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Future Exhibitions
Voices of the West
February 4 – July 25, 2020
Americans’ understanding of the history of the American West, including that of the Great Plains, has been significantly shaped by novels, movies, and television Westerns. These narratives often leave out the voices of the region’s indigenous inhabitants and other groups, including women, African Americans, and Asian Americans.
This selection of works from the museum’s permanent collection presents alternative perspectives on the past and legacy of the American West. The images by American Indian artists, for example, address the displacement of Native peoples and the challenge of maintaining cultural traditions in the modern world. Other artworks highlight the idealization of the Western landscape as well as its overdevelopment. Still other works reassess the iconic status of historical Western figures.
Image: Norman Akers, New Company, 2011, monotype, 9 13/16 x 13 3/4 in. Friends Kansas Art Fund, 2012.149
Inspirations: Art for Storytelling
March 3–July 3, 2020
Each summer the museum collaborates with the Manhattan Public Library to host an exhibition complementing the American Library Association's Summer Reading theme. These exhibitions shape the museum’s weekly summer art programs, tours, and gallery activities. The 2020 theme, Imagine Your Story, celebrates myths, fairy tales, and fantasy. Whimsical art from the museum’s permanent collection will inspire visitors to create their own stories.
Image: China Marks, Monkey Boy and the Magic Beans, 2007, machine embroidery and appliqué on various fabrics, lace, thread, fusible adhesive, and Beva, 2007 Friends of the Beach Museum of Art annual acquisition, 2007.50
