In Memorium: Judy Higdon 1936-2022
The Ulrich Museum of Art has lost an avid supporter and dear friend. Judy Higdon, lifelong Wichitan and Wichita State graduate, was a painter, teacher and, as she once expressed it, a “professional mother.” She and her husband Al, also a WSU grad — the proud parents of two daughters and a son — were active in a wide array of WSU initiatives, programs and projects. Judy was especially involved in supporting the arts at WSU and was a founding member of the Ulrich Museum’s advisory board.

Artist Talk
Voices from the Vault | 2000s | Hong Chun Zhang: Middle Kingdom Meets Midwest
Tuesday, November 15
Reception 5:30 p.m. | Program 6 p.m.

Voices from the Vault celebrates the 2000s! Chinese-born and Lawrence, Kansas-based artist Hong Chun Zhang will talk about her art education and studio practice from China to her adopted home in America over the past two decades. Zhang will discuss the time-consuming process of traditional Chinese fine style ink painting that she studied at Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts, and later incorporated into her large Hair work developed in the United States. Zhang’s 2009 drawing, Twister, was acquired for the Ulrich collection in 2010 and will be on view during the month of November.

Senior Wednesday
Meet Vivian Zavataro
Wednesday, November 16
Reception 10 a.m. | Program 10:30 a.m.

The Ulrich is excited to welcome our new Executive and Creative Director Vivian Zavataro, who started at the museum on Oct. 17. Vivian is a museologist who specializes in contemporary art, community engagement, and art mediation. Her goal is to facilitate interaction between art and the public. Diversity, inclusion, and creativity are essential aspects of her practice. Meet Vivian and learn about her and her vision for the future of the museum.

Artist Talk
Chris Pappan: Ledger Art and
Acts of Visual Resistance
Tuesday, November 29
Reception 5:30 p.m. | Program 6 p.m.

In the mid-19th century, paper was introduced to the Indigenous people of the American Great Plains through the ledger books of the encroaching Americans. That paper became a vehicle to record memories, help retain connections to the land, and visually record acts of resistance. Through serendipity, artist Chris Pappan has taken on the responsibility of carrying on this “modern” tradition and attempts in his work to expand the boundaries of tradition, the ideas expressed within it, and to expand viewers’ perceptions of who Native people were and who they are now. Exploring the work of influential historical ledger artists, Pappan will share how his work relates to and then veers away from “tradition” to explore contemporary narratives through acts of visual resistance. This program is in conjunction with Myths of The West: Narrating Stories of the Land and People Through Wichita Art Collections, on exhibit in the Polk/Wilson and Amsden Galleries through Dec. 3.

Final Month to See Fall 2022 Exhibitions!

This is the last month to view our Fall exhibitions, which are on display through December 3. Our hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. Admission is always free and parking near the Museum is available.

August 25, 2022 — December 3, 2022
Myths of the West: Narrating Stories of the Land and People through Wichita Art Collections will introduce viewers to diverse narratives of the history of the American West, focusing on the history of the Great Plains and the perspectives of Native American artists, both past and present. The exhibition showcases works held in Wichita art collections, with additional loans from outside of Wichita adding works by contemporary Native artists. Comprised of approximately 80 pieces, Myths of the West questions familiar narratives by juxtaposing works of art that capture them with ones that delve into underrepresented and difficult histories. These include the significant presence of African Americans in the West; the roles available to women on the frontier; and, above all, the dispossession, destruction, and cultural genocide that White settlement brought to Native Americans. Focusing in large part on bringing together works by three generations of Native American artists, the exhibition emphasizes that despite all odds, Native cultures continued to persist and innovate throughout the 20th century and remain a vital part of American life today. 

August 25, 2022 — December 3, 2022
Cheryl Pope: Variations on a Love Theme presents recent work by American artist Cheryl Pope, who uses a unique punched wool technique to create richly textured and colorful pieces that respond to the Western tradition of large-scale easel painting. Pope spent the formative decades of her artistic career in Chicago, where the Art Institute’s exceptional holdings of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, particularly by a group of artists collectively known as the Nabis, shaped her visual imagery consciously and unconsciously. In this body of work, she is calling up that ostensibly familiar repertoire of visual motifs and formal concerns to create deeply personal reminiscences. In her own words, in making this work, Pope "turned to painting for a more sensual act of storytelling." "These new paintings," she has written, "are the memories of love and loss, and like memories, they are both fact and fiction; skewed, blurred, filled in and left empty." Pope’s images capture the significance of mundane moments, reveal the hidden dynamics of relationships, and explore the psychological power of interiors. In the process, they hold space, both literally and metaphorically, for her viewers to pause and consider the hidden meanings found in the most intimate and familiar locations of our own everyday lives.

These exhibition and associated programs are generously supported by Art Bridges, INTRUST Bank, Emprise Bank, Fidelity Bank, and Wichita Marriott Corporate Hills. Additional support provided from the Carol E. Wilson Memorial for the Ulrich Museum, Keith and Georgia Stevens, Don and Ellie Skokan, and Jeff and Janice Van Sickle. The Ulrich is grateful for the ongoing support of Salon Circle members who make the Museum’s exhibitions and programs possible through their Salon memberships. We also receive funding for general operational support from the City of Wichita and Wichita State University.

Share your Ulrich Memories with us!

Our 50th anniversary is right around the corner (in 2024) and we're planning lots of great exhibitions and events to celebrate the Museum's excellence. One thing we are working on is collecting memories from folks who have been connected to the Ulrich over the years. Whether you are a present or past employee, a donor, volunteer, student, or general visitor, we'd love to hear your favorite memories of the Ulrich. We've created this webpage, which has a form on it, to help you share your stories. The memories we collect will be shared throughout our 50th anniversary celebrations and might even end up in a book we're putting together. We'd love to hear your stories.

Are you an Ulrich Member?

We've seen a big bump in the number of people who follow us on social media in recent weeks, but are you an actual member of the Ulrich Museum? Membership has its privileges... plus, it's free and easy to sign up! Being an Ulrich member is the best way to ensure you keep up to date on all the latest Museum news and happenings. Join now on our website.