Current Exhibitions
Return to Prairie: Textiles for Green Burial Awareness
September 3 – December 21, 2024
The modern green burial movement of caring for the dead with preservation of habitat and minimal environmental impact is on the rise. This exhibition brings awareness to end-of-life planning through statement garments, shrouds, and textile coffins. The tallgrass prairie framed the making through its unique landscape and use of plants and grasses to dye and print fiber. The exhibition is organized in collaboration with guest curator Sherry Haar, Professor of Fashion Studies at Kansas State University.
Printing Beyond Borders: Contemporary Indian Prints at Kansas State University
August 13, 2024 – May 31, 2025
Charles Stroh, printmaker and former head of the K-State art department, traveled to India twice in the 1980s to learn about contemporary Indian artists active in printmaking. His interviews with them, as well as his residencies at prestigious Indian art schools, established a vibrant cultural network encompassing the Midwest and India. This exhibition features works brought back to Kansas by Stroh and highlights the contributions he made to place Kansas within the global art world.
Upon a Time: Create Your Own Adventure
May 28 – December 21, 2024
Find inspiration for creating your own adventure stories through works in the museum's collection. Organized in conjunction with the American Library Association’s 2024 summer reading theme, “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” this exhibition will set the theme for the museum’s summer art programs and tours. There will be new works on paper for continued inspiration, and the exhibition will be a featured fall school tour utilizing Visual Thinking Strategies, an art discussion facilitation method focused on evidence-based reasoning.
Prairie Views
Ongoing with new selections
This exhibition gives voice to the prairie and provides opportunities for all ages to discover its form and beauty. The exhibition complements the nearby outdoor Meadow as well as art displayed in other galleries, including Jim Richardson’s photographs of prairie root systems. Prairie Views includes photographs of prairie fires by Larry Schwarm and a collage-print related to the Ogallala aquifer by Lynn Benson, among other images.
2024-2025 K-State Common Works of Art
Each year, the K-State Book Network selects a common reading for first year students, providing an intellectual experience they can share with other students and members of the university community. The 2024 K-State First Book, Deaf Utopia, is a memoir and celebration of Deaf culture by Nyle DiMarco, actor, producer, two-time reality show winner, and cultural icon of the international Deaf community. Beach Museum of Art staff have chosen two Common Works of Art to complement DiMarco’s book and stimulate discussion about communication: Chet Peters' Communication that addresses the notion of personal growth and The Back Side of Words by Geraldine Craig, a work inspired by Hmong textiles and provides a space for considering language.