Arts Council

To advance and promote arts and culture in the Wichita community

through advocacy, leadership, education and collaboration.

2008 Arts Council Board of Directors & Ex-Officio Members

Board of Directors

• Sharon Mallory, Chairman of the Board
• Dora Timmerman, Vice-Chairman/Special Events
• Mike Lowry, Treasurer
• Susan Arnold, Secretary
• Joan Cole, Advocacy Chair
• Judy Conners
• Judy Goodpasture
• Diana Gordon, Marketing/Membership Chair 
• Denise Irwin
• Ann Keefer, Art Advisory Chair 
• Bob Lamkey, Policy and Procedures Chair 
• Courtney Ruthven
• Norm Terry

Ex-Officio Members

• Sharon Fearey
• Helen Galloway
• Joe Miller
• Olivia Simmons
• Dave Unruh
• Lavonta Williams

Become a member of the Arts Council and help support the arts!
pdf - Arts Council Membership Form

History

In March of 1999, the Arts Council entered into a formal agreement with the City of Wichita to serve as the designated focal point for the implementation of the City's cultural arts plan. The Arts Council serves the 424,000+ residents of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Area and has accepted the responsibilities to strengthen all art venues and to promote cultural arts within the community.

Mission Statement

To advance and promote arts and culture in the Wichita community through advocacy, leadership, education and collaboration.

Our Goals

• Create an environment which nurtures artists, and arts & culture. 

• Equalize access, nurture cultural activities and preserve our culturally diverse community.

• Educate political leaders on the economic impact of our vibrant and diverse arts & cultural activities, and how they improve quality of life.
  

• Increase public awareness of, and involvement in, the activities of the arts & cultural community.

• Develop continuing funding sources to support arts & cultural activities.
• Coordinate the voices of the artistic & cultural communities in order to facilitate communication between those entities.
• Build bridges and expand outreach to individual artists and smaller groups. 

Our Services

• Facilitated the development of the Cultural Funding Committee who granted $1,080,270 in funds from the City of Wichita to 30 arts organizations for 2008.

• Sponsorship of a full-service website (www.wichitaarts.com) featuring the only Cultural Arts calendar in the area. Growing to over 2,000 hits per month, the calendar is easily accessible to citizens throughout the county as well as those traveling from outside of Kansas. The website offers information and contact information for and about artists, galleries, museums, and arts and cultural organizations.

• Presentation of the Annual Art Awards, which honor area individuals, businesses and associations that support the arts throughout Sedgwick County.

• Sponsorship and support for youth programs including fieldtrips and a variety of CityArts programs.

• Offers local artists and arts organizations visibility by supporting the gift shop and exhibit gallery located in the CityArts building. These venues offer artists a unique opportunity to sell their original creations. Artists are allowed to keep 70% of their gross sales. Artists showing in the gift shop and exhibit gallery are promoted by post cards, e-mail press releases and website announcements. The Arts Council sponsors free, open to the public artist receptions in the exhibit gallery.