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Beach Blog

Category: Art in Motion program series

See the new exhibition and join the celebration!

The new installation, Transfigurations: Reanimating the Ancient Art of India by artist and experimental filmmaker David Lebrun, is now open. Part of an ambitious series, Lebrun and his creative team traveled the world to study and capture the beauty of iconic artworks through high resolution photography. In this immersive installation, centuries-old sculptures of the Hindu deities Shiva and Vishnu, as well as attendants to Vishnu, are meticulously sequenced and animated bringing each figure to life. A custom sound score written by composer Yuval Ron enhances the experience by creating a calm, contemplative atmosphere. This unique exhibition is currently on view in the Wefald Gallery where it will remain through May of 2023. For more information on this and other Beach Museum of Art exhibitions, please visit beach.k-state.edu.

On Thursday, October 20th, 2022, the museum will hold a Diwali Celebration from 5:00-7:00p.m. to compliment the Transfigurations exhibition. The event, also known as the “Festival of Lights”, is free and open to the public. Please join us for special activities, music, dance and refreshments.

Flyer promoting a Diwali Celebration

Join the Conversation

Photo of Elisabeth AnkerSeeing Freedom? Livestream Conversation with Elisabeth Anker on the Diverse Meanings of Iconic Images and Objects

Join Beach Museum of Art curator Aileen June Wang and Elisabeth R. Anker, associate professor of American studies and political science at George Washington University, for a livestream conversation about the numerous meanings that “iconic” words, images, and objects can have. Professor Anker has done research on how the word “freedom” represented different ideas throughout the history of the United States. This program is offered in conjunction with the exhibition Do You See What I See? currently on display at the Beach Museum of Art. The program and related exhibition are free and open to the public.

Join the free program via Zoom. Click here to register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the program.

Recap: Outstanding collaboration between the Beach Museum of Art & McCain Auditorium

3 Men seated on an auditorium stage

Earlier this month, the Beach Museum of Art in collaboration with McCain Auditorium brought three distinguished guest artists to K-State for a residency and two public programs. This included six-time Grammy winning musician and composer Terence Blanchard, multimedia artist Andrew F. Scott and Oscar winning screenwriter and director Kevin Willmott (pictured left to right). While here, Mr. Blanchard visited Manhattan High School and gave an inspiring speech to students of the junior class. He also attended a rehearsal of Professor Wayne Goins’ K-State Jazz Ensemble where he listened in and led a group critique. That evening at McCain Auditorium, the conversation Art Matters Now: Three Artists Reflect featured a panel discussion between Mr. Blanchard, Mr. Scott and Mr. Willmott. Each shared their thoughts on the enduring legacy of Kansas native Gordon Parks. They explored ideas about how creativity may be used to promote and inspire societal change. Citing a range of mediums including music, art, film and photography, the discussion centered on the role that representation plays in building empathy.

Photo of concert with trumpet and guitar players

A concert held the following night, Presence of Absence: Gordon Parks through an Empathic Lens, featured Terence Blanchard on trumpet along with the E-Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet. Set against a dynamic virtual backdrop, the kaleidoscope of imagery included a montage of Gordon Parks’ photographs juxtaposed with text as well as images from the live performance. Created by artist and digital mastermind Andrew F. Scott, in collaboration with students from UT Dallas and K-State, the visuals evolved in real time in sync with the music. The riveting performance capped off an exceptional series of programs centered on the Beach Museum’s exhibition Gordon Parks: “Homeward to the Prairie I Come” on view in the Pelton Gallery through May 28, 2022. Click here to view the virtual exhibition.

Photos courtesy of Roxanne Minnish.