The Wichita Art Museum and Harvester Arts announce their new partnership, emphasizing the involvement of Wichita artists in the performing and visual arts, that will kick off during Family ArtVenture: We Love Colors on Saturday, February 25 at WAM, 1400 West Museum Blvd.

For the first time, Family ArtVenture, WAM’s all-ages program, will include event components orchestrated by Harvester Arts, an organization with strong relationships in Wichita’s creative community. Saturday’s Family ArtVenture will feature dance performances crafted in response to WAM’s newly acquired painting Sunday Kind of Love by artist Robert Peterson. The dance is choreographed by Harvester Arts’ Managing Director Mina Estrada, who also is a dance artist, and performed by dancers Aviance Battles and Sheldon Mba. Battles is a company member of the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, and Mba is Assistant Professor of Music Theatre and Dance at Friends University.

WAM’s desire to engage more with local artists led to the partnership between the City-owned art museum and Harvester Arts, a 9-years-young organization that helps to foster opportunities for Wichita artists, including performances and exhibitions.

“We want to tap into Harvester’s expertise,” said Molly McFerson, WAM’s Director of Learning, Engagement and Partnerships, explaining why the museum selected Harvester Arts to collaborate on programming. “We’re the City’s museum—the City owns the building and the collection—so let’s show our commitment to the City and partner with a local organization like Harvester Arts, who also is dedicated to our city and to Wichita’s creative community.”

Looking ahead to future collaborations, Harvester Arts will facilitate a Spring 2023 reinstallation of the Cessna Art Investigation Gallery, located on the museum’s first floor. WAM’s continued goal of having local artists represented in the galleries will be realized in May when sculptor Meghan Miller, a graduate of Wichita State University’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, becomes the first artist selected by Harvester Arts to be featured in the newly reimagined Cessna Art Investigation Gallery.

“We’re a conduit to the local arts community,” said Kristin Beal, co-founder and executive director of Harvester Arts. “Wherever we are, we’re there to bring in local artists. That’s our specialty. That’s how we’re raising the creative capacity of Wichita.”

For more information about the collaboration between Harvester Arts and WAM, email info@harvesterarts.org or education@wichitaartmuseum.org,

Saturday, February 25
Family ArtVenture: We Love Colors Event Schedule:

Artmaking for All Ages
11 am to 3 pm
Living Room and Art Studio

Dance Performances
11:30 am and 1 pm
M.C. Naftzger Gallery

• Performances are in response to the newly acquired painting Sunday Kind of Love by Robert Peterson on view in the exhibition Love for All My Life
• Choreographed by Harvester Arts Managing Director and dance artist Mina Estrada and performed by dancers Aviance Battles and Sheldon Mba

Storytime in the Galleries
12:30 pm and 2 pm
Meet in the S. Jim and Darla Farha Great Hall

Family ArtVenture will take place at the Wichita Art Museum, 1400 West Museum Blvd. Admission to the all-ages event, and general admission to the galleries, is free. Visitors who want to see Isabelle de Borchgrave: Fashioning Art from Paper, WAM’s new exhibition of life-size fashions made entirely from paper, may purchase special exhibition tickets ($12 adults/seniors & free to students w/ID and youth 18 and under) at WAM’s Welcome Desk or at wam.org/fashion.