Wichita was one of the several key centers in the United States for print making from the first decades of the twentieth century extending into the 1960s. A group of likeminded and talented artists found validating camaraderie here. They stayed in Wichita when other cities with larger art scenes beckoned them, and they took initiative to create a meaningful artistic environment in Wichita-for themselves and for the region's public. In 1930, a circle of leading artists in Wichita founded the Prairie Print Makers.
Charles M. Capps, known by all as "Chili," was one of the key ringleaders of this circle. He was the first Vice President for the Prairie Print Makers, and he led the organization as its president for twenty-three years. As a native of Illinois, he put down roots in Wichita and richly contributed to the city's artistic vitality.
Capps was broadly recognized as a leading print maker, lauded in particular for his extraordinary prowess with aquatints. His subjects reflect the eye for beauty in the everyday and significant sense of place expressed during the American scene movement.
This catalog was produced to provide context for a 2021 exhibition of the prints of Charles M. Capps at the Wichita Art Museum, Wichita, Kansas.
By Barbara Thompson
Softcover: 162 pages
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 x 3/8 inches