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Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art

#BeachMuseumFromHome

We invite you to continue enjoying art virtually! Please see below a wide variety of virtual tools developed for adults, children & families to enjoy the museum’s exhibitions, programs and collection. For a frequently updated guide to the online resources, visit beach.k-state.edu/explore


Smartify logoSmartify
The free app identifies 2D and 3D artworks in the museum, and instantly returns text, audio and video interpretation. Download Smartify free today for Apple and Android devices from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. To use from home, click on the Explore tool to search for the museum and its gallery offerings and gain access to works in other museums. Take advantage of the app’s personal gallery-making tool. Smartify will connect with text-to-voice apps.

google play icon   apple app store icon


Online Exhibitions


Enjoy ways to explore the museum’s exhibitions online. Click here.

Featuring:

Sunrise over Kansas: John Steuart Curry
Virtual exhibition launch: June 29, 2021
Gallery exhibition: August 24, 2021 – February 28, 2022

Two by Two Animal Pairs
Virtual exhibition launch: March 30, 2021
Gallery exhibition: August 24 – December 18, 2021

Waylande Gregory: Art Deco Ceramics and the Atomic Impulse: virtual exhibition.

Image: John Steuart Curry (1897 – 1946), Sunrise (Sunrise over Kansas) detail, 1935, mixed-media on canvas, Friends of the Beach Museum of Art purchase, 1996.18


Verandah collection search tool logoCollection Search Tool
Explore the museum’s art collection of nearly 10,000 objects for research or enjoyment with this collection search tool. Visit beach.k-state.edu/explore/collection


BMA YouTube Channel
Find videos of art, artist interviews and special programs, including the museum ’s new virtual program series Let’s Talk Art and Art Bytes, short videos about art in the museum’s collection. Please subscribe to our channel! Visit beach.k-state.edu/videos


Educational Resources
Available for schools, early childhood programs, social service organizations and home school groups. Visit beach.k-state.edu/participate/educational-resources

 


Social Media
Enjoy and share fun interactive posts about regional art and artists.
Facebook: BeachMuseumofArt 
Instagram: beachmuseum
Twitter: @BeachMuseum


Beach Buddies Facebook Group
Find resources and activities for children, families and educators, including virtual ARTSmart classes. Join through the museum’s Facebook page or visit facebook.com/groups/bmabuddies

 

Check out the new benches in The Meadow!

Recently the museum’s Exhibition Designer and Building Systems Lead Lindsay Smith installed new benches in The Meadow, a landscape of prairie plants native to the Flint Hills adjacent to the #BeachMuseumofArt. Milkweeds and other species here provide food and habitat for Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Enjoy this prairie garden adjacent to the Beach Museum of Art right on K-State campus!

Thanks to some very special K-State alumni for donating the benches, which are replicas of the benches in New York City’s Central Park.

The Meadow helps build meaningful connections among art, science, and enjoyment of the natural world. It 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.

Click here for more information on The Meadow.

Click here to read a blog on The Meadow.

Fall 2021 ARTSmart programs for families.

ARTSmart Classes: Each class includes looking activities and an art project. Classes are held on the first Wednesday and Thursday of the month at 10:30 a.m. (ages 2-5) and 4:30 p.m. (all ages).

  • September 8 & 9 – Paper Making
  • October 6 & 7- Two by Two Spooky Animals (cats, owls and coyotes)
  • November 3 & 4 – Underground Prairies
  • December 8 & 9 – Winter Sunrise

Homeschool Tuesdays meet on the first Tuesday of the month and allows Homeschool families to investigate the current special exhibitions with curriculum integration. Tours are appropriate for those in Kindergarten on up and include an art project. 

  • Sept. 7, 1-2:30: The Science of Paper (paper making activity)
  • Oct. 5, 1-2:30: Two by Two (language arts and zoology)
  • Nov. 2, 1-2:30: The Photographer’s Voice (Gordon Parks)
  • Dec. 7, 1-2:30: John Steuart Curry’s Sunrises (weather, art conservation)

Cost for classes is $3 per child, Military Family/Blue Star discount $1.50, and reservations are required. Payment can be made with cash or check. Call (785)532-7718 or email klwalk@ksu.edu for reservations. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 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 Family half price on all workshops and classes!


Family Workshops and Events
All events are free, open to everyone unless otherwise noted. For events requiring preregistration, call 785-532-7718 or email klwalk@ksu.edu. More information on events at beach.k-state.edu/calendar

Family Day Open House
Sept. 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Museum is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Come visit our special exhibitions and each family will receive a copy of Gordon Parks children’s biography, funded by a grant from USD 383 K-Link.

Holiday Workshop
December 4, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Draw your inspiration from nature to create cards, decorations, gift tags and ornaments for the winter holidays. We will be offering two sessions to enable social distancing and registration is required. $5 per participant (cash or check).


Virtual Resources for Families and Teachers

Beach Buddies Facebook Group: Cool art, great books, fun activities, and more! Join now at www.facebook.com/groups/bmabuddies
Posts include: Virtual ARTSmart Classes, BMA Book Buddies: Illustrated Artist Biographies and Voices: Artists Who Inspire.


Additional Virtual Programs and Resources

ART Bytes – First Wednesdays
Short videos about art in the Beach Museum of Art’s collection in English, Japanese and Spanish. Please check the museum’s YouTube channel to enjoy the videos.

Virtual exhibitions and tours can be found on the museum’s website at https://beach.k-state.edu/explore/exhibitions/

Curricula, including new materials for Art and Language Learning and resources for Kansas History Month. Visit https://beach.k-state.edu/participate/educational-resources/

Digital apps (Thinking About Pictures, Smartify) https://beach.k-state.edu/explore/interactive-tools/

Materials are available to borrow from the Resource Center.

Current Exhibitions

Detail of the mixed media on canvas entitled "Sunrise (Sunrise over Kansas)" by John Steuart Curry in the Beach Museum of Art's collection. Showing the bright sun rising over a Kansas landscape.

Sunrise over Kansas: John Steuart Curry
Virtual exhibition launch: June 29, 2021
Gallery exhibition: August 24, 2021 – February 28, 2022
Click here to view the virtual exhibition.

Two by Two Animal Pairs
Virtual exhibition launch: March 30, 2021
Gallery exhibition: August 24 – December 18, 2021
Click here to view the virtual exhibition.

Image: John Steuart Curry (1897 – 1946), Sunrise (Sunrise over Kansas) detail, 1935, mixed-media on canvas, Friends of the Beach Museum of Art purchase, 1996.18

Stay Connected!

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.

Like us on Facebook  |  Follow us on Twitter  |  Follow us on Instagram

Subscribe to the museum’s YouTube channel at beach.k-state.edu/videos to watch videos of special programs and events.

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

Enjoy our newest virtual exhibitions!

Two by Two: Animal Pairs
Click here or on the image below to view the virtual exhibition.

Virtual exhibition launch: March 30, 2021
Gallery exhibition: June 15 – December 18, 2021

Image for Beach Museum of Art's new virtual exhibition "Two by Two: Animal Pairs." View at beach.k-state.edu/explore

The American Library Association Summer Reading theme for 2021 is “Tales and Tails,” with a focus on animal stories. This exhibition will offer the viewers some surprising pairings of artworks by regional and international artists.

Animals have long been the subject of myths, legends and histories. Noah loads his ark with creatures, “two by two,” before the great Biblical flood. Aurochs and Wooly Mammoths in the caves of Lascaux hint
at the beliefs of early peoples. Animalistic deities populate an ancient world from the Egyptian god Horus with the head of a falcon to the Greek god Zeus who visits earth as a swan. In Native American legends animals personify spirits such as the turtle who represents mother earth. Artworks in the exhibition picture such storied animals as well as farm animals,
pets and circus performers. All of the works provide a chance to learn more about world cultures, literature, and science.

Two by Two: Animal Pairs will be the inspiration for summer ARTSmart classes and spring and fall 2021 school programming.

Gold Sponsors: Dan and Beth Bird | Bronze Sponsors: Mary Cottom and Jo Lyle


Waylande Gregory: Art Deco Ceramics and the Atomic Impulse.
Click here or on the image below to view the virtual exhibition.

Waylande Gregory (1905-1971), a native of Baxter Springs, Kansas, was one of the most innovative and prolific Art Deco ceramic sculptors of the early 20th century. His groundbreaking techniques enabled him to create monumental ceramic sculptures that had not previously been possible, including his Fountain of the Atom for the 1939 New York World’s Fair—a tribute to atomic energy that earned the attention of Albert Einstein. Gregory also developed revolutionary glazing and processing methods and was an important figure in the studio glass movement.

 

Let’s Talk Art: livestream conversation on murals in Manhattan, Kansas.

Logo of "Let's Talk Art," Beach museum's series of monthly discussions with artists and creative thinkers about work in the museum's collection.Photo of artist Nick Fisher, a.k.a. Sick Fisher, at the mural he painted in downtown Manhattan, KS. Thursday, June 3, 2021, 5:30 p.m. 
Let’s Talk Art: livestream conversation on murals in Manhattan, Kansas.
Join the free program via ZOOM. Click here to register.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the program.

Join a livestream conversation with Beach Museum of Art Curator Aileen June Wang, Incite MHK’s Jessica Tegethoff, and artist Nick Fisher, a.k.a. Sick Fisher, who painted a mural in downtown Manhattan, KS. Incite MHK aims to make communities more vibrant and welcoming by deploying the well-demonstrated power of public art.

Photo of artist Nick Fisher, a.k.a. Sick Fisher, at the mural he painted in downtown Manhattan, KS.

 

BEACH FILM CLUB: summer virtual discussions.

Beach Film Club logo

Watch films at your leisure in advance and then join the free virtual discussions led by Shannon Skelton, Assistant Professor at K-State School of Music, Theatre and Dance. 

All virtual discussions are free and open to the public. Email questions at beachart@k-state.edu or sbskelton@k-state.edu  

 



Publicity image for the animation film "WALL-E" showing a small robot made from older technology looking at an advanced spaceshipJune 16, 2021, 7:30 p.m. 
Central Time (US and Canada)
Virtual discussion on WALL-E 
(2008 USA)
Director: Andrew Stanton
Streaming: Available through Disney+ and for rental through all major platforms.

Join the free program via Zoom. Click here to register.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the program.

Join Wall-E and EVE for the adventure of a lifetime! Watch the film with your family and invite everyone to join our conversation!


Publicity image of the film "Singin' in the Rain" shpwing actor Gene Kelly and actress Debbie Reynolds holding an umbrella and smiling at the camera (onlooker).July 21, 2021, 7:30 p.m. Central Time (US and Canada)
Virtual discussion on 
Singin’ in the Rain (1952 USA)
Directors: Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly
Streaming: Available through HBOmax and for rental through all major platforms.

The classic, color musical that has entertained generations is perfect for a family film night. With glorious dance sequences, hilarious moments and unforgettable numbers, watch the film with your family and invite everyone to join our conversation!

Join the free program via Zoom. Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the program.


Animated short film 1

August 11, 2021, 7:30 p.m. Central Time (US and Canada)

Virtual discussion on Animated Shorts from Around the Globe.
Rated: G. Various Years
Streaming: YouTube link (free): click here to view the playlist.

 

Animated short film Watch various animated offerings from around the world with your family and invite everyone to join our conversation! Animated short film "Baba (Father)"

 

 


Join the free program via Zoom. Click here to register.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the program.

 

 


Part of the Beach Museum of Art’s ‘Art in Motion’ annual program series.

Summer 2021 Family Programs

Screenprint entitled "Humming Bird" by Avis Chitwood and Margaret Evelyn Whittemore from the collection of the Beach Museum of Art. Showing one humming bird at a flower and another about to feed baby humming birds in the nest.Looking for cool activities during the summer?

Join Beach Buddies Facebook Group. Click here!
Enjoy posts about cool art, great books, fun activities, and more!

Virtual ARTSmart Classes: Posts through the week with PDFs available on Friday. Join us for a weekly art adventure featuring animal pairs from Two by Two exhibition. Includes zoological information about the animals, compare and contrast activities, books and stories, and instructions for at home art project. Participants can share thoughts and original art with each other through comments.

BMA Book Buddies – Posts on Saturdays
Introductions to illustrated biographies of artists for children.

Bird Watching – Posts on Sundays, June 6 – August 29
Explore birds through artworks by Maurice Bebb, Margaret Whittemore, and other artists in the Beach Museum of Art’s collection.


Workshops and Events
These events will follow social distancing guidelines. The museum reserves the right to cancel the event if health restrictions are necessary. All events are free, but space is limited and reservations are required and can be made using the contact email below.

Outdoor Nature Art in the Meadow – June
Participants will receive a free copy of On the Nature Trail activity book and art supplies. Each session will include rich language activities, Spanish vocabulary, magnification tools, and drawing. Funded by a USD 383 K-LINK Community
Partner Literacy Grant.
Please sign up for one of the following sessions (limit 10 children per group):
June 5, 9:30-10:30 | June 10, 9:30-10:30 | June 25, 9:30-10:30 | June 30, 9:30-10:30

 

Two by Two Open House – July 15
Activities include a compare and contrast game in the galleries, mask making, origami, and collage projects. Each family will receive a free copy of Becoming a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery and Rebecca Green there will be a drawing for a copy of Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson and Sharon King Chai for each time slot. Funded by a USD 383 K-LINK Community Partner Literacy Grant.
Please sign up for one of the following sessions (limit 7 families session)
10-11:30 | 1-2:30 | 3:30-5 | 6-7:30

 

Free Draw in The Meadow, Tuesdays 9:30-10:30, June 7 – August 5, weather permitting
Drawing supplies provided on a first come first serve basis. Reservations are not required.

For more information contact: Kathrine Schlageck, Associate Curator of Education at klwalk@ksu.edu

Top image: Avis Chitwood and Margaret Evelyn Whittemore, Humming
Bird, 20th century, screenprint, 7 5/8 x 4 in., gift of Jim and
Virginia Moffett, 2006.83

Opening Soon!

Sunrise over Kansas: John Steuart Curry
June 29, 2021 – February 28, 2022

Mixed media artwork entitled "Sunrise (Sunrise over Kansas)," by John Steuart Curry (1897 – 1946) from the collection of the Beach Museum of Art. Showing a landscape and bright sunrise with clouds.

Dramatic weather plays a significant role in Regionalist John Steuart Curry’s art, especially as a symbol of menace. Less recognized is the importance of another event in nature—the sunrise—in Curry’s oeuvre. The celestial motif is explored in this exhibition of the artist’s paintings, prints and drawings. The exhibition pays tribute to the museum’s 1935 painting, Sunrise over Kansas, which suffered discoloration of its sun as a result of the artist’s experiments with materials and now has been conserved.
Image: John Steuart Curry (1897 – 1946), Sunrise (Sunrise over Kansas), 1935, mixed-media on canvas, Friends of the Beach Museum of Art purchase, 1996.18

What’s happening in fall 2021?

Fall 2021 Exhibition and Program Preview

Paleolithic Points from
The Forms: Four Worlds | David Lebrun
August 9, 2021 – July 16, 2022

Publicity image for the exhibition "Paleolithic Points from The Forms: Four Worlds | David Lebrun" showing a young boy standing in front of a larger-than-life projected image of an ancient artifact made of stone.

Organized by the museum in collaboration with K-State’s Information Technology Services, this experimental multimedia installation is guaranteed to surprise and delight! It features the mysterious beauty of an ancient artifact through specially composed music and unique video animation. See the past differently!
Image: The Forms: Four Worlds. Simulation. © 2019 Night Fire Films


Gordon Parks: “Homeward to the Prairie I Come”
September 7, 2021 – May 28, 2022

Black and white photograph entitled "Pool Hall (Fort Scott, Kansas)," by Gordon Parks from the collection of the Beach Museum of Art. Showing a group of African American men standing at the door and by the window of a building. Two older men with a dog chatting by the window and three men standing in the doorway.

This exhibition features photographs donated by Parks to Kansas State University (K-State) in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1973. It was the first time that the artist personally curated a set of photographs to donate to a public institution, a kind of self-portrait directed towards the home crowd. The exhibition title includes the first line of a poem written by Parks in 1984, commissioned by and published in the Manhattan Mercury. K-State’s New Prairie Press will publish an accompanying open-access digital catalogue with new research on Parks and Kansas.
Image: Gordon Parks, Pool Hall (Fort Scott, Kansas), 1950, printed in 2017, gelatin silver print, gift of Gordon Parks and the Gordon Parks Foundation, 2017.445


Doug Barrett: Find Your Voice
September 7, 2021 – May 28, 2022

Black and white photograph entitled “Will the hate end?” by Doug Barrett from the collection of the Beach Museum of Art.
Jason holding a sign as he and his siblings and family march in Junction City KS in Heritage Park.

Barrett is a photographer and videographer based in Manhattan, Kansas. His work demonstrates how Gordon Parks continues to inspire contemporary artists. Barrett’s projects include interviewing, photographing, and telling the stories of homeless veterans, creating a collective portrait of the Yuma Street community of Manhattan, Kansas, and documenting the Black Lives Matter movement in Kansas.
Image: Will the hate end? from the series George Floyd Protest, 2020, digital print, 32 x 22 in., 2020.20


Beach Museum of Art's Art in Motion annual program series logoUpcoming programs
Please check beach.k-state.edu/calendar for the most updated information on programs and events.

  • Sept. 162021: Gallery Talk with artist Doug Barrett
  • Sept. 30, 2021: Let’s Talk Art with Kirk Sharp
  • Beach Film Club virtual discussions, Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. Central Time US and Canada.
  • Nov. 4, 2021: Virtual talk by Deborah Willis
  • Nov. 11, 2021: Conversation with Kenneth
  • Dec. 4, 2021: Holiday Workshop

 

#BeachMuseumFromHome

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art has been closed to public visitors and audiences since March 13, 2020 in line with K-State’s Covid-19 policies. However, we invite you to enjoy the museum’s collection, online exhibitions and programs virtually! For a frequently updated guide to the online resources, visit beach.k-state.edu/explore


Smartify logoSmartify
The free app identifies 2D and 3D artworks in the museum, and instantly returns text, audio and video interpretation. Download Smartify free today for Apple and Android devices from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. To use from home, click on the Explore tool to search for the museum and its gallery offerings and gain access to works in other museums. Take advantage of the app’s personal gallery-making tool. Smartify will connect with text-to-voice apps.

google play icon   apple app store icon


Online Exhibitions

Inside Out window display exhibition image
Enjoy ways to explore the museum’s exhibitions online, visit beach.k-state.edu/explore/exhibitions

Featuring:
Two by Two Animal Pairs: virtual exhibition.
Waylande Gregory: Art Deco Ceramics and the Atomic Impulse: virtual exhibition.
Inspirations: Art for Storytelling: images of artworks and space to record observations and insights.
Voices of the West: pdf format
Charles Lindsay: FIELD STATION 4: video tour with creator Charles Lindsay.
2020 K-State Common Work of Art: video of virtual celebration with K-State First Book.

Image: China Marks, Monkey Boy and the Magic Beans (detail), 2007, machine embroidery and appliqué on various fabrics, lace, thread, fusible adhesive, and Beva, 2007 Friends of the Beach Museum of Art annual acquisition, 2007.50


Verandah collection search tool logoCollection Search Tool
Explore the museum’s art collection of nearly 10,000 objects for research or enjoyment with this collection search tool. Visit beach.k-state.edu/explore/collection


BMA YouTube Channel
Find videos of art, artist interviews and special programs, including the museum ’s new virtual program series Let’s Talk Art and Art Bytes, short videos about art in the museum’s collection. Please subscribe to our channel! Visit beach.k-state.edu/videos


Educational Resources
Available for schools, early childhood programs, social service organizations and home school groups. Visit beach.k-state.edu/participate/educational-resources

 


Social Media
Enjoy and share fun interactive posts about regional art and artists.
Facebook: BeachMuseumofArt 
Instagram: beachmuseum
Twitter: @BeachMuseum


Beach Buddies Facebook Group
Find resources and activities for children, families and educators, including virtual ARTSmart classes. Join through the museum’s Facebook page or visit facebook.com/groups/bmabuddies


Interactive Tools Sponsors:
Platinum Sponsors: Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Lincoln & Dorothy I. Deihl Community Grants Program, Beach Edwards Family Foundation | Bronze Sponsor: SNW Gallery & Custom Frames (Kevin
West & Alyn Pennington West).

Current Exhibitions

Detail of the virtual exhibition "Two by Two: Animal Pairs" by the Beach Museum of Art. beach.k-state.edu/explore

Two by Two Animal Pairs
Click here to view the virtual exhibition.

INSIDE OUT
Features artworks from the Beach Museum of Art’s collection displayed in colorfully lighted windows. 

Waylande Gregory: Art Deco Ceramics and the Atomic Impulse
Click here to view the virtual exhibition.

Inspirations: Art for Storytelling
View the exhibition online through Thinking about Pictures (TAP) and record your observations and insights.

Voices of the West
Click here to view the exhibition online.

Charles Lindsay: FIELD STATION 4
Click here to take a video tour of FIELD STATION 4 with Charles Lindsay.

2020 K-State Common Work of Art
Click here to watch the virtual celebration of 2020 Common Work of Art and K-State First Book.

Open Virtually Now! Two by Two: Animal Pairs

For animal lovers of all ages! 

Click here or on the image below to view
Two by Two: Animal Pairs

Virtual exhibition launch: March 30, 2021
Gallery exhibition: June 15 – December 18, 2021

Image for Beach Museum of Art's new virtual exhibition "Two by Two: Animal Pairs." View at beach.k-state.edu/explore

The American Library Association Summer Reading theme for 2021 is “Tales and Tails,” with a focus on animal stories. This exhibition will offer the viewers some surprising pairings of artworks by regional and international artists.

Animals have long been the subject of myths, legends and histories. Noah loads his ark with creatures, “two by two,” before the great Biblical flood. Aurochs and Wooly Mammoths in the caves of Lascaux hint
at the beliefs of early peoples. Animalistic deities populate an ancient world from the Egyptian god Horus with the head of a falcon to the Greek god Zeus who visits earth as a swan. In Native American legends animals personify spirits such as the turtle who represents mother earth. Artworks in the exhibition picture such storied animals as well as farm animals,
pets and circus performers. All of the works provide a chance to learn more about world cultures, literature, and science.

Two by Two: Animal Pairs will be the inspiration for summer ARTSmart classes and spring and fall 2021 school programming.

Gold Sponsors: Dan and Beth Bird | Bronze Sponsors: Mary Cottom and Jo Lyle


Click here to view all virtual exhibitions by the Beach Museum of Art.