The vision of one strong woman and the dedication of another brought some of the most important American art of the early twentieth century to the center of the nation, where art joined Wichita's airplanes, agriculture, and oil in shaping the consciousness of the midcontinent.
Beginning in the 1930s, Elizabeth Stubblefield Navas embarked on a remarkable journey to fulfill the bequest of her employer, Louise Caldwell Murdock, to build an outstanding art collection in Wichita, Kansas. Out of a sense of responsibility to her mentor and community, Mrs. Navas undertook an education in art in order to make the best possible purchases. Her judgement and that of her successors in selecting works by Cassatt, Eakins, Henri, Homer, Hopper, Marin, and Pippin, among others, created a rich collection that museum visitors and scholars alike enjoy.
Presenting at least on important work of art per year from a collection of more than 7,000 objects, Wichita Art Museum: 75 years of American Art celebrates an important milestone in the history of a remarkable institution. The result is a portrait of the Museum's collection - a true portrait that does not attempt to mirror the history of American art, but instead reveals the superb quality and distinct character of the collection. This volume not only documents the remarkable growth of the Museum since its grand opening in 1935, but also looks to the future through the proposal of new collecting goals and a presentation of exciting new gifts in honor of this momentous occassian.
By Novelene Ross and Stephen Gleissner
Hardcover: 219 pages
Dimensions: 9.5 x 12.25 x 1 inches