Kansas State University

search

Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art

Category: Summer 2024

New Virtual Exhibition!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

To the Stars Through Art: A History of Art Collecting in Kansas Public Schools, 1900–1950

Click here to view the virtual exhibition

In 1911, the district superintendent in McPherson organized a fundraising exhibition to acquire artwork for a new high school. This ticketed event became an annual one, allowing the McPherson schools to establish a significant collection of works by American and international artists, among them James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Walter Ufer, Birger Sandzén and Fern Coppedge.

Before the mid-20th century, schools in dozens of Kansas communities, including a boarding school for Indigenous students, joined McPherson in becoming veritable museums of original art. The works were acquired through community exhibitions like McPherson’s, bequests from the Carnegie Foundation, New Deal arts programs, and other means. To the Stars Through Art introduces 60 paintings, prints, and 3-D works acquired by 15 school districts across the state to explore the grassroots nature of this remarkable period of support for the arts as well as the influence of nationwide social reforms, education trends, and government initiatives.

"To the Stars Through Art" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art

A goal of the exhibition is to help today’s school districts learn more about how to care for their art, use it in teaching, and employ it to engage the community. In addition to the recently launched To the Stars Through Art virtual exhibition designed by Exhibition Designer and Technology Lead Luke Dempsey, a resource website for schools will be designed by K-State students enrolled in a fall 2024 seminar in English 695 “To the Stars Through Art: Using Digital Humanities to Expand the Reach of an Art Exhibition.” The course will be taught by Curator Elizabeth Seaton and Associate Professor of English Mark Crosby, director of the K-State Digital Humanities Center. The resource site will launch in early 2025.

Major Sponsors: The Alms Group, Friends of the Beach Museum of Art
Sustaining Sponsor: Humanities Kansas, a nonprofit cultural organization that connects communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life
Media Sponsor: KANSAS! Magazine

Now Open!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Upon a Time: Create Your Own Adventure
May 28 – December 21, 2024

Find inspiration for creating your own adventure stories from works of art in the collection. Organized in conjunction with the American Library Association’s 2024 summer reading theme, “Adventure Begins at your Library,” this exhibition will set the theme for the museum’s summer art programs and tours.

Works have been chosen to inspire creative thinking and represent a variety of cultures. Examples include Uruguayan-American illustrator Antonio Frasconi’s The Dog and the Crocodile and Dorothy Questions the Universe by Neal Ambrose-Smith (Salish-Kootenai/Métis-Cree/Sho-Ban). Summer activities will integrate storytelling, bookmaking, drama, puppetry and music.

The exhibition is co-curated by Sarah Morgan, a second-year master’s student in English (cultural studies and literature track) at Kansas State University. Morgan is also pursuing a graduate certificate in gender, women, and sexuality studies and aspires to be a museum professional in the future.

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

"Upon a Time: Create Your Own Adventure" exhibition promotional image

Sunflower Summer

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

We are thrilled to be one of the participating venues in Manhattan for the Sunflower Summer program by Kansas Tourism. This program offers a chance for families with school-aged children to explore 200+ attractions in Kansas – for FREE! Our Exploration Station and the ARTotes are specially designed for children and families to enjoy and are great for a rainy day or when it’s too hot to go outside! Free parking is available just south of the museum.

Exploration Station with books and activities for children and families at the Beach Museum of Art

Download the Sunflower Summer App and plan your summer family adventures now. More information at SunflowerSummer.org.

Sunflower Summer Manhappiness Passport: Pick up a passport at any of the seven Manhattan Sunflower Summer locations – Beach Museum of Art, Flint Hills Discovery Center, A & H Farm, Midwest Dream Car Collection, Riley County Historical Museum, Sunset Zoo and Tuttle Creek State Park. Collect at least six punches from the partner sites, turn it in to receive a Manhappiness sticker, and be entered in a drawing to win fun prizes. 

The Meadow

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Experience a prairie garden right on 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. The proximity of the Meadow to the museum provides a meaningful compliment to the museum’s regional art collections.

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.

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.

View of the Meadow: a landscape of prairie plants native to the Flint Hills located just north of the Beach Museum of Art.

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.

Art Bytes on the Museum’s Social Media

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Enjoy short videos about art in the Beach Museum of Art’s collection. Each video features information about an artwork in the collection, the artist who made it, and the techniques used. Art Bytes are released first Wednesdays on the museum’s social media channels:

Facebook: BeachMuseumofArt
Instagram: @beachmuseum

Watch past Art Bytes videos on the museum’s YouTube channel at beach.k-state.edu/videos. While you’re at it, please don’t forget to subscribe, comment, like or share. Thanks!

Screen capture of ART Bytes video

Screen capture of Art Byte video featuring Spring Green and Sand Swept by Janet Kummerlein, presented by Education intern Madeline Mullinnix.

A Sneak-Peek at Fall 2024

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Beach Museum of Art Fall 2024 Exhibitions:

A print titled "The Artist at 41 with Bhagavati" by Charles Stroh in the collection of the Beach Museum of Art.

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025
Charles Stroh, printmaker and former head of the K-State art department, traveled to India twice in the 1980s to learn about contemporary Indian artists active in printmaking. His interviews with them, as well as his residencies at prestigious Indian art schools, established a vibrant cultural network encompassing the Midwest and India. This exhibition features works brought back to Kansas by Stroh and highlights the contributions he made to place Kansas within the global art world.
Image: Charles Stroh, The Artist at 41 with Bhagavati, late 20th century, color woodcut, 19 x 17 in., Gift of the Angelo Garzio Trust, 2014.30=

 

Detail of textile "Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness" by Sherry Haar

Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness
September 3 – December 21, 2024
The modern green burial movement of caring for the dead with preservation of habitat and minimal environmental impact is on the rise. This exhibition brings awareness to end-of-life planning through statement garments, shrouds, and textile coffins. The tallgrass prairie framed the making through its unique landscape and use of plants and grasses to dye and print fiber. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with guest curator Sherry Haar, Professor of Fashion Studies at Kansas State University.
Image: Sherry Haar, Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness

Fall 2024 Programs and Events:

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

K-State Student Welcome
Thursday, September 5, 5 – 7 p.m.

Eco-Printing Workshop for Adults with Sherry Haar
Saturday, September 7, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Prairie Colors Conversation with Sherry Haar and Kelsie Doty
Thursday, October 10, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. 

Storytelling: Arts of India
Thursday, November 14, 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Holiday Workshop
Saturday, December 7, 11 – 12:30, or 1:30 – 3 p.m.

Winter Party
Thursday, December 12, 5 – 7 p.m.

 

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre
Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

Gallery Exhibitions:

Upon a Time: Create Your Own Adventure
May 28 – December 21, 2024

"Upon a Time: Create Your Own Adventure" exhibition promotional image

Where the Magic Happens: Artists in the Studio
February 13 – October 19, 2024

"Where the Magic Happens: Artists in the Studio" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art.

 

Neil Welliver: Maine Seasons
September 19, 2023 – August 17, 2024

Prairie Views
Ongoing with new selections

"Prairie Views" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art.

2023-2024 K-State Common Works of Art
Works by Roger Y. Shimomura in the Beach Museum of Art collection

Image from "Memories of Childhood," lithograph (handmade book) by artist Roger Shimomura in the collection of the Beach Museum of Art.

Memories of Childhood, 1999, color lithograph (handmade book), 7 x 10 in., G. E. Johnson Art Acquisition Fund, 2002.340

 Color lithograph "American Guardian" by artist Roger Shimomura in the collection of the Beach Museum of Art.

American Guardian, 2007, color lithograph, 27 1/8 x 39 in., Kansas Printmakers Fund, 2007.10
"Enemy Alien #2," acrylic on canvas by artist Roger Shimomura in the collection of the Beach Museum of Art.

Enemy Alien #2, 2006, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 24 in., 2016.41

 

Classes and Workshops

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

The Museum hosts a variety of classes and workshops throughout the year for all ages!

ARTSmart classes: Upon a Time, the summer reading exhibition, provides inspiration for storytelling and art making. In conjunction with the American Library Association’s summer reading theme “Adventure Begins at Your Library.” Upcoming classes: June 19 & 20: Establishing Setting (scenes) 

Click here to view all Summer 2024 classes and workshops.

workshop at the Beach Museum of Art

Group Tours: Upon a Time tours are available for summer school, camp, social service, and summer day care programs on a first come, first serve basis on Fridays, and 1-2:30 p.m. Tues. – Thurs. Participants will receive a general tour of the exhibition and participate in the week’s featured project. Contact Kathrine Schlageck at klwalk@ksu.edu or 785.532. 7718 .

 

Cost for each class above is $5 per child. Payment can be made with cash or check. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please call (785)532-7718 or email klwalk@k-state.edu for reservations. If you need to cancel your reservation please let us know so we can call those on the waiting list.

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.

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