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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: Martha Scott, 785-532-7718, marthas@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/bma/
News release prepared by: Beth Buchanan, 785-532-7718, bethb@k-state.edu

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

SMITHSONIAN COLLECTION OF ARTISTS' LETTERS ARRIVES AT K-STATE'S BEACH MUSEUM

MANHATTAN -- Personal letters from some of the most important artists of the 19th and 20th centuries will be on display at Kansas State University's Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art when "More Than Words: Illustrated Letters from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art" opens Friday, May 2.

The exhibition provides a different perspective on such artists as Thomas Eakins, Frida Kahlo, Marcel Duchamp, Dale Chihuly and Andy Warhol through their handwritten letters to family members, friends and business associates. The exhibit will remain on view through July 13 before continuing a 10-city national tour.

"We are pleased to bring this fine exhibition of illustrated letters by well-known artists to the Beach Museum of Art," said Lorne Render, museum director.

"The personal letters in 'More Than Words' uncover new insights into the personalities and creative processes of some of America's finest artists," said Liza Kirwin, the curator of manuscripts at the Archives of American Art who organized the exhibition. "In this age of modern technology, the works are designed to inspire us to communicate more thoughtfully and remind us to cherish handwritten, personal communications."

Although some of the letters are personal notes, others explore the travels or business relations of the artists. Most of the letters include drawings, caricatures, watercolors and collages that shed light on each artist's individuality.

"These letters will give visitors a close-up look at an artist's personal writings," Render said. "They also show how illustrations have been used to enhance the written word."

The letters are arranged by theme. Sections include "Bon Voyage," letters written to and by travelers; "I Do," letters written from the heart; "Plays on Words," using metaphors, puns and puzzles; "Visual Events," describing key personal, professional and political moments; "Graphic Instructions," providing illustrated directives to the reader; and "Thank You," letters of gratitude.

"More Than Words" was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Archives of American Art. A book that complements the exhibition, by the Princeton Architectural Press, is available in bookstores. More information about the Smithsonian's traveling exhibitions is available at: http://www.sites.si.edu/

For more information about K-State's Beach Museum of Art, call 785-532-7718 or drop by the museum on the southeast corner of the K-State campus at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Admission is free, and free visitor parking is available next to the building. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays.