Wichita has a diverse mix of museums, all with impressive collections and an ever-changing schedule of exhibitions. From showcasing new acquisitions or curating themed exhibits from their own collections to hosting special exhibitions traveling the country, there’s always something new to see at museums in the Heart of the Country.
Here’s a look at the latest exhibitions among museums in Wichita.
Exploration Place
Exploration Place is open daily.
May 24-Sept. 22: “DC Super Heroes: Discover Your Superpowers” – In this spectacular traveling exhibit, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman need you to help them battle crime in the never-ending fight for truth and justice. Save the city, vie with villains, and work as a team to restore order across the DC Universe. In this immersive DC environment, you’ll explore the Hall of Justice, investigate robberies in Gotham City, hone your superhero skills in the S.T.A.R. Labs, and more. Along the way, you’ll also meet Cyborg, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Supergirl, and Batgirl.
Oct. 11, 2024-Jan. 12, 2025: "Toytopia" – The fall will usher in a new traveling exhibit, one that celebrates the joy and history of toys. Visitors can marvel at the nearly 8-foot-tall Etch A Sketch, explore a life-size dollhouse and engage with a giant LEGO wall. The exhibit features a vintage arcade area, a robotic arm challenge and a life-size Monopoly car for photo ops. Interactive displays such as the “Big” Piano, a giant jack in the box and skill-based toy stations ensure fun for all ages. "Toytopia" also delves into the history of toys, showcasing their evolution and cultural impact over the decades.
Ongoing: “Kansas: An Immersive Dome Experience” – Don’t miss this 25-minute dome movie produced by the Exploration Place team in partnership with local drone videographers. Filmed completely by drone, consider this a love letter to Kansas showcasing the beauty and wonder of the Sunflower State in a way never seen before. It shows daily in the Digital Dome Theater, along with “The Dark Side of the Moon - Official Planetarium Show,” “The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness,” “Sea Monsters,” and “Beautifica.” Check the center’s website for screening times and tickets; attending a dome show does not require a museum admission ticket.
Wichita-Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum
The Wichita-Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and offers free general admission from 1 to 5 p.m. every Sunday in 2024.
Through Aug. 6: “Small Expressions” – An annual juried exhibition showcasing contemporary small-scale works (not to exceed 15 inches in any direction) using fiber techniques in any media. Small in scale but visually compelling, the exhibit features work that speaks to the intricacy of expression, the intimacy of design, thoughtful communication, and visual excitement. This exhibition was produced by the Handweavers Guild of America, Inc. and is made possible with support from the Fiber Trust.
Sept. 1-Oct. 5: “Thrift Style” – Organized by the Historic Costume and Textile Museum and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, both at Kansas State University, this exhibition provides a nostalgic view into American ingenuity, sensibility, and optimism during a particularly challenging time of economic hardship and war – the period of the Great Depression and World War II.
Sept. 1-Oct. 5: “Thrift Finds: Thrifted Treasures from the Museum’s Collection” – Museums acquire objects in many ways, including purchases from thrift stores, promoting green practices, and encouraging the reuse of items. Created as a companion to “Thrift Style,” “Thrift Finds” features thrifted treasures from the Museum’s Permanent Collection.
Ongoing
Through Dec. 2024: “Being Modern” – This exhibition follows (and is directly patterned after) the Museum’s previous exhibit, “Art Deco on the Plains.” It takes the timeline forward to explore modern design experienced locally in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a feature of the Lois Kay Walls Local Visual Art History Series.
Through Dec. 2024: “The Artistic Life and Work of Genevieve Frickel” – The work of local artist & teacher Genevieve Ingram Frickel is explored in this exhibit. Genevieve Ingram Frickel (1900-1985) was an independent visual artist and remarkable figure in the local art and culture scene of mid-century Wichita. Frickel led the Art Department at the Wichita School of Fine Arts before moving to Tucson, Arizona in 1953, where she exhibited her work and taught portrait and landscape painting. She returned to Wichita in the late 1950s and opened the Genevieve Frickel Art Studio. An influential teacher, many of Frickel’s students became professional artists.
CityArts
June 7-July 21:
- "Environmental Exposures: Art Influenced by Nature" by Glen Ediger - Main Gallery
- "Printed Vision: A ZINE Exhibition" by Various Artists, curated by Hugo Zelada Romero - Main Hall Gallery
- "Toys 'ART' Us" by Various Artists, featuring Patrick Clement as Dr. Cos McEvil - Boardroom Gallery
- "Rust & Reverie" by Angus Durfee - Balcony Gallery
Envision Arts Gallery and Community Engagement Center
Admission is free at the Envision Arts Gallery and Community Engagement Center.
July 5-26: "Tiny But Mighty" – Tiny But Mighty features handwoven tapestries from more than 100 artists from around the world. Limited only by size, artists explore experimental techniques, materials and conceptual approaches within a 10-inch by 10-inch scale. Artists have incorporated found objects and employed other fiber techniques such as embroidery and knotting to create unique tactile experiences.
The American Tapestry Alliance, (ATA) was formed in 1982 to unite tapestry weavers to promote awareness and appreciation of tapestry. The organization hosts recurring exhibitions designed to highlight artists ranging from first-time exhibitors to weavers pushing the boundaries of tapestry as it is traditionally known. The ATA continues to develop new programs to serve the needs of its members and increase the visibility of tapestry weaving as an art form.
Mid-America All-Indian Museum
Beginning June 29: “Jerome Tiger” – This exhibition at Mid-America All-Indian Museum (MAAIM) features artwork created by Jerome Richard Tiger (1941-1967), an accomplished Muscogee Creek/Seminole artist from Oklahoma. He left behind a remarkable legacy through his prolific paintings. The Indian Museum takes great pride in showcasing his delicate, one-of-a-kind style of artwork.
Ongoing
"From the Vault” – Did you know MAAIM has more than 3,000 objects in its collection? Enjoy this curated exhibit consisting of original works of art from the musuem's unique collection and see two newly-acquired works donated by the Michaelis family.
"We are the Spirit” – Kachinas are messengers between the human and spirit world. Human impersonators dance in Kachina ceremonies from winter solstice through mid-July. The dolls are made by Hopi people to teach children about spiritual beings. Come explore Kachinas through their ceremonies and physical representations. Learn about the Kachina season while viewing our unique collection on display.
Mark Arts
Mark Arts galleries are open and free to explore Tuesday through Saturday.
July 6-Aug. 17: “Complexity” – The Complex Weavers are partnering with Mark Arts to display the Complexity exhibition in the School of Creativity Gallery. This unique exhibition will feature 30 works by weavers from across the country and will showcase a medium – fiber arts – rarely displayed in the Mark Arts galleries. The exhibition includes a combination of works that are available for acquisition, as well as works for public display only.
Wichita Art Museum
The Wichita Art Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Admission to WAM is free all year round to everyone. Only special exhibitions will have a ticket price and those will be noted here.
Through Aug. 11, 2024: “Upside Down, Topsy-Turvy and In-Between: Images of the Carnival and Circus from the Wichita Art Museum” – This exhibition features images of the carnival and circus, what historians have called “the world between” and “the world standing on its head,” from the last century of American art.
Through Sept. 1, 2024: "ANNIE LEIBOVITZ / WORK" features a new group of photographs highlighting current events and exceptional figures in today’s world. Anchored by these new works, the exhibition also features a complementary selection of Leibovitz’s photographs from the past decade. Displayed across both printed and digital mediums, the exhibition offers a dynamic peek into the artist’s contemporary practice and focus. Whether highlighting household names or local heroes, these works demonstrate Leibovitz’s discerning vision and desire to celebrate the extraordinary now.
In 1973, at the age of 23, Leibovitz became Rolling Stone magazine’s Chief Photographer. Through her long-standing work with Vanity Fair and Vogue, Leibovitz further honed her signature blend of grit and grace that has come to define much of her practice. In 1991 she became the first female artist to have a solo show at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Ongoing:
“THE BEAST, or Self Portrait” by Vanessa German – The artist calls this sculpture a “physical self-portrait” but also a “self-portrait of the soul, of the heart, a self-portrait of my own experience of being myself.”
Through March 23, 2025: “Coming of Age: Women Growing Older in American Art” – Presenting a sensitive and expansive vision of womanhood in the United States, the works in this exhibition demonstrate the ways that ageism both targets and overlooks women while celebrating the intersectionality of aging – a natural, inevitable part of life – in American art.
Through June 29, 2025: “Pop!” – Combining bold colors and familiar subjects—taken from everyday life and mass-produced goods—with carefully chosen materials, textures and compositions, pop artists challenged traditional definitions of fine art. Whether humorous, celebratory or scathing, pop art immortalizes a key moment in American history. This exhibition features loans from New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art with one additional work from WAM’s collection.
Through Dec. 20, 2025: “(im)permanent collection” – Visit again and again to experience this ever-changing exhibition. It features the museum’s prized permanent collection (more than 10,000 artworks the museum owns) – which is anything but permanent.
Through Oct. 23, 2027: “Confluence” – American impressionist Guy Carleton Wiggins and other artists interpret French painting styles to describe American environments.
Ulrich Museum
Ulrich Museum of Art at Wichita State University
The galleries at the Ulrich Museum of Art offer free admission. Spring semester exhibitions include:
Through Dec. 7, 2024: “Word, Thread and The Magnolia” – This is Ulrich’s first installation in the East Flushing Gallery, also known as the all-gender restroom on the right in the Ulrich Museum lobby. Created in 2023 by LabSynthE, this exhibit is constructed of vinyl, markers and prompts, leaves and resin, embroidered magnolia pods, custom paper towels, and embroidered fabric.
Through Dec. 7, 2024: “The Ulrich Co-Lab | Phase 2” – The Ulrich Co-Lab is a visitor-centered curatorial experiment where we encourage our visitors to share their thoughts, feelings, and responses to our permanent collection. It will take place at our Grafly Gallery over the period of two years. This coming Spring the experiment will invite our visitors to reflect on their connection with Wichita through different participatory techniques.
July 29-Dec. 7, 2024: “[RE]POSE: Leisure Bodies and Empowered Postures” – This exhibition reflects on the reinterpretation and transformation of the well-known art historical theme of the reclining figure, across the 20th and 21st centuries. Combining works from the Ulrich permanent collection with special works on loan, the exhibition brings together modern and contemporary works that, in dialogue, examine ideas of rest, leisure, and bodies in repose.
Aug. 26-Dec. 7, 2024: “Dream Machine: Fantasy, Surreality, and Play” – As part of Ulrich’s 50th Anniversary celebration, explore this exhibition, which brings together works from the permanent collection and special loans from around the U.S., for an exciting, interactive experience of the fantastical.
Visit these pages to discover more about Wichita area museums and galleries. If you’re looking for other things to do in Wichita, check out our calendar of events and download the latest visitor guide for more inspiration.
