's Ulrich Museum of Art.

#MuseumFromHome
#WashYourHands
#ILoveWichita

Please take a moment to read this important message from the Ulrich Museum of Art’s outdoor sculpture collection on the Wichita State University campus. Feel free to share this widely—and please stay safe!
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#ulrichmuseum #ulrichmuseumofart #wichitastateuniversity #wichita #ict #wichitaart #ictart #contemporaryart #sculpture #sculptureart #rodin #tomotterness #tomotternesssculptures #botero #grafly #coronamemes #coronavirusmemes😂😂😂 #coronavirus #selfdistancing #selfdistancing2020 #selfdistance #washyourhands #selfisolate #randyregier #randyregierart #robertindianalove #robertindianalovesculpture #robertindiana #robertindianasculpture #martinhbushsculpturecollection

03/24/2020

Wichita Eagle

Thanks to Amy Geiszler-Jones and her Arts & Culture article in yesterday's Wichita Eagle highlighting WAM's online art collection. Have you seen our art online?

Stuck indoors? Take a virtual tour of the artwork at these two Wichita museums

03/22/2020

Thank you to our loyal WAM community.

The world has turned inside out in the past week. A sense of belonging means so much more in anxious days. We thank you—our incredible WAM community—for all the ways you connect and care about the Wichita Art Museum. We’ve honestly felt it this week, as many reached out to the museum. The support is so very appreciated.

Stay safe, remain healthy. We will be back in action and together again. It can’t come soon enough, and we will reach out virtually during this period as we weather a global crisis. We thank you for support of the Wichita Art Museum.

03/19/2020

Kids

You can still take an Artcation! Download the packet of activities from WAM's sci-fi-themed adventure: wichitaartmuseum.org/kids

#MuseumFromHome delivers art via social media to those practicing self-quarantine or social distancing. More than 500 museums are participating—highlighting special exhibitions and works from their collections. How can you connect with the Wichita Art Museum and be part of #MuseumFromHome?

03/16/2020

To minimize the transmission risk associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the City of Wichita- Government Council decided today (3/16/2020) to close a number of public facilities and to cancel City events for the next two weeks. The Wichita Art Museum, a City-owned facility, will be closed Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 27. The City will closely monitor the situation and will continue to make facility reopening adjustments as needed.

WAM has cancelled or postponed public museum events through Sunday, May 10 following yesterday's (3/15/2020) advisory from the Centers For Disease Control (CDC). The CDC recommended that for the next eight weeks, organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States.

For a complete list of upcoming WAM events and their status, go to wichitaartmuseum.org/calendar.

03/13/2020

Calendar

The Wichita Art Museum has cancelled or postponed museum events through Monday, March 30, following this morning’s (3/13/2020) news briefing from the Sedgwick County Government Health Department and Sedgwick County officials. Because the safety of museum staff and visitors is so important, this decision was made by museum staff as a preventive measure designed to reduce the spread of Coronavirus.

The museum building, which is City of Wichita- Government property, remains open to the public, including the galleries, Museum Store and The Muse Cafe.

For a complete list of WAM's March events and their status, go to wichitaartmuseum.org/calendar.

Here's what's happening at the Wichita Art Museum.

03/06/2020

Will you be doing some spring cleaning this weekend? Remember the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum are always looking for gently used books (please, no magazines or encyclopedias) for their monthly Mini Used Book Sale and for the annual Book Fair in May. Donating is easy! The Friends' book drop is located on the north side of the Wichita Art Museum's main parking lot.

02/28/2020

Wondering where to park tonight? In addition to WAM's parking lot (outlined in blue), members are encouraged to park across Museum Blvd. in the free public parking lot southeast of the museum (outlined in green). See you at Members-Only Late 'Til 8!

02/25/2020

2020 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Group 1

Do you have a minute for WAM? Or five? We need your help! bit.ly/WAMSurvey2020

2020 Annual Survey of Museum-Goers Group 1.

02/24/2020

Where Are All the Bob Ross Paintings? We Found Them.

Were you at Saturday's Family ArtVenture: A Bob Ross Festival? Several attendees asked about Bob Ross' paintings. Here is the link to The New York Times article about their location: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/arts/bob-ross-paintings-mystery.html

Bob Ross painted more than 1,000 landscapes for his television show — so why are they so hard to find? We solve one of the internet’s favorite little mysteries.

02/10/2020

Thank you! We were pleased to have the Friends University Falcon Activities and Campus Events here at WAM.

This past weekend FACE ended Cherry Carnival week with our Winter Ball 2020!! 🤩🎉 We want to thank @wichitaartmuseum for providing us with such a beautiful venue and to all the students that came out and danced the night away with us! The dance was too much fun & we can’t wait to do it again! @ Wichita Art Museum

02/06/2020

Will you be out shopping this weekend for Valentine's Day? Bring your reusable 2nd Saturday bag to the Museum Store! Hours are 11 am to 4 pm.

02/05/2020

Fabulous Finds in the Museum Store at WAM

What will you get your Valentine this year? Have you visited the Museum Store at the Wichita Art Museum lately? We have fabulous finds in all price ranges plus complimentary gift packaging. Don't know what to buy? Get your Valentine a Museum Store gift card! Open 11am-4pm Tuesday-Sunday.

02/05/2020

Job alert! We're looking for a Development Associate to support fundraising functions & donor appreciation event activities. Will work closely with museum patrons, members, vendors & volunteers. Interested? Learn more about this new position at WAM: wichitaartmuseum.org/jobs

01/30/2020

Wichita Eagle

ICYMI: Wichita Eagle correspondent Amy Geiszler-Jones got a sneak peek at WAM's new exhibition & shared it with her readers. Meet Preston Singletary Glass at Saturday night's Opening Party: Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight and learn more about his work during the Artist Talk: Preston Singletary on Sunday afternoon.

The exhibition combines glass art with video projections, sounds and storytelling.

01/25/2020

Wichita Art Museum hosting an “Ice-tacular” time Saturday

ICYMI: Yesterday's GO! section in the Wichita Eagle had a front page photo & article about today's Family ArtVenture: Ice-Tacular. The event starts in 2 hours and features 9 creative local artists and 10 blocks of ice! Free admission and activities.

This free ice carving event also includes food trucks, music by DJ Carbon, face painting and showings of “Eight Below” and “Happy Feet”