Every Mother’s Day weekend for the last 55 years the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum have held the Art and Book Fair as a fundraiser for the Wichita Art Museum. A bold new take on the event brings the Fair home to the Wichita Art Museum. In future years the Fair will be able to take advantage of the Museum’s newly renovated grounds, but until that transformation takes place, the event will be held inside the Museum itself.
The 2015 theme, “Art of the Book,” will focus on authors, illustrators, and book sales. Hundreds of books in every conceivable genre will be available in the S. Jim and Darla Farha Great Hall. And in the Living Room section of the museum some of the region’s best artists will offer their creations
for sale in the “Small Works Market.” In keeping with tradition, “Art of the Book” will remain on Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10, 2015.
“We’re excited to bring the Fair back home to the Wichita Art Museum,” says Jill D. Miller, 2015 Art and Book Fair Chair of this Friends event. “This year’s event will be much different with lots of fun surprises to celebrate the art of the book.”
For area patrons and longtime Fairgoers, the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum expect “Art of the Book” to bring new growth to this annual fundraiser as the organization evolves and continues serving the mission of the Wichita Art Museum and Wichita’s creative community. In May 2016, the Friends intend to connect “Art of the Book” back to the traditional Art and Book Fair by remaining at the Wichita Art Museum and issuing a call for entries to regional and national artists to exhibit on the newly landscaped grounds of the Museum.
When: Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Wichita Art Museum, 1400 West Museum Boulevard
Cost: Admission is free both days
Some of the new exciting events at this year’s “Art of the Book Fair”
Book Sale — Every year area bibliophiles look forward to this opportunity to purchase books of every sort that have been donated to the museum for the Art and Book Fair and this year is no exception.
Small Works Market — An opportunity to purchase smaller works from amazing regional artists.
Art and Photography Booth — Linnebur and Miller will create a one-of-a-kind image of you as a work of art. $20
Tallgrass Film Festival showing of “Big Fish” — For the first time, the Fair is partnering with the Tallgrass Film Festival. The classic film “Big Fish” will be shown on Saturday at 2 p.m. and on Sunday at 11 a.m. in the museum’s Howard E. Wooden Lecture Hall. Admission is free.
Storyrtelling — On Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon in the museum’s Howard E. Wooden Lecture Hall, featuring Arts Partners performers from “The Griots: Keepers of Stories” troupe; Amy Woolf, storyteller and puppeteer; and Chris Gulick, artist and performer.
Authors and Illustrators — Jon Pirtle, illustrator, will give a presentation.
Creative Rush Panel Discussion — Sunday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Howard E. Wooden Lecture Hall
Since 1959, the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum (FWAM) has dedicated time, talent and treasure to one of
Kansas’ premier art museums, located in the heart of the Museums on the River district. The mission of the Friends
is to establish a permanent endowment for art acquisitions, exhibitions, the Emprise Bank Research Library, and the
Howard E. Wooden Lecture Series for the Wichita metropolitan community. The mission of the Wichita Art
Museum is to bring people, ideas, and American art together to enrich lives and build community.