Wichita, KS - The two summer exhibitions opening this Thursday at the Ulrich Museum of Art on the Wichita State University campus both feature selections from the museum's permanent collection.

But that's where the similarities end.

Approaching the museum's collection from entirely different perspectives, the result is a pair of shows that provide a rare look into the museum's wide-ranging collection.

The exhibitions, Reemergence and Reconnecting: A Youth Arts Council Takeover and Deep Dive: Selections from the Permanent Collection, will be unveiled to the public at the Ulrich's Summer Exhibition Opening Celebration, from 5-8 p.m. this Thursday, May 26th. The party is free and open to all. 

As its subtitle implies, Reemergence and Reconnecting is curated by Wichita Youth Arts Council members. Three Wichita-area high school students passionate about art--Madeline Albert, Harper Sanneman, and RJ--chose pieces from the collection that resonate most with them, from the vibrant Alexander Calder painting, The Big Wheel, to Frederick Judd Waugh's sweeping landscape, End of Day. 

Deep Dive, meanwhile, features selections chosen by the Ulrich staff and includes a wide range of works, from the familiar (by Roger Shimomura and Trenton Doyle Hancock, among others) to never-before-displayed pieces (the newly acquired Museum Culture portfolio by Mark Dion). Perhaps most exciting is the displaying of the giant abstract Robert Motherwell painting, Les Caves No. 2, which has not been shown in an Ulrich gallery in more than a decade. With more than 90 pieces in this exhibition, it is one of the most voluminous shows the museum has had in recent years. 

Ulrich Interim Director Rodney Miller said both exhibitions do a great job of highlighting the diversity within the museum's collection.

"As we get closer to celebrating the museum's fiftieth anniversary in 2024, we'll be sharing more and more from our collection," Miller said. "And what better way to kick that off than with these two stunning shows, which brilliantly capture how vast and varied the Ulrich collection truly is."

The Ulrich invites the public to celebrate the unveiling of these stunning shows on Thursday. The exhibitions will remain on display through July 30th during regular gallery hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sundays and university and major holidays. Admission is always free. Click here for directions on parking.