New museums and summer exhibits to explore within driving distance of Wichita

Traveling exhibitions bringing rare collections and celebrated art closer to Kansas, original immersive art installations and new museums are all part of this year’s installation of exhibitions worth the drive. We’ve collected a wide-ranging assortment all within a day’s drive of Wichita to serve as motivation for a road trip this summer.

Here they are, listed in order of closing dates. Start planning now.

“Fish Bro Show,” May 31 through June 29, The Volland Store, near Alma, Kan.: The Volland Foundation Gallery brings together two artist/fishermen with international reputations and roots in Kansas. Joe Tomelleri creates exacting Prismacolor drawings of fish, accurate down to individual scales. Ray Troll fuses facts with surreal imagery, creating whimsical works with inspiration from extensive field work and the latest scientific discoveries. The gallery is free and open Friday through Sunday, though confirm at thevollandstore.com that they aren’t closed for a private event.

“KAWS: FAMILY,” March 15 through July 28, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Ark.: See the work of artist and designer KAWS, who has been creating a cast of iconic characters with Xs for eyes since the late 1990s. This exhibition is organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario and includes drawings, paintings, altered advertisements, product collaborations and sculptures, including “Family,” a 2021 sculpture of four of the KAWS’ characters in a family portrait pose. This is a ticketed exhibition ($15 for guests age 26 and older) at the otherwise free museum. Find details at crystalbridges.org.

“Samurai: Armor from the Collection of Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller,” March 12 through Aug. 3, Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Okla.: The artistry, discipline and legacy of the samurai warrior in Japanese society is on display in this exhibition that features objects spanning eight centuries. The more than 80 objects, including full suits, helmets, weaponry and full horse armor, are part of a collection that took 35 years to assemble and has been called “one of the most important collections of its type outside of Japan.” Check for related programming, including a samurai week July 16-20, at philbrook.org. General admission tickets range from $8 to $18 and this exhibit requires an additional ticket.

“A Match Made in Heaven; Katherine Bernhardt x Jeremy Scott,” Feb. 7 through Aug. 3, Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, Kan.: This exhibition is the first to explore the shared references of two Missouri artists – fashion designer Jeremy Scott (born in 1975 in Kansas City) and contemporary artist Katherine Bernhardt (born in 1975 in St. Louis). See looks by Scott, created for the Italian design house Moschino (2013-2023), adidas, and for his namesake brand, Jeremy Scott, and paintings by Bernhardt, showcasing their creative work that engages with themes of pop culture, consumerism and irreverent humor. The Nerman Museum, nermanmuseum.org, is on the campus Johnson County Community College and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free.

“Renoir : A Luminous Evolution,” Nov. 8, 2024, through Sept. 5, Museum of Art + Light, Manhattan, Kan.: This original, 45-minute animated installation centered on the life and works of Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir was the debut in the immersive gallery, Mezmereyz, when this 100,000-square-foot museum combining technology, immersive experiences and fine art opened in November 2024. Catch it before it closes in September and time your visit with rotating exhibitions featured on three floors. Several will change out in July and August so it’s best to review the current and upcoming exhibitions lists at artlightmuseum.org. Museum of Art + Light is open Wednesday through Monday; general admission is $10-$15 and Renoir is a separate ticket.

“Discovering Ansel Adams,” June 7 through Sept. 28, Oklahoma City Museum of Art: This traveling exhibit debuted in 2024 and offers material from the Center of Creative Photography’s Ansel Adams Archive housed at the University of Arizona. The exhibition examines his life (1902-1984) and development as a photographer. The 124 photographs in the exhibition span from rare, small prints from his teenage years to mural-sized prints featuring his most famous views. There also are 10 portraits of Adams by others and unique archival items such as photographic working materials, handwritten letters, book drafts, personal possessions and snapshots. OKCMOA is open Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets for this exhibit, available at okcmoa.com, also include all current exhibitions. Adults are $19.95, seniors $17.95 and ages 17 and younger are free.

“PARTY!,” May 24 through Sept. 29, Factory Obscura, Oklahoma City, Okla.: The artist collective known as Factory Obscura has a new temporary immersive experience this summer while still offering its permanent experience “Mix-Tape.” Like the permanent experience, “PARTY!” is a celebration of nostalgia, conjuring up thoughts of building blanket forts as kids. It was created by Oklahoma fiber artists Krista Jo Mustain and Emily Madden in collaboration with Factory Obscura. Their vision was to create a “cozy, safe landing spot where you can escape the mundane and rest in the joy of nostalgia.” Factory Obscura in downtown Oklahoma City is open Wednesday through Monday. “PARTY!” tickets are $12 adults, $8 ages 4-17 and free for kids 3 and under. There are also all-access passes for both experiences and special events listed at factoryobscura.com.

“The Prison Concerts: Folsom and San Quentin (Jim Marshall’s Photographs of Johnny Cash)” and “Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues, and Soul,” May 24 through Oct. 12, The Momentary, Bentonville, Ark.: This summer at The Momentary, the contemporary art satellite space to Bentonville’s Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, three exhibitions explore the intersection of music and photography. “The Prison Concerts” is organized by the Grammy Museum and comprises 25 candid and performance images documenting the two concerts in 1968 and 1969. Cash gave Marshall exclusive access to photograph the concerts, which the musician used to raise awareness of prison conditions. “Front Row Center” presents Larry Hulst’s photography featuring rock, blues and soul music from 1970-1999. It includes 70 images covering three genres and generations. These exhibitions are included in free general admission; The Momentary is open Tuesday through Sunday. Get details at themomentary.org.

“WE THE PEOPLE: Portraits of Veterans in America,” May 24 through December 2025, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum, Abilene, Kan.: See 50 large-scale watercolor portraits of veterans – one from each state – in this temporary exhibition space inside the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. “WE THE PEOPLE” is the title of one of Mary Whyte’s seven books, and the traveling exhibit debuted in 2019. Whyte is known internationally for her watercolors of contemporary people. Her series depicting military veterans spans all ages and backgrounds, from a Missouri dairy farmer to a South Carolina single mother. The exhibition is included with regular admission, $10-$20, and the museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Learn more at eisenhowerlibrary.gov.

Museum of BBQ, ongoing, Kansas City, Mo.: The world’s first museum of barbecue is now open in Kansas City, though it covers all the regions of American barbecue. The passionate project of Jonathan Bender, a local foodie and author, opened in April at Crown Center. Explore 10 interactive installations – from smelling rub components to touching wood used in smokers – that Bender designed to appeal to ’que aficionados as well as families (don’t miss playing in the bean pit). There’s also a gift shop stocked with sauces, rubs and other related merchandise. The museum is open daily and you can buy tickets, $10 plus taxes and fees, in person or at museumofbbq.co.