Wichita State’s Ulrich Museum invites locals to get artsy at Family Fun Day

With porch parades and graduation cruises coming up, families can get some tips for making parade flair during Saturday’s Family Fun Day hosted by Wichita State’s Ulrich Museum of Art.

It’s a free event happening outdoors from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday around the museum, which is near the 17th and Hillside entrance to the WSU campus. A map with the locations of art activity stations and suggestions for picture-taking spots alongside the museum’s outdoor sculptures can be picked up at the Ulrich’s entrance, located under the huge colorful Miro mural facing 17th Street.

At the parade flair station, families will learn how to make fringe tassel or tissue-paper flowers to decorate bikes, wagons, front porches or cars for parade season.

Ulrich staff will hand out basketballs to the first 200 kids at the event. The basketballs were left over from an exhibition canceled last year because of the pandemic. The Ulrich had received 600-plus basketballs that were to be arranged into a pyramid sculpture as part of the “To the Hoop” exhibition.

The artist, David Hoffman, had always intended for the basketballs to be given to kids after the installation to use in art projects, said Carolyn Copple, the museum’s membership and special events manager. The Ulrich has already had two other basketball giveaway events.

There will be two stations where kids can use the basketballs to create art, Copple said.

In exchange for nonperishable food or household goods donations, members of the WSU Ceramics Guild and Wichita East High Aces Ceramics Club will hand out 250 ceramic bowls that had been created and donated by kids in the community for last year’s Empty Bowls ICT event, which also was canceled because of the pandemic. The Empty Bowls ICT event raises funds for the Kansas Food Bank. Saturday’s donated items will go to two community pantries: the WSU Shocker Support Locker and ICT Community Fridge.

Free bottled water and lemonade, along with frozen custard Oreo sandwiches donated by event sponsor Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, will be handed out while supplies last.

The Ulrich’s galleries will also be open to visitors.

Disposable gloves for art making will be provided, and there will be nearby hand-washing stations. Masks and social distancing are encouraged.

Family Fun Day

Where: Ulrich Museum of Art, near the 17th Street and Hillside entrance of the Wichita State Campus

When: 1-3 p.m. Saturday

Admission: Free, donations of nonperishable food and household goods are being accepted at one activity station

More information: ulrich.wichita.edu

This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 3:30 PM.