E-mail: info@wichitaartmuseum.org

Museum Hours:

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 the largest art museum 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 Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Horace Pippin, Edward Hopper and Charles M. Russell are among the nearly 7,000 works in the permanent collection. Additionally, an important and expanding 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 mission of the Wichita Art Museum is to collect, preserve and promote American art and to engage the public in America’s artistic heritage.

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 Ceilingprovides 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.

The Secrecy Series: Selected Works
June13 - October 10

This exhibition has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The “In Plane View” exhibit was made possible with generous in-kind donations from Epson USA Inc., The National Museum of the Marine Corps, Smithsonian Affiliations, Bogen Imaging Inc. and a grant from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. Local support provided by Sedgwick County, KS.


This exhibition has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The “In Plane View” exhibit was made possible with generous in-kind donations from Epson USA Inc., The National Museum of the Marine Corps, Smithsonian Affiliations, Bogen Imaging Inc. and a grant from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. Local support provided by Sedgwick County, KS.


Mrs. Murdock and Friends: Elizabeth Navas and the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum
November 1, 2009 – October 3, 2010,
Louise Caldwell Murdock Gallery and the Elizabeth S. Navas Gallery.

• The Wichita Art Museum began with the Roland P. Murdock collection. In 1959 community support grew to continue the development of the Museum. The Museum’s support group, Friends of the Wichita Art Museum, is celebrating a 50-year anniversary. The Murdock Gallery will contain selections from the Murdock Collection, and the Navas Gallery will showcase a selection of art donated from Wichita Art Museum Members and Friends of the Wichita Art Museum.
  
  

Our Community Favorites
November 29, 2009, through the end of November 2010
DeVore Gallery.

• For the exhibition Our Community Favorites, the Wichita Art Museum gave people in the community a chance to vote for their favorite works of art in the Museum’s Collection. Twenty-nine top favorites were selected, which are being displayed on a rotating basis. Some of these works include Conference at Nighby Edward Hopper, The Blind Botanist by Ben Shahn and Metropolitan Area Triptych by Yvonne Jacquette.