Wichita Falls Art Association celebrating 70-year anniversary
Arts and Humanities Culture and Society

WFMA cancels events through March 31

  • MSU Texas Marketing and Public Information
  • 18 February 2020
Arts and Humanities Culture and Society

Wichita Falls Art Association celebrating 70-year anniversary

  • MSU Texas Marketing and Public Information
  • 18 February 2020
  • 2 min read

Update: The Wichita Falls Museum of Art has cancelled all programs through March 31, 2020, in order to do its part in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. The WFMA will remain open to the public in normal hours to view the exhibitions as the spacing allows for the necessary social distancing in the galleries. The WFMA is closed March 19-20 for spring break.

The Wichita Falls Art Association is celebrating 70 years of dedication to art and artists in Wichita Falls, and members invite the community to join them for some exciting upcoming events.

The celebrations begin with “Let Me Show You This!” – a heritage exhibition at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas. The show, which will feature art from the founders and early members, will be on view from March 13 through June 27. The public is invited to attend the opening reception from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 24.

Commemorative books titled “Let Me Show You This!” will also be for sale. The book highlights historic local arts, architecture, and cultural events. Preorders may be made at the Art Association Gallery on the first floor of the Holt Hotel at 600 Eighth St.

As part of the exhibition, the Art Association will host a panel symposium at the WFMA at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 16, about collecting and studying Texas Art.

Panelists will include members of the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art, including Dr. Francine Carraro, retired director of the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas; Dr. Jack Davis, retired Dean of the School of Visual Arts at the University of North Texas; and Dr. Victoria Cummins, Professor of History at Austin College. The symposium is free and open to the public.

The Wichita Falls Art Association exhibition features works in all genres by heritage member artists, who exhibited their art from the founding of the association in 1949 through the twentieth century.

These artists, including founders Emil Hermann, Polly Hoffman, Jon Bodkin, Ilma Lucille Craft, Billie Culwell Avis, and Walter Ehlert, sought to delight their viewers, inspire one another, and encourage future generations of artists and viewers.

For more information about the 70th-anniversary events, contact Ann Hunter at 940-631-5661.

Words and Pictures; Vernon Fisher

Words and Pictures feature paintings, sculptures, and installations from 1980-2019 by the nationally accomplished Texas artist Vernon Fisher. Fisher came of age in the twentieth century, characterized by cultural and theological scholars as the bloodiest and most brutal century in history. Like many artists of his era, including poets and writers who inspire him, Fisher explores what it means to be lost and searching in the face of indifference. His art is a personal expression of what life feels like. His paintings, typified by compositions of floating imagery and overlaid texts, present an unresolved narrative, intended to leave viewers with an overarching sense of emotion. Embracing postmodern humor, irreverence, and anti-closure, Vernon Fisher creates images of hopeful uncertainty.

Resiliency, Humility, Fortitude: Frank Gohlke’s Aftermath

The theme of this year’s commemorative exhibition "Resiliency, Humility, Fortitude: Frank Gohlke’s Aftermath"
encompasses coming back from the aftermath of Terrible Tuesday, April 10, 1979. This exhibition features the Aftermath photography series by award-winning photographer Frank Gohlke. Connect with the resilient spirit of the Wichita Falls community through interactive displays highlighting history, science, and photography. For more information, visit the WFMA.

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