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Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art

Author: Jui Mhatre

Opening soon!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

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.

"Kansas Meatball" sculpture by Alan Shields, acrylic on canvas over aluminum tubing, bolts and nuts, and cotton thread, 2007.111Alan Shields, Kansas Meatball (detail), 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

2025 Holiday Hours

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

❄️ Plan your visits at the Beach Museum of Art this holiday season! ❄️
Admission and parking are always free at the museum.

Visitors exploring art in an exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art.

Beach Museum of Art 2025 Holiday Hours:
Thanksgiving break: closed Nov. 27–29, 2025, re-opening Dec. 2, 2025
Winter break: closed Dec. 24, 2025 – Jan. 3, 2026, re-opening Jan. 6, 2026
Closed Sundays and Mondays per regular hours

Untitled greeting card by Neal Ambrose-Smith in the Beach Museum of Art collection. Showing a drawing of a honey bee and text "Happy Holidays" and stars.

Neal Ambrose-Smith, Untitled (greeting card), 2010, lithograph on paper, 7 3/8 x 5 1/2 in., gift of Joe and Barb Zanatta, Zanatta Editions, 2011.123

Celebrate the season with us — in two ways!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

🎨Holiday MakerSpace ✂️ | 🎉Winter Party 🍪 

Holiday MakerSpace | Sat., Dec. 6, 2025 | 12-3 PM | $7.50 per person (card, cash or check accepted) | Registration required: register now, email us at bmaeducation@ksu.edu or call 785-532-7718.
A studio-style event for all ages where you can make festive crafts to take home! All materials and instructions included. Craft your own ornaments, cards, decorations and more. Cookies and cocoa or tea will be provided. Come in anytime between 12-3 pm, allow at least 45 minutes for the makerspace activity. Military family or Friends of the Beach 50% discount on the cost available. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Winter Party | Thurs., Dec. 11, 2025 | 5-7 PM | Free and open to all!
Bring your family, friends, and festive spirit—we can’t wait to celebrate with you. Enjoy hands-on art activities, snap memories at our “selfie station” photo booth, warm up with complimentary hot beverages and cookies! Holiday or party attire is admired but not required.

Holiday MakerSpace and Winter Party flyer with images of snowflakes, snowman and text about the two events.

Beach Museum of Art Gift Prints

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Give the gift of art this holiday season!
Each year, the Friends of the Beach Museum of Art group commissions a limited-edition print by a recognized Kansas artist for sale to museum Friends and the public. Kansas State University’s Friends of Art started the gift print program in 1934.

Beach Museum of Art Friends at any level receive a 25% discount on the price. For more information about becoming a Friend or purchasing the gift print, please email beachart@ksu.edu or call 785-532-7718.

The year’s Gift Print is a striking work Tallgrass Orientation by Dana Fritz. A limited edition of the print is available for purchase. Get your own gift print now! 

Dana Fritz, "Tallgrass Orientation," 2024, inkjet print, 16 x 20 in., courtesy of the artistDana Fritz, Tallgrass Orientation, 2024, inkjet print, 16 x 20 in., courtesy of the artist

Raised in Prairie Village, Kansas, Dana Fritz is the Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Her photographic edition, Tallgrass Orientation (image above), relates to work she created during a 2023 Tallgrass artist residency in Chase County. Giant leaves of a compass plant lie over a topographic map of the area where she collected them. The leaves’ fingers point to the poles and orient their flat faces to the east and west sun. Indigenous and settler travelers valued compass plants for orientation in a vast prairie with few landmarks.

Click here to view available the BMA gift prints and more information on each print.

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

 

Gallery Exhibitions:

Rural America
September 2, 2025 – September 26, 2026

"Rural America" exhibition promotional image.

Kansas Triennial 25/26
August 5, 2025 – May 31, 2026

"Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition image

2025 K-State Common Work of Art

Carol Pylant, "No Masters," 1988.6
Carol Pylant, No Masters, 1986, oil on panel, 30 1/2 x 26 7/8 in., 1988.6


Collection Galleries
Orval Hempler Gallery | John F. Helm Gallery | Mary Holton Seaton Gallery East | Mary Holton Seaton Gallery West | Stolzer Family Foundation Outdoor Gallery
Featured works are curated from the 12,000+ objects in the museum’s collection. Come visit the galleries and make discoveries that matter to you! Admission and parking are always free.

Art Classes

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

The Museum hosts a variety of classes and workshops throughout the year for all ages! For more information on any of these programs, please contact our Education team at bmaeducation@ksu.edu or call 785-532-7718.

ARTSmart Thursdays
Time/ages: 10-11 a.m. (ages 2-5) and 4:30-5:30 p.m. (PreK-5th grade)
All classes include a looking activity in the galleries and an art-making project inspired by the gallery tour. Preschool morning classes include a story or movement activity and emphasize introductory art concepts. After school classes are designed for elementary students.
Upcoming class:
December 4: Weaving: Colorful fiber baskets

"Woven" by Poppy DeltaDawn, a variety of woven cedar and textile baskets hung from a tall wooden structure

Homeschool Tuesdays
Time/ages: 1-2:30 p.m. (all ages)
Homeschool Tuesdays take place on the first Tuesday of each month, offering families a chance to explore the exhibitions and the collection with integrated curriculum. These tours, designed for students from kindergarten and up, include a hands-on art project to enhance the experience.
Upcoming class:
December 2: Weaving: Colorful fiber baskets

Cost for each class above is $5 per child. Friends of the Beach Museum of Art and Military/BlueStar discount $2.50. Reservations required: call 785-532-7718 or email bmaeducation@ksu.edu. Pay with cash or check. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Workshop at the Beach Museum of Art

Blue Star Museums logo Special price for Military Families: In conjunction with the Blue Star Museum program, the Beach Museum of Art offers Military Families half price on all workshops and classes!

Friends of the Beach Museum of Art members receive half price discount with membership card. Please click here to join the Friends of the Beach.

Watch for announcements about the Spring 2026 Art Classes! 

Top image: Woven by Poppy DeltaDawn, on view in the Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition, open until May 31, 2026.

Let’s Connect!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Visit us online at beach.k-state.edu

Send email to beachart@k-state.edu

Join the museum’s e-news list to stay up to date on everything at the museum.

Check out The Beach Blog for behind-the-scenes information, event info, and guest posts.

Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on Facebook

Subscribe to the museum’s YouTube channel to watch videos of art, artists and special programs.

Join the Beach Buddies Facebook Group to enjoy cool art, fun activities and resources for children, families and educators.

Elizabeth Layton, Untitled (business business business, you gotta have art), 1991, Kansas State University, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, 1998.222

Closing Soon!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

In Bloom
Open through November 15, 2025

This exhibition was originally planned to be open until August 2025. However, due to the immense positive response from our community, the exhibition was  extended through November 15, 2025. Come see this exhibition that celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Kansas State University Gardens with floral imagery from the museum’s collection. This exhibition is also our annual collaboration with the Manhattan Public Library’s summer reading program. The American Library Association has chosen the theme, “Color Our World,” and we promise a riot of color!

"In Bloom" exhibition gallery with floral artworks displayed on the walls. There is a title wall with "In Blom" text designed using various floral elements like flowers, leaves, birds etc.

Exhibition highlights include glass artist Dale Chihuly’s Imperial Iris Persian Pair, a gift of Ross and Marianna Beach, and Cubist artist George Braque’s Les Marguerites. Numerous Midwestern artists are represented, among them John F. Helm, Jr., Avis Chitwood, Birger Sandzén and Grant Wood. Wood’s Tame Flowers in the exhibition was hand colored by his sister, Nan Wood. Contemporary artists featured include Renée Stout, Karsten Creightney and Kate Nessler. Nessler’s Lady Slipper Orchid was a Royal Horticultural Society gold medal winner.

The exhibition has been co-curated by Gabriella Randall as part of a museum certificate program in K-State’s anthropology department. Randall is majoring in art history and minoring in classics. Her work on the exhibition was part of a 2024 summer internship at the Beach Museum of Art which was generously funded by Tony Crawford.

Major Sponsors: Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Lincoln & Dorothy I. Deihl Community Grants Program
Sustaining Sponsors: Dan and Beth Bird
Media Sponsor: Radio Kansas

You are invited to a Gathering of Friends

Posted on by Jui Mhatre
Please join us for a Gathering of Friends
A special quarterly event hosted by the Beach Museum of Art
Nov. 13, 2025, 5-6:30 PM, 701 Beach Lane, Manhattan, Kansas 66503
Seize the opportunity to catch up with BMA Friends and become a Friend, if you aren’t a member already. Grab some refreshments, hear what is happening at Your Art Museum and discover how you can get involved in new and meaningful ways.
Special guest: Manhattan, Kansas artist Phyllis Garibay-Coon presents on her suffragist mural installed in the Kansas State Capitol earlier this year.
We hope to see you there!

Double Take: Gallery Tour of Select Artworks

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Thurs., Nov. 20, 2025 | 5:30-6 p.m. | Beach Museum of Art | Free and open to the public

Theme: Meaning from Materials
Art reflects history and culture by expressing individual history and experience. The materials an artist chooses to use often hold significant meaning or intention. Discover how and why artists tell their personal stories through the various materials. 

Double Take is a 30-minute program hosted by Museum Outreach Specialist Nate McClendon that invites participants to take a deeper look at selected artworks on display. Through conversations with curators, artists, and museum staff, the program explores the stories, intentions, and societal themes behind the art and exhibitions. Gain insight into artistic techniques, philosophies, and the role of art in everyday life, while also having the opportunity to anonymously share and observe real-time reactions to the works.

Join us throughout the year as we discover how to use the museum, engage with art, and uncover why art matters.

"Woven" by Poppy DeltaDawn, a variety of woven cedar and textile baskets hung from a tall wooden structure Poppy DeltaDawn, Woven, cedar and textile, on view in the Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition. Courtesy of the artist

Gallery discussion with participantsDouble Take gallery conversation

Beach Ball 2025 and Silent Auction

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

A HUGE THANK YOU to all our wonderful guests who attended the Beach Ball fundraiser on Oct. 17, 2025 and made it a grand success. IT – WAS – A – BLAST! Many thanks to MHK Caravan Co., Nicos Little Italy, Andrew Schell aka DJ N.A. BeerWolf and all our Underwriters for their incredible partnership and support in helping us throw a grand party! 🤩🎉💜

The Beach Ball exclusive SILENT AUCTION is live and online bidding is open! Auction items include Curator for a Day; Dinner and Private Tour with Museum Director; Pierre Amadieu + K-State Collectible Wine Set & Choir of Man Experience; Your own Cyanotype Printing & Pie Workshop and more!

Bid now and win your favorite experience before it’s gone.

 

Please enjoy some photos from the Beach Ball 2025. We sincerely appreciate the love and support. 🫶🏼🌹

 

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

 

Gallery Exhibitions:

Rural America
September 2, 2025 – September 26, 2026

"Rural America" exhibition promotional image.

Kansas Triennial 25/26
August 5, 2025 – May 31, 2026

"Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition image


In Bloom
February 25–November 15, 2025

In Bloom exhibition


2025 K-State Common Work of Art

Carol Pylant, "No Masters," 1988.6
Carol Pylant, No Masters, 1986, oil on panel, 30 1/2 x 26 7/8 in., 1988.6


Collection Galleries
Orval Hempler Gallery | John F. Helm Gallery | Mary Holton Seaton Gallery East | Mary Holton Seaton Gallery West | Stolzer Family Foundation Outdoor Gallery
Featured works are curated from the 12,000+ objects in the museum’s collection. Come visit the galleries and make discoveries that matter to you! Admission and parking are always free.

 

Art Classes

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

The Museum hosts a variety of classes and workshops throughout the year for all ages! For more information on any of these programs, please contact the Education team at bmaeducation@ksu.edu or call 785-532-7718.

ARTSmart Thursdays
Time/ages: 10-11 a.m. (ages 2-5) and 4:30-5:30 p.m. (PreK-5th grade)
All classes include a looking activity in the galleries and an art-making project inspired by the gallery tour. Preschool morning classes include a story or movement activity and emphasize introductory art concepts. After school classes are designed for elementary students.
Upcoming class:
November 6: History of Mark Making

Gallery education program at the Beach Museum of Art with young explorers discussing an artwork on display with the Gallery Teacher.

Homeschool Tuesdays
Time/ages: 1-2:30 p.m. (all ages)
Homeschool Tuesdays take place on the first Tuesday of each month, offering families a chance to explore the exhibitions and the collection with integrated curriculum. These tours, designed for students from kindergarten and up, include a hands-on art project to enhance the experience.
Upcoming class:
November 4: History of Mark Making

Workshop at the Beach Museum of Art

Cost for each class above is $5 per child. Friends of the Beach Museum of Art and Military/BlueStar discount $2.50. Reservations required: call 785-532-7718 or email bmaeducation@ksu.edu. Pay with cash or check. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Blue Star Museums logo Special price for Military Families: In conjunction with the Blue Star Museum program, the Beach Museum of Art offers Military Families half price on all workshops and classes!

Friends of the Beach Museum of Art members receive half price discount with membership card. Please click here to join the Friends of the Beach.

Click here to view all Fall 2025 Art Classes and Family Programs

Stay Connected!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Visit us online at beach.k-state.edu

Send email to beachart@k-state.edu

Join the museum’s e-news list to stay up to date on everything at the museum.

Check out The Beach Blog for behind-the-scenes information, event info, and guest posts.

Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on Facebook

Subscribe to the museum’s YouTube channel to watch videos of art, artists and special programs.

Join the Beach Buddies Facebook Group to enjoy cool art, fun activities and resources for children, families and educators.

Elizabeth Layton, Untitled (business business business, you gotta have art), 1991, Kansas State University, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, 1998.222

Now open!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Rural America
Open through September 26, 2026

Rural communities across America face unique hardships, such as limited access to healthcare, education, and broadband services. Yet they also possess strengths, such as close-knit social networks, natural resources, and cultural traditions that contribute to their resilience and character.

The artworks in this exhibition highlight the challenges rural communities have faced and the unique qualities that have sustained them. The works offer a lens through which to consider the struggles and assets of today’s rural communities. Through prints, drawings, and paintings, artists explore themes such as the decline of small farms, school consolidation, grocery store closures, and the fading of local journalism. These are balanced by depictions of rural vitality such as tourism, community events, local cooperatives, faith institutions, and efforts in historic preservation.

A view of the "Rural America" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art

Featured works in the exhibition include Brush Fire by Ernest William Watson, Rural School in Moonlight by Mary Huntoon, Meeting House by Thomas Hart Benton, Destruction of the Family Farm by Brian Maxwell, Fourth Estate by Jeremiah Ariaz, and Youth Helps Rebuild a World by John Steuart Curry.

The exhibition will be in two parts, aligning with the fall and spring semesters of the 2025-2026 academic year.

Special feature:
Share your stories of rural communities or thoughts about the works in the exhibition in the comments book. We would love to know!

Comment book for visitors in the "Rural America" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art.

Related events
Beach Museum of Art | Free and open to the public

Let’s Talk Local Newspapers with Photographer Jeremiah Ariaz
Thurs., Oct. 2, 2025, 5:30 p.m.

Hungry Heartland: Exploring Food Deserts in the Breadbasket
Thurs., April 16, 2026, 5:30-7 p.m.
Conversation with K-State Faculty and Students in the art department, A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, and social transformation studies department.

Major Sponsor: Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Lincoln & Dorothy Deihl Community Grants Program
Sustaining Sponsors: Dan and Beth Bird
Contributing Sponsor: The Beach–Edwards Family Foundation