The urge to create or possess a visual representation of a specific person – a portrait – is present throughout history. Portraits are created for many reasons: from sentimental to celebratory, for public or private viewing, as memorials, and as icons. Until the introduction of photography in the 1840s, portraits were rendered by artists in both two and three-dimensional mediums such as paintings and sculptures. The Museum’s collection includes a variety of portraits, most of which depict local people. In this exhibition, we learn of portraiture and the people portrayed.
Portraits From the Museum Collection
- January 16, 2025
- Floor 3, Walls Visual Art Gallery
Floor 3
On the third floor you’ll find: The core exhibit “Wichita the Magic City” which chronicles Wichita’s first fifty years. This is where the Museum begins to tell our local story, beginning in the 1860s with a prairie wilderness developed into the fastest growing city in the United States. Also on this floor is the Victorian House immersive exhibit depicting home typical of the emerging middle class in Wichita, the Lois Kay Walls Art Gallery featuring local art, and the Civics and Government Exhibit featuring the 1890s office of the Mayor. The Museum’s restrooms are also located on this floor.
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