FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wichita, Kansas – 01/29/2026

Wichita, Kansas – 01/29/2026– Alex Katz: Theater and Dance will be nothing less than a showstopper at WAM this winter. Performing arts and visual arts come together as one in this exhibition, the first comprehensive exploration of Katz’s playful and inventive collaborations with choreographers, dancers, and members of avant-garde theater ensembles over six decades. The exhibition showcases rare archival materials, major sets and paintings, and previously unexhibited sketches from more than two dozen productions. Alex Katz: Theater and Dance is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and Colby College Museum of Art. This exhibition is curated by Levi Prombaum, former Katz Consulting Curator, Colby College Museum of Art. The 2022 presentation of Alex Katz: Theater and Dance was organized by the Colby Museum with curatorial guidance from Robert Storr.

In addition to presenting a range of works by innovators across the performing arts and poetry, this show spotlights 15 productions on which Katz and choreographer Paul Taylor collaborated. The works displayed will explore their creative partnership that resulted in some of the most significant postmodern dance of the 20th century. Viewers will experience Katz’s singular creative sensibility and his spirited, iterative approach to theater and dance design and enjoy fascinating crossovers between the artist’s studio and the stage. WAM’s Curator, Dr. Tera Hedrick, notes, “This exhibition shows how visual and performing arts are inseparably linked. Great theater needs great visual art—costumes, props, set design, and more—and Alex Katz’s masterful use color and form delivered a major impact for the performances to which he contributed. In turn, Katz was endlessly inspired by the worlds of theater and dance. Wichita has a thriving arts community, so we at WAM are excited to bring this show here for all of us to enjoy. This is the last venue for this nationally touring exhibition, and we’re proud to host its final act.”

Exhibition Details
Alex Katz: Theater and Dance January 31 – May 10, 2026 Wichita Art Museum
FREE for WAM members
$12 for adults/seniors | $3 SNAP EBT
FREE for college students w/ID + youth 18 & under

Opening Programs
Members Exclusive Preview: Saturday, January 31, from 10 AM–5 PM
Public Opening: Sunday, Feb. 1, 10 AM–5 PM

Opening Day Public Program: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2 PM
A Conversation with Dr. Katharine Wright and Constance Dinapoli FREE curator talk featuring Dr. Katharine Wright, Curator at the American Federation of Arts, and Constance Dinapoli, dancer and choreographer formerly with Paul Taylor Dance Company. Dinapoli is one of the dancers who appears in works featured in the exhibition. What a great opportunity to hear from someone who worked directly with Alex Katz!

Exhibition Credit
Alex Katz: Theater and Dance is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and Colby College Museum of Art. This exhibition is curated by Levi Prombaum, former Katz Consulting Curator, Colby College Museum of Art. The 2022 presentation of Alex Katz: Theater and Dance was organized by the Colby Museum with curatorial guidance from Robert Storr.

2026 exhibitions and public programs are generously supported by the Downing Foundation. All museum exhibitions receive generous support from the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum and the City of Wichita.

Supporting Sponsors
Toni and Bud Gates
Carol and Guy Glidden
Debbie Sinclair
Mary Sue Smith
Jeff and Janice Van Sickle

The American Federation of Arts is the leader in traveling exhibitions internationally. A nonprofit organization founded in 1909, the AFA is dedicated to enriching the public’s experience and understanding of the visual arts through organizing and touring art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishing exhibition catalogues featuring important scholarly research, and developing educational programs.

For more information about the exhibition and events: wam.org/alexkatz

Contact: Naama Marcos, Director of Marketing and Communications | marcos@wam.org| 316-268-4985
Wichita Art Museum: 1400 West Museum Boulevard, Wichita, Kansas USA 67203 | 316-268-4921

The Wichita Art Museum connects people, ideas, and art through remarkable experiences.

“This exhibition shows how visual and performing arts are inseparably linked. Great theater needs great visual art—costumes, props, set design, and more—and Alex Katz’s masterful use color and form delivered a major impact for the performances to which he contributed. In turn, Katz was endlessly inspired by the worlds of theater and dance. Wichita has a thriving arts community, so we at WAM are excited to bring this show here for all of us to enjoy. This is the last venue for this nationally touring exhibition, and we’re proud to host its final act.” Dr. Tera Lee Hedrick, Curator, Wichita Art Museum