The Mulvane Art Museum is going through some changes. Construction on the main galleries has begun— the museum is now a hard hat zone. We expect construction to last around 8 months as the old HVAC system is replaced. The Rita Blitt Gallery remains open, and the outstanding exhibition There Is a Woman in Every Color: Black Women in Art is currently on view there. We hope you'll come see it.

Additionally, we're saying goodbye to some excellent staff members. Our best wishes to Nikaela Zimmerman (Collections Manager/Registrar) and Ana Donley (Office and Museum Services Coordinator).

However, we're excited to welcome Stacy Ash to the team as our new Education Coordinator. Stacy comes to us from the University of Kansas, where she earned a BFA in Sculpture and a BA in Art Education. Originally growing up on a farm in central Kansas, she now lives in Lawrence and spends her free time hiking and kayaking. She is excited to help us explore the meaningful connections between art, education, and community.

During this time of change, we're also reflecting on our recent programs. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who made the 2023 Mulvane Art Fair successful. Our outstanding artists, enthusiastic volunteers, hardworking vendors, and supportive community came through to make it an exceptional event. Every individual involved in the Art Fair is crucial to its success, and we're so grateful for your time and efforts.

We hope you'll join us in making the 2024 Mulvane Art Fair the best one yet. Artist and booth applications will open later this month through the Mulvane's Art Fair website. Be sure to follow the Mulvane's social media for announcements and news about the 2024 Art Fair!

Panel Discussion Centering Black Women in the Art World

August 29. 5:30pm
Rita Blitt Gallery

This panel discussion is presented in conjunction with the exhibition There Is a Woman in Every Color. Learn about how Black women artists assert their creative agency from panelists including Ramona Davis, Aisha Imani Sanaa, and Vivian Wilson Bluett.

First Friday Reception

September 1, 5-7pm
Rita Blitt Gallery

Join us during First Friday Artwalk for festivities centered on There Is a Woman in Every Color. This reception will celebrate the exhibition's concurrence with the museum's upcoming centennial and the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

Evening for Students Reception

September 13, 5-7pm
Rita Blitt Gallery

This casual event hosted by the Mulvane Student Advisory Board is open to the public but especially for Washburn University students. Come enjoy food and good company while you get to know our newest exhibition, There Is a Woman in Every Color.

You can find more upcoming events related to There Is a Woman in Every Color here!

There Is A Woman in Every Color: Black Women in Art

Rita Blitt Gallery

Organized by the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, this exhibition explores the legacy of Black women in American visual culture. Bringing together art from the 19th century to today, it examines their representation in works that picture Black women or were produced by Black women.

Support for There Is a Woman in Every Color is provided by Art Bridges.

The Art of Gender

Mulvane Sculpture Courtyard

This outdoor sign exhibition is installed between the museum and White Concert Hall. The works reproduced on the signs, all from the collection of the Mulvane Art Museum, ask questions about femininity, masculinity, and the in-between. Accompanying texts, several written by Washburn students, invite you to expand your ideas about gender.

Artists tackled the subject of Barbie in works like the one at left long before Greta Gerwig's highly anticipated movie. Learn more: The Complicated Legacy of Barbie in Art.