Kansas
ksapostille.Com

If you're looking for a bit of eye candy while vacationing in Kansas, you'll find yourself anything but shortchanged. The Sunflower State's visual arts are available by way of 14 art museums, hundreds of studios and galleries, and bevies of fun events like studio tours and art festivals. Kansas' art venues showcase everything from regional to international pieces, and offer artwork in almost every medium. So, visitors will find that regardless of the type of art they are interested in, Kansas is sure to provide hours of visual stimulation.

Museums by City

Kansas boasts an impressive list of fine arts museums, each with various collections featuring a diverse range of artwork. If you're an art lover, a trip to a local art museum is one outing you shouldn't miss, no matter what city you'll be staying in.

Since 1970, the Coutts Memorial Museum of Art in El Dorado has showcased pieces of fine art by such renowned artists as Renoir and Thomas Hart Benton. The museum holds over 1,000 objects of art from around the world. In addition, the artwork in its permanent collection is displayed in a way that makes you feel as though you're browsing through someone's personal home collection rather than a museum setting. The museum also houses several rotating exhibits, and holds a number of special events throughout the year.

In the city of Colby, the Prairie Museum of Art and History mixes the history of Kansas' High Plains with exhibits of artwork that represent the traditions of the Prairie lifestyle.

The Great Bend Area has two museums of visual arts. The Barton County Arts Center features changing exhibits that run for several months at a time, showing off the talents of local artists. Meanwhile, the L.E. "Gus" and Eva Schafer Memorial Art Gallery located on the Barton County Community College campus, houses a permanent collection of over 700 pieces. The collection includes the works of local artists like Eva Shafer and Charles B. Rogers exhibited alongside the works of great artists like Matisse and Picasso.

Also located on a college campus (The University of Kansas in Lawrence, to be exact) is the Lawrence Museum of Art. The permanent collection here includes a remarkable assemblage of ethnographic artifacts, as well as Asian, American and European artwork.

In Lindsborg, art lovers will find an entire museum dedicated to the artwork of one man, Birger Sandzén. The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery has 10 exhibit areas and houses the largest collection of Sandzén's watercolors, paintings, drawings, and prints in the world. The gallery also features pieces by John Bashor, John Stuart Curry, Marsden Hartley, Raymond Jonson, Carl Milles, B.J.O. Nordfelt, Henry Varnum Poor, Lester Raymer, and Doel Reed.

The city of Logan's Dane G. Hansen Memorial Museum opened in 1973 as a dedication to the Hansen family, who were contributing members of the community for many years. The museum's collection is a vast accumulation of paintings that represent Western and prairie life. Alongside the permanent exhibits, the museum has an Artist of the Month program (artists are typically regional), and welcomes several traveling exhibits each year.

In Manhattan, the Beach Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums, and thus holds a high standard for any artwork that it exhibits. The primary collection holds almost 5,000 pieces of artwork, showcasing historic and contemporary art by local, national, and international artists of significance.

The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park is Kansas' premier contemporary art museum. The museum houses abstract pieces, work considered "avant garde," and both modern and post-modern works. The permanent collection includes contemporary works in sculpting, painting, clay, and new media contributed by the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation. Additionally, guided tours are available by appointment for groups of five to 50 people.

If you find that visiting art museums gives you the urge to create art of your own, the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka is the place for you. In addition to a permanent collection that is culturally diverse and inspiring, the museum also features the ArtLab, a place where visitors can get their hands dirty. The ArtLab is a hands-on activity center that encourages people of all ages to create artwork in addition to viewing it.

Wichita has not one, not two, but three fabulous art museums available to visitors. The Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University houses a nationally renowned collection of modern and contemporary art. The Ulrich Museum also holds one of the nation's top 10 sculpture collections, and offers a number of events such as lectures, discussions, films, performances, and concerts. On top of all of that, there's no charge for admission. Nearby, the Wichita Art Museum has a permanent collection of nearly 7,000 works of art that include pieces of regional, national, and international importance. Also in Wichita is the Kansas African American Museum, which is dedicated to the preservation of visual arts and other documents and artifacts representing African American history and culture.

Galleries and Studios

If you want the opportunity to view beautiful artwork with the option of purchasing a piece, visiting a local art gallery or artist's studio might be more your style. Galleries such as the Boyer Gallery in Belleville showcase animated sculptures by Paul Boyer, while others like the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library offer a variety of different artists, art forms, and styles.

Studios, on the other hand, offer patrons a chance to view and purchase art in the place where it was created. The Fisch Haus Studio in Wichita, for example, is a three-story warehouse that has living, working, and gallery space that accommodates five artists at a time. There are a wealth of galleries and studios across the state of Kansas, so check your local listings for openings and events.

Studio Tours and Art Walks

Several cities in Kansas have art events called "Studio Tours" or "Art Walks." During these events, visitors are given maps of art studios, centers, or galleries in the area that are open to viewers during the event (that often time otherwise closed to the public). During the tours, visitors can meet artists, see where and how they create their art, and even purchase pieces. The following is a list of Studio Tours and Art Walks available to Kansas' visitors:

Lawrence Art Walk (Lawrence)

Douglas County Open Studios (Lawrence and surrounding areas)

First Friday's Art Walk (Kansas City)

Follow The Dotte (Kansas City)

Smoky Valley Artist Studio Open House (Lindsborg)

Make sure to check your local listings to see if any of these events will be taking place in the area you are visiting.

Fairs, Festivals, and More

Art in Kansas is more than museums and galleries. There are many fun events that promote local arts communities, at which attendees can get to know regional artists, play games, eat great food, enjoy the outdoors, and even make a purchase or two. Check your local listings for events, but in the meantime here are a few to look into:

Spirit of Kansas Art Fair and Fun Day (Wilson Lake)

Nature of Art – Streamway Fun Day (Merriam)

Hidden Glen Arts Festival (Cedar Creek)

Lawrence Art Auction (Lawrence)

Mulvane Mountain/Plains Art Fair (Topeka)

The art-minded vacationers of Kansas will undoubtedly find a host of art available for viewing at one of the state's fantastic museums, galleries, or studios across the Sunflower State. Whether you choose to walk a studio tour or spend the day at a festival, you'll find that the Kansas art scene is a sight to be seen.

Tags:  museum kansas collection artwork artists events local museums pieces studio