Kansas State University

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University exhibtion is open through May 31, 2025

This exhibition features work by Indian printmakers active in the second half of the 20th century. It demonstrates that innovative arts research and cultural exchanges were taking place at K-State more than thirty years ago. Professor of Printmaking Charles Stroh (1943–2022) acquired the artwork for the university. Stroh was art department head between 1980 and 1989. He traveled to India to conduct research on the state of printmaking in 1984–1985 and returned for a second time in 1989–1990. During the second trip, Stroh delivered lectures and workshops at universities at the invitation of local artists. Several artists from India later visited K-State.

Stroh’s interest in Indian printmaking was unusual. He noted in records held by the Beach Museum of Art that during the 1980s US art institutions did not actively collect prints by Indian artists and rarely featured them in exhibitions and publications. Stroh was one of the earliest American scholars to recognize the significance of Indian printmakers and their international influence and connections. He left an unpublished manuscript for a book that would have been the first survey of contemporary Indian printmaking in English.

In 1987 Stroh organized a traveling exhibition of K-State’s Indian print collection with the university’s first professional curator, Jessica Reichman. In this 2024 exhibition guest curators Vidhita Raina and Michael Jordan Vanhartingsveldt , doctoral students in the Kress Department of Art History at the University of Kansas, take a new look at the collection. Longtime museum patron Margo Kren has provided support for their work.

The exhibition has two phases. A fall display of works investigates the artists, institutions, and printmaking networks in India when Stroh first traveled there. A spring 2025 installation looks at the global scope of Indian printmaking in the 1970s and 1980s.

Major Sponsor: Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Lincoln & Dorothy I. Deihl Community Grants Program

Experience a prairie garden right on the K-State campus and open to all! The Meadow is a landscape of prairie plants native to the Flint Hills  located just north of the Beach Museum of Art. The proximity of the Meadow to the museum provides a meaningful compliment to the museum’s regional art collections.

A view of The Meadow

Several varieties of milkweed and other species provide food and habitat for Monarchs and other pollinators. More than 30 species have been identified in the Meadow; more may be revealed as the landscape matures.

The Meadow has been used for teaching, learning, and research on: natural dye plants, mycelium and other bio-building materials, stormwater infiltration, ecosystem services, benefits of time in nature, pollinator sampling and identification, native plant identification and root physiology.

A view of The Meadow | Photo courtesy of Mary Gordon

K-State College of Architecture, Planning & Design students created cohesive seating experiences for three different spaces along the path through The Meadow. Their inventive use of concrete combined with powder coated steel (referencing the Black-Eyed Susan flower) and local walnut wood create unique place-driven solutions inspired by the mission of the Meadow and the preservation of grasslands.

Take a stroll or enjoy the view through the student-designed custom seating and experience the connections between art, science, and the natural world!

The Meadow is a project of the Beach Museum of Art’s Prairie Studies Initiative, in collaboration with K-State staff, faculty, students, and members of the surrounding community. Made possible in part by the generosity of the Hummel family, K-State’s Green Action Fund, the John & John T. Henley Meadow Fund, and a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Meadow is a living memorial to Professor William C. Hummel and Sara T. Hummel.

A young explorer in The Meadow

Beach Museum of Art Fall 2025 Exhibitions:

Kansas Triennial 2025
August 5, 2025 – May 31, 2026

Rooted in the Beach Museum’s deep commitment to the region, this new signature exhibition—happening every three years—showcases the diverse and dynamic voices of artists who call Kansas home. The exhibition series invites us to reflect on Kansas’ spirit of growth and transformation, where the energy of place meets a culture of forward-thinking expression. The 2025 inaugural installation features works by Mona Cliff, Mark Cowardin, Poppy DeltaDawn, and Ann Resnick.
Image: Mark Cowardin, Just Passing Through…Again (detail), ladders, 2x4s, hardware, lights and electrical components. Image courtesy of the artist

Rural America
September 2, 2025 – August 1, 2026

Works from the museum’s collection depict life in rural America, highlighting both the challenges rural communities face as well as the unique qualities that sustain them. These primarily historical images offer a lens through which to consider the struggles and strengths of today’s rural communities. The exhibition will be in two parts.
Image: Thomas Hart Benton, Meeting House, 1942, egg tempera and opaque watercolor, 18 3/4 x 25 7/8 in., 1954.1

STE[A]M: Exploring Science and Math through Art
Opening December 2, 2025

This colorful exhibition supports STE[A]M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math plus Art) learning experiences for school-age students and ARTSmart program participants at the Beach Museum of Art. Through works in the collection, students explore concepts in their science curriculum like light waves, refraction and the science behind rainbows. The exhibition is also used for the museum’s Intersection of Math and Art tour for older elementary and middle school students exploring geometric concepts like 2-D and 3-D tessellations.
Image: Alan Shields, Kansas Meatball, 1985 – 1998, acrylic on canvas over aluminum tubing, bolts and nuts, and cotton thread, 115 x 130 in., Alan Shields Memorial Fund, Ross and Marianna Kistler Beach Endowment, and gift from the Estate of William Salero, 2007.111

Collection Galleries
2025 Installation

The Beach Museum of Art is dedicated to celebrating the artistic legacy of Kansas and the surrounding region. Through presentations of the collection galleries, the museum strives to highlight a varied cross-section of works that reflect the culture, artistry, and history of this place. The exhibited works are curated from the 12,000+ objects preserved by the museum. Through these installations, the museum cultivates deeper connections, inspiring dialogue about identity, community, and the evolving role of art in capturing the spirit of the Midwest.
Image: A view of the Orval Hempler Gallery

SAVE THE DATES for the exciting Fall 2025 Programs and Events:

Please check beach.k-state.edu/calendar for the most up to date information on programs and events. Here are some exciting upcoming events:

Fall 2025 Exhibition Opening & Reception
Thursday, September 11, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Double Take Series
30-minute Gallery Conversations
Thursday, September 25, 5:30-6 p.m.
Thursday, October 23, 5:30-6 p.m.
Thursday, November 20, 5:30-6 p.m.

Let’s Talk Art with Jeremiah Ariaz
Livestream conversation
Thursday, October 2, 5:30 p.m. 

Artist Talk by Mark Cowardin
Thursday, October 9, 5 p.m. 

Beach Ball
Museum’s Annual fundraiser
Friday, October 17, 6:30 p.m. 

Holiday Workshop
Saturday, December 6, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 1:30-3 p.m.

Winter Party
Thursday, December 11, 5:30 p.m.