Mark Arts, Inc.

Originally founded as the Wichita Art Association in 1920, Mark Arts is the area’s oldest and most comprehensive visual arts organization. For more than 95 years, Mark Arts has made art and arts education available to the citizens of Wichita and the surrounding communities.

School

The Mary R. Koch School of Visual Arts provides a 9,500-square-foot continuing education facility dedicated to art instruction for adults, teens and children.

• Painting & Drawing
• Photography
• Printmaking
• Pottery
• Sculpture
• Enameling
• Jewelry Making & Metalsmithing
• and More

Gallery

Mark Arts offers a 14,000-square-foot gallery with annual exhibitions showcasing regional and national artists. Exhibitions include:

• Wichita National All Media Craft Exhibition
• National Small Oil Painting Exhibition
• Mary R. Koch School of Visual Arts Student and Faculty Exhibitions
• Pastel National Exhibition
• Kansas Watercolor Society National Exhibition
• Abstract National Exhibition
• Eastern Kansas Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition

The Gallery is open from 1 to 65 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

ADMISSION IS FREE.

Theatre

The 484-seat theatre provides adults and children of all ages opportunities to experience theatrical performances. In 2014 state-of-the-art renovations were made to the stage and house lighting as well as the sound system.

Facility Rental

Mark Arts is an excellent venue for your special event. Click here for more information. To discuss rental possibilities please call Mark Arts.

Membership Benefits

Your membership directly supports FREE admission to the gallery, educational programs, and outreach, while providing you with many valuable benefits and discounts. As a member, you have early enrollment privileges and discounts on art classes.  You’ll also be the first to know about upcoming classes, exhibitions and programs.

History

Mark Arts is Wichita’s oldest visual arts organization, and one of the region’s only arts centers that includes a school. In the 1960s, Mary R. Koch, Olive Ann Beech and Gladys Wiedemann began their long-term support of the organization, helping become the premier art educations center that it is today. Primarily privately funded, Mark ARts generates most of its revenues through gifts, endowment earnings, tuition and special events.

Mark Arts’ resources include a permanent collection of more than 5,000 art works of regional and international importance; more than 14,000 square feet of galleries and 9,500 square feet of fully  equipped classroom space. The intimate 484-seat theatre is used for professional theater performances, children’s theater, films and special events. The gallery and school facilities were completed in 1965,  and the theatre was dedicated in 1971. The Koch Family Sculpture Garden, which opened in 2011, serves as an outdoor classroom, providing a visually stimulating, multi-purpose space.

The Mark Arts Board of Trustees has identified arts education as its core strength. Highly qualified staff and faculty are committed to providing top quality arts education and experiences to students.

The exhibition program presents historical and contemporary works that document the history of visual arts. In addition to attracting visitors from all segments of the population, particular targeted audiences include students, members, community collectors and individuals who seek to enrich their lives through cultural activities.

Mark Arts’ permanent collection, which is rotated in small exhibits throughout the year, has particular strengths in American decorative arts, printmaking and art of the Midwest. Special lectures and family days are held throughout the year to underscore major exhibitions and provide insight into art. All exhibitions are closely integrated with the Mary R. Koch School of Visual Arts to ensure that visitors and students benefit from Mark Arts’ total resources.