Dec 20 Saturday
What happens when you push the yellow circle? Make your own interactive book inspired by "Press Here" by Hervé Tullet. This is a drop-in craft for ages 4-11.
Dec 21 Sunday
This monthly flea market is operated by a local Wichita family with around 200 local and regional vendor booths with items that include antiques, crafts, vintage items, collectibles, primitives, reclaimed items, comics, artwork, jewelry, toys, and so much more. What treasures will you find?
Wichitans desired to be modern since the City’s beginning in 1870. The Modern era had been evolving for a century at that time and it would take another 100 years before Wichita achieved a “modern” look. World War II (1939-1945) greatly disrupted development in design.
Over the next two decades, postwar prosperity propelled design of the modern era to its zenith. By that time, Wichita’s modernization was most apparent in its new urban 1969 skyline, which remains in place today.
In the 1950s and 1960s, modern design from architecture to fashions and furnishings became familiar as people followed popular trends replacing old with new. Visual art and advertising led the way for the modern look - which by the 1960s, people referred to as “Mod.” This new look coincided with changes as society became more pluralistic and increasingly aware of its diversity. The post-war baby boom gave rise to a prominent youth culture creating new markets. New technology improving the ability to travel and share information led to wide acceptance of modern style.
This modern sensibility cast a popular and unifying mindset. This era featured non-representational abstract design to create engaging effects rather than portray objects or scenes. The effects were both dazzling and confusing, challenging everyone’s perception of reality. Our visual world was forever changed.
(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. The exhibition is a feature of the Lois Kay Walls Local Visual Art History Series.)
On view through 2025 in the Slawson Gallery, 4th floor.
Tues-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat & Sun 1-5pm
Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum - 204 S Main
The urge to create or possess a visual representation of a specific person – a portrait – is present throughout history. Portraits are created for many reasons: from sentimental to celebratory, for public or private viewing, as memorials, and as icons. .
Until the introduction of photography in the 1840s, portraits were rendered by artists in both two and three-dimensional mediums such as paintings and sculptures.
The Museum’s collection includes a variety of portraits, most of which depict local people. In this exhibition, we learn of portraiture and the people portrayed.
On view during regular Museum hours
March 2025 - March 2026
Located in the Musem's Lois Kay Walls Gallery - 3rd Floor
Drop in and create during this family friendly crafting spree. We'll provide the sparkles, you bring the inspiration! For ages 4-11.
Dec 23 Tuesday
Come enjoy a cozy craft this winter and sip cocoa while painting! No registration required but space is limited. Program tickets will be available 30 minutes prior to the start of the program. For ages 8-17.
Dec 24 Wednesday
Dec 25 Thursday
WPL is partnering with NexStep Alliance to offer a tech help series, so come visit for assistance with digital skills. One tech topic will be discussed per event in the order listed. Topics will be: Basic Navigation/How to Use Your PC, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Android/iOS Tutorials, AI Usage, Digital Safety/Cyber Security and Social Media Safety, Settings and Troubleshooting/Open Forum. Register online at wichitalibrary.org/events or call (316) 688-9580 to speak with the Angelou Branch.
Dec 26 Friday
Dec 28 Sunday
Dec 29 Monday
Get moving with a new kind of video gaming console. Use your body motion to chop virtual fruit, whack-a-mole, or become a champion soccer goal keeper! For ages 4-11.