Wichita Art Museum

As the largest art museum in the state of Kansas, the Wichita Art Museum houses one of the country's finest collections of American art, spanning three centuries of painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts. Masterpieces by Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Horace Pippin, Edward Hopper, and Charles M. Russell are among the nearly 7,000 works in the permanent collection. Additionally, an important and expanding glass collection is a significant component to the overall collection.

The Museum features a family-friendly interactive area called The Living Room where visitors can create their own works of art; a unique Museum Store featuring one-of-a-kind jewelry, and a selection of children's gifts and work by area artists.

The history of the Wichita Art Museum began with the bequest of Louise Caldwell Murdock and the subsequent establishment of the Roland P. Murdock Collection. Mrs. Murdock's Will, written in 1915, specified that the income from her estate, following the death of her closest relatives, should be used for the purchase of art for the City of Wichita - a collection to be known as the Roland P. Murdock Collection in memory of her husband.

When the Museum opened its doors in 1935, the art that area residents anxiously lined up to see was borrowed from other Museums. It was in 1939 that the first painting in the Roland P. Murdock Collection was purchased and displayed. Mrs. Murdock's friend and business associate, Mrs. Elizabeth Stubblefield Navas, continued selecting works of American art for the Murdock Collection until the final one was purchased in 1962.

As the Museum grew, so did community interest and support. In 1960, the Wichita Art Museum Members, Inc. was established. Through this non-profit membership organization, interested citizens could contribute funds and service toward the development of new programs. The City approved funds for the construction of additions to the original building to provide space for storage, expanded exhibition programs, educational programs and membership activities. Thus, in 1963, two wings, a lobby, and a new façade were added to the original building. The newly acquired space stimulated more individual gifts and, in 1964, the Wichita Art Museum Members Foundation, Inc. was established for the specific purpose of raising funds for acquisitions.

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