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Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art

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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

Artist Talk: Mark Cowardin

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Thurs., Oct. 9, 2025 | 5:30-6:30 PM | Beach Museum of Art | Free and open to the public

Photo of artist Mark Cowardin
Mark Cowardin

Join Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition artist Mark Cowardin for a talk exploring his sculptural practice, which examines the delicate balance between human ambition and environmental consequence. Known for intricate, hand-built forms that blend natural and industrial materials, Cowardin invites viewers to consider their place in the world’s shifting ecosystems.

A view of the "Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art.
A view of the works by Mark Cowardin in the Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition.

"Kansas Triennial 25/26" title

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.

 

New on View!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

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

The Kansas Triennial marks an exciting new chapter for the Beach Museum of Art. As a recurring exhibition series focused on contemporary artists working within the state, the Triennial is both a celebration and an inquiry: into what it means to make art in Kansas today, and how those expressions resonate far beyond state lines.

The inaugural exhibition in fall 2025 brings together work by Mona Cliff, Mark Cowardin, Poppy DeltaDawn, and Ann Resnick. These artists reflect a wide range of materials, disciplines, and lived experiences. 


A view of the Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition


A view of the Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition

“This exhibition is about listening closely to the artists working in Kansas right now,” says museum director and triennial curator, Kent Michael Smith. “There’s no imposed theme—just a commitment to trust artists, to honor their urgency and insight, and to recognize them as tellers of truth in a time and place where that can feel scarce.”

Each artist brings a distinct voice. Mona Cliff, based in Lawrence, merges traditional Indigenous beadwork with contemporary abstraction in vibrant wall hangings rooted in heritage and ecological awareness. Mark Cowardin, also of Lawrence, navigates themes of consumption, sacredness, and interconnected systems, often incorporating functional elements like ladders and lighting to evoke both utility and metaphor. Poppy DeltaDawn’s conceptual textile works use digital weaving and layering to examine bodily autonomy and identity with visual and emotional precision. Wichita artist Ann Resnick offers deeply personal works rendered through pyrography and monoprinting—gestures of mourning, memory, and quiet persistence.


A view of the Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition

As a triennial event, this exhibition series will grow over time. It offers an evolving platform for discovering and reflecting on the most vital artistic voices in Kansas. We look forward to welcoming audiences into this ongoing conversation, one that we hope fosters connection, dialogue, and deeper engagement with the art of our time.


A view of the Kansas Triennial 25/26 exhibition

Major Sponsors: Friends of the Beach Museum of Art, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Lincoln & Dorothy Deihl Community Grants Program, Weary Family Foundation
Contributing Sponsors: Dick and Gloria Delich Anderson, Mike and Dee Michaelis 
Media Sponsor:

KANSAS! Magazine logo

Related events
At the Beach Museum of Art
Free and open to all

Fall 2025 Exhibition Opening Reception
Thurs., Sept. 11, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
All Triennial artists will be present as special guests

Artist Talk: Mark Cowardin
Thurs., Oct. 9, 2025, 5 p.m.

Artist Talk: Poppy DeltaDawn
Thurs., March 12, 2026, 5:30 p.m.

Artist Talk: Mona Cliff
Thurs., April 2, 2026, 5:30 p.m.

 

Opening soon!

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Rural America
September 2, 2025 – September 26, 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.

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.

"Rural America" exhibition image

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

Gallery Exhibitions:

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

"Kansas Triennial 25/26" exhibition image


In Bloom
February 25–August 30, 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’ collection. Come visit the galleries and make discoveries that matter to you!

 

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

Gallery Exhibitions:


In Bloom
February 25–August 30, 2025

In Bloom exhibition


Field Guide to a Hybrid Landscape: Dana Fritz
February 4 – August 2, 2025

 

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Printing Beyond "Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art


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!

 

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

Gallery Exhibitions:


In Bloom
February 25–August 30, 2025

In Bloom exhibition


Field Guide to a Hybrid Landscape: Dana Fritz
February 4 – August 2, 2025

 

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Printing Beyond "Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art

Prairie Views
Ongoing with new selections

 

2024-2025 K-State Common Works of Art

Chester (Chet ) E. Peters,
Communication, 1973,
philippine mahogany, red cedar,
rosewood, cherry, and walnut
with metal, 5 7/8 x 12 5/8 x 12 3/4 in., gift of the Doris Peters Trust, 2015.103 

Geraldine Craig, The Back Side of Words, 2009, mixed media, 30 x 37 in., 2010.17

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

Gallery Exhibitions:


In Bloom
February 25–August 30, 2025

In Bloom exhibition


Field Guide to a Hybrid Landscape: Dana Fritz
February 4 – August 2, 2025

 

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Printing Beyond "Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art

Prairie Views
Ongoing with new selections

 

2024-2025 K-State Common Works of Art

Chester (Chet ) E. Peters,
Communication, 1973,
philippine mahogany, red cedar,
rosewood, cherry, and walnut
with metal, 5 7/8 x 12 5/8 x 12 3/4 in., gift of the Doris Peters Trust, 2015.103 

Geraldine Craig, The Back Side of Words, 2009, mixed media, 30 x 37 in., 2010.17

Artist Talk by Dana Fritz

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Artist Talk
Field Guide to a Hybrid Landscape: Nebraska’s Hand-Planted Forest
Thurs., Feb. 20, 2025, 5:30-6:30 PM
Beach Museum of Art
Free and open to the public

Artist Dana Fritz photo
Dana Fritz

Photography professor Dana Fritz of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln speaks about her project to make visible the forces that have shaped a hand-planted forest in the Sandhills of central Nebraska. Her ethereal black and white photographs in the Beach Museum’s exhibition, Field Guide to a Hybrid Landscape, (Feb. 4 – Aug. 2, 2025) emphasize patterns in the land and help visualize how the more than 100-year-old site has become a metaphor for our current environmental predicaments. Fritz is the 2025 Friends of the Beach Museum of Art Gift Print Artist.

Dana Fritz, Fire Tower View, 2021, inkjet print, 16 x 40 in., courtesy of the artist
Dana Fritz, Fire Tower View, 2021, inkjet print, 16 x 40 in., courtesy of the artist

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

Gallery Exhibitions:

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Printing Beyond "Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art

Prairie Views
Ongoing with new selections

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

2024-2025 K-State Common Works of Art

Chester (Chet ) E. Peters,
Communication, 1973,
philippine mahogany, red cedar,
rosewood, cherry, and walnut
with metal, 5 7/8 x 12 5/8 x 12 3/4 in., gift of the Doris Peters Trust, 2015.103 

Geraldine Craig, The Back Side of Words, 2009, mixed media, 30 x 37 in., 2010.17

A sneak-peak at spring 2025

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

New exhibitions opening in Spring 2025:

Dana Fritz

Field Guide to a Hybrid Landscape: Dana Fritz
2025 Friends of the Beach Museum of Art Gift Print Artist
February 4 – July 13, 2025
This exhibition will make visible the forces that shaped what was once the world’s largest hand planted forest, now administered by the Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands. Black and white prints by photographer Dana Fritz reveal the patterns in sand, water, planting, and burning present in this late 19th-century experiment to create a timber industry and change the climate of a semi-arid Nebraska prairie. Fritz is Hixson-Lied Professor of Art at University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Image: Dana Fritz, Fire Tower View, 2021, inkjet print, 16 x 40 in., courtesy of the artist

 

In Bloom
In Bloom
February 25 – August 30, 2025
Join us in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the K-State Gardens with floral selections in 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! Image: John Steuart Curry, Peonies, 1939, oil on canvas, 15 7/8 x 20 1/4 in., gift of Dr. Daniel Schuster, 1993.1

Current Exhibitions

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Click here to view current Virtual Exhibitions

Gallery Exhibitions:

Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness
September 3 – December 21, 2024

"Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness" exhibition publicity image

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Printing Beyond "Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art

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

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

Prairie Views
Ongoing with new selections

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

2024-2025 K-State Common Works of Art

Chester (Chet ) E. Peters,
Communication, 1973,
philippine mahogany, red cedar,
rosewood, cherry, and walnut
with metal, 5 7/8 x 12 5/8 x 12 3/4 in., gift of the Doris Peters Trust, 2015.103 

Geraldine Craig, The Back Side of Words, 2009, mixed media, 30 x 37 in., 2010.17

Current Exhibitions

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

Gallery Exhibitions:

Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness
September 3 – December 21, 2024

"Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness" exhibition publicity image

Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Printing Beyond "Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University" exhibition at the Beach Museum of Art

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

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

 

Prairie Views
Ongoing with new selections

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

2024-2025 K-State Common Works of Art

Chester (Chet ) E. Peters,
Communication, 1973,
philippine mahogany, red cedar,
rosewood, cherry, and walnut
with metal, 5 7/8 x 12 5/8 x 12 3/4 in., gift of the Doris Peters Trust, 2015.103 

Geraldine Craig, The Back Side of Words, 2009, mixed media, 30 x 37 in., 2010.17

Artist Talk: Natural Color and Print from the Prairie

Posted on by Jui Mhatre

Sherry Haar photoThursday, October 10, 2024, 5:30-6:30 PM, Beach Museum of Art, Free and open to all

Join a conversation with fiber artist Sherry Haar as she takes us through methods of dyeing and printing with local plants on textiles. This program is offered in conjunction with the exhibition Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness, open September 3 – December 21, 2024 at the Beach Museum of Art.

 

 

Sherry Haar