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Recent News Releases

Awards Announced for Kansas Watercolor Society National Exhibition

Mark Arts Announces Two New Trustees and New Officers

2018 Abstract National Exhibition

2018 Eastern Kansas Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition

Mark Arts Kansas Invitational Fact Sheet: January 2018

Mark Arts to Unveil New Building

Final Exhibition at Mark Arts’ East Central Location

Wichita National All-Media Exhibition to Open

Announcing 2017 Printmaking National, Boyd Exhibitions

Four Trustees Join Mark Arts Board

Mary R. Koch School of Visual Arts Announces 2017 Awards

Join Us May 12 for the Spring Art Fair: Pots and Porsches

Inaugural Photographic Arts National Exhibition to Open March 31

Student Artists to Be Honored at 2017 Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony; Colleges Offer Record $4.2 Million in Scholarships

David Koch Family Gives $1 Million to Mark Arts

Top Student Artwork to Be Featured at Mark Arts

Mark Arts Announces Rodeo Drive Home Edition

Mark Arts Holiday Sale and Open House

Mark Arts Announces Watercolor Exhibition Awards

Mark Arts Announces Sale of Building

2016 Holiday Tables Media Advisory

Mark Arts Partners With Boy Scouts

Mark Arts Adds Board Members

2016 Versus Media Advisory

2016 National Small Oil Painting Exhibition

Ground Broken and New Name Unveiled for Arts Education Center

Mark Arts Project Fact Sheet

2016 Mark Arts School of Visual Arts Exhibition

2016 Spring Art Fair

2016 ArtDOG: Art Day of Giving

2016 Pastel National Exhibition

2016 Eastern Kansas Scholastic Art Awards Scholarships

Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony News Release

Wichita Center for the Arts Project Fact Sheet

Wichita Center for the Arts Achieves Milestone in Campaign for New Educational Arts Center at 13th and Rock Road

Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition

National Watercolor Exhibit Opening

New Wichita Center for the Arts Press Release

Holiday Tables Press Release

Versus: A Live Art Battle Press Release

2015 Student Faculty Exhibition Press Release

2015 Student ART FAIR, May 8 & 9

New Board Positions Press Release 2015

Scholastic Awards Update Press Release 2015

Fiber Directions 2015 Press Release

Scholastic Opening Press Release 2015

Press Release Studio 5 Pottery Sale 2014

Press Release Kansas Watercolor Society National Exhibition 2014

Press Release PINA October 2014

Art Auction 2014 Press Release

WCFTA Seeks Executive Director

Orphans Press Release Aug 2014

Small Oil Exhibition 2014 Press Release

Kent Williams 2014 Press Release

WCFTA Seeks Excecutive Director 05-22-14

Student Faculty 2014 Press Release

Press Release – Good Apple Awards 2014

American Buffalo Workshop Press Release 2014

Press Release Scholastic Award Ceremony 2014

Press Release Scholastic 2014


 

WICHITA CENTER FOR THE ARTS SELECTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Wichita Center for the Arts (WCFTA) announced September 22, 2014 that Katy Dorrah has been named Executive Director of the Center. She will join the Center Nov. 3, taking on a role held most recently by Howard Ellington, who was named Director Emeritus in June.

“Katy brings a great deal of expertise to Wichita Center for the Arts,” said Dr. Vincent Farha, Interim President of the Board of Trustees. “We are excited that she will be joining us, and know that Katy will continue the Center’s focus on bringing quality art and art education programs to the community.”

Dorrah most recently served as Vice President of Resource Development at United Way of the Plains, where she helped raise more than $235 million over 16 years through corporate and individual gifts, and employee campaigns. She has also served as President of the Junior League of Wichita, where she put her talents to work on projects such as Holiday Galleria, Pinches & Dashes cookbook and a recruitment drive that brought 76 new members to the League in 2011. She is a graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies.

“As a life-long Wichita resident, I have dedicated over a decade of my career to helping Wichita become a stronger community,” Dorrah said. “Both my professional and personal interests have focused on cultivating relationships that result in creating a community of excellence for my hometown. I am honored to join Wichita Center for the Arts as they continue to make our community a better place by providing a strong arts program to our citizens. I have a passion for Wichita and for this organization, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.”

“Howard did an incredible job of leading the Wichita Center for the Arts for 16 years,” Farha said. “He built a strong foundation for the future. We are also grateful for the service of Becky S. Turner, who has served as Interim Director since May and has helped continue the educational work of the Center.”

Shoko Sevart and Linda Brantner co-chaired the Executive Search Committee.

“The Board thanks Shoko and Linda for their excellent work in leading the committee through the search process and identifying highly-qualified applicants,” Farha said.


 

May 22, 2014 | THE WICHITA CENTER FOR THE ARTS TO SEEK NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Howard Ellington to continue his 16-year affiliation with WCFTA as Director Emeritus

WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita Center for the Arts (WCFTA) announced today that Howard Ellington will resign as Executive Director of the Center and will continue his affiliation with WCFTA as Director Emeritus. He will also assume a new role at the Center as Director of Architecture Programs and Frank Lloyd Wright Study Center as part of an announced affiliation with the Allen-Lambe House Foundation, where he currently serves as Executive Director.

“Howard has been an incredible leader at WCFTA for the past 16 years,” commented Becky S. Turner, President of the Board of Trustees. “His leadership here, in the arts and in the community have provided a strong foundation for the future. As he transitions into his new role, we look forward to finding his successor who will help lead the Center into its 95th year and beyond.”

Becky S. Turner will serve as Interim Director for the Center. The search for a new executive director will begin in early June.

Becky S. Turner, President
The Wichita Center for the Arts
Phone: 634-2787, ext. 218
[email protected]


 

April 29, 2014 | Past WCFTA student wins an Oscar

The Wichita Center for the Arts would like to congratulate Scott Peters, a former Scholastic Gold Key winner who was also actively involved in the Center’s theatre productions and art classes. Scott is now working for Walt Disney Animation Studios and was part of the Oscar winning creative team that created the 2013 animated film “Frozen.”

October 16, 2013 | Richard Schmid Painting Presented to Queen Elizabeth II

In 2012 the charitable organization K.T. Wiedemann Foundation, led by president Douglas Pringle, commissioned Richard Schmid to paint Abbotsford, the Scottish Baronial home where Sir Walter Scott penned many of his well-know works. Last September, Richard Schmid’s painting “Abbotsford House,” Oil, 50″ x 30″ was unveiled at The Wichita Center for the Arts and was on display before being donated to the Abbotsford Trust and physically transferred to Abbotsford’s newly completed visitor center, where it now hangs. At the celebration of the painting’s arrival on July 3, 2013, was none other than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Kristen Thies, CEO and owner of West Wind Fine Art who was invited by Richard Schmid to act as his emissary, had the rare privilege of presenting his painting to Queen Elizabeth II.


 

October 16, 2013 | Jim Gross

Jim Gross has been invited to participate in the memorial for Thomas M. Messer, the third director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Also, a painting by Gross has been discovered in the collection of the museum; it was placed in the collection 30 years ago. Jim plans to bring the work home. The museum also owns 2 other works by Gross, a teacher at the Center of the Arts since 1974. The director, since 1982, has been a supporter of the work of Gross and wouldsend letters about the artist’s progress.


 

June 17, 2013 | Jim Gross

Jim Gross, who is an abstract instructor at the Center, has his work on display at O.K. Harris Works of Art in Soho, NY.


 

March 23, 2013 | WCFTA Women Artists

The Wichita Center for the Arts would like to congratulate the students, faculty members and the members of Wichita Women Artists (a group of artist who has met at the center monthly for 20 years) whose artwork was featured in The 39th annual Prairie Arts Exhibition on March 23 – April 7th, 2013:

  • Jackie Collison
  • Dianne Howard
  • Lori Thomas
  • Bennie C. Booth
  • Linda Metsker
  • Elizabeth Corbett, Merit Award, Kansas Highrise #4 (Pastel)
  • Carol Davis, Merit Awards, Sunshine Creeper & Piano Player (Watercolors)
  • Anne Horton, Merit Award, The Good Chefs (Pastel)
  • Helen Veatch, Merit Award Sun at My Back (Watercolor)
  • Joe Schlimm, First Place, China Town NYC (Watercolor)

 

November 1, 2012 | Arts Council 2012 Art Awards

The Wichita Center for the Arts received the Arts Organization Award.

This award is given to a public, not-for-profit organization that presents and provides arts opportunities to the Wichita community and region.


 

October 3, 2012 | Scholastic Newsflash

Scholastic recipient, Corson Androski of Hutchinson, KS was selected to exhibit his photograph in Washington, D.C. for the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities exhibit. Quite a honor for him, his teacher, Jack Wilson, and the State of Kansas! Learn more at http://www.artandwriting.org/exhibitions/art-write-now-d-c/


 

Septmber 24, 2012 | 2012 Mary Jane Teall Awards

Volunteer of the Year Award
Gene Stucky

Special Merit Award
Nick Barton for video work
The Merchant of Venice

Special Merit Award
Mark Peters, pianist,
Bill W. & Dr. Bob.

Audience Favorite Production
The Merchant of Venice

View all The Wichita Center for the Arts Theatre nominees.


 

August 10, 2012 | Robert Thomas Aitchison 1887-1964

The Wichita Center for the Arts has 14 Robert Aitchison oil paintings on display from The Center’s permanent collection. In 1920 Aitchison came to Wichita to establish an art department for McCormick-Armstrong. He later became the secretary treasurer and a member of the board of the Wichita Art Association. Aitchison was one of the founders of the Wichita Artists Guild.


 

June 4, 2012 | William Dickerson, Wichita Artist

In 1996, Ginny and Richard DeVore acquired 257 paintings by Wichita Artist William Dickerson (1904-1972). An exhibition catalog followed titled, “The Regionalist Vision of William Dickerson, Selected Paintings from The DeVore Collection”. William Dickerson was the first artist invited to be an active member of The Prairie Print Makers after the groups founding in 1930.

A graduate of The Art Institute of Chicago, Dickerson was Director of the School of The Wichita Art Association for 41 years. He retired in 1971.During his career, he received numerous honors, awards and exhibited his works locally and nationally. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Art.

On June 4, 2012 The Wichita Center for the Arts received 19 William Dickerson paintings (12 watercolors and 7 oils), donated by Ginny and Richard DeVore for the Centers Permanent Collection, which are featured in this exhibition. We thank the donors for their passion and vision to preserve this important body of regional work which they have donated to six art institutions as an educational and cultural resource for each of our communities.

Howard W. Ellington
Executive Director
The Wichita Center for the Arts

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