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Baker Arts Center

Heralded as a "cultural oasis on the prairie," the Baker Arts Center adds a refreshing splash of fine arts to an area typically characterized as a cultural desert.
The Baker Arts Center, located at 624 N. Pershing, continually offers a variety of visual art exhibits featuring national traveling exhibits, local one-artist shows, an annual juried art show, works from area high schools, and pieces from the center's permanent collection.
Baker Arts Center has been open since 1986. It was established after the death of Irene Dillon Baker in 1984, having been established in 1979 by the Bakers. The couple were long time supporters of the arts, and after their deaths, the home and adjacent properties were left to the foundation, to be converted into a center for the arts. Many of the works in the BAC permanent collection and the books in the library were originally purchased by Irene Baker.
The center provides a much needed exhibit space for artists who work in conventional techniques, like oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, sculpture and photography. Exhibits have also featured textile art, quilt displays, handmade jewelry, woodworking, glassworks, collage and more.
In addition, the center boasts a large collection that includes original works by renowned artists such as John Steuart Curry, Elaine de Kooning, Jack Sorenson, Dord Fitz and Jeanne Reynall. The library, located or the lower level, contains more than 2,000 books, 1,000 reference portfolios and other art research materials for perusal. The upper level has both a Discovery Center for children, with hands-on activities like a puppet theater, easels, LEGO (tm) table, musical instruments and books, and an educational studio for adult and children's art classes and workshops.
The Baker Arts Foundation board of directors has focused or expanding the center's educational opportunities by sponsorship of school tours, year-round art and music workshops for children, and an artist-in-residency program for the elementary schools. For the adults, a variety of workshops with different artists are scheduled; this year, the center will host instructor/artists Linda Glover Gooch, Mary Binford Miller and Roger Williams.
The center also places an emphasis or the performing arts through music recitals, professional ballet and theater productions. Larger productions appear at local auditoriums, while some troupes visit area schools to perform for students on site. Scheduled for 1998-99 are the live theater performances of "Pinocchio," and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by the Wichita Children's The ater, and "Anne Frank: A Voice Heard," by the American Family Theater of New York.

What: Center for the fine arts, with
exhibits, performances and classes for all ages.
Where: 624 North Pershing.
Hours: 1 - 5pm Tuesday - Friday
2-4 pm Weekends
Closed Mondays.
Phone: (316) 624-2810
Admission: Free except for special events and classes.

The year will end with a December performance of "The Nutcracker" by the Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita.
In February, the Friends of Baker Arts will host its annual Chocolate Fantasy, a fund-raiser that appeals to the palate and the eyes. Spring brings the annual Fine Arts Festival, which brings students of all levels and musical styles to the main gallery for a day-long performance open to the community.
In the fall, French Market, an annual event organized by the Friends of Baker Arts, kicks off the Christmas shopping season. The weekend is full of activities, including a day-long silent auction, specially-prepared sit-down meals, shops and booths of fine arts, Christmas wares, homemade breads, desserts and pastries, and antiques to buy. In addition, the Festival of Trees includes Christmas trees created and decorated by local businesses, artists and craftsman, which are auctioned at a gala reception at the High Plains Petroleum Club.
Future plans for the Baker Arts Center include additional live performances and theater productions, expanded educational programs and workshops, expansion and construction of an enclosed patio area to host outdoor events, and a general expansion to accommodate permanent displays of the Baker Arts Center's own collection of artwork.