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Beach Museum Launches Kansas Triennial to Showcase Contemporary Artists from Across the State

July 9, 2025

Images courtesy K-State

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University is launching a new Kansas Triennial series to spotlight contemporary Kansas artists. The inaugural exhibition, Kansas Triennial 25/26, opens August 5 in the Marion Pelton Gallery and the Archie and Dorothy Hyle Family Gallery, and runs through May 31, 2026.

The exhibition features work by four Kansas-based artists: Mona Cliff, Mark Cowardin, Poppy DeltaDawn, and Ann Resnick. Their work includes sculpture, beadwork, weaving, and pyrography, highlighting themes such as identity, memory, consumption, and cultural resilience.

*“Until the Sun Moves,” this 2023 piece by Mark Cowardin, is part of the Beach Museum of Art’s inaugural exhibition in the Kansas Triennial series. Image courtesy of the artist.*

The Kansas Triennial is designed to be a recurring exhibition every three years, celebrating the diversity and evolution of the state’s contemporary art scene. The museum aims to bridge Kansas’ artistic past with its present by showcasing new voices and creative innovation.

The community is invited to attend a public opening and artist reception on Thursday, Sept. 11. Additional artist talks are scheduled throughout the exhibition period.

The Beach Museum, located at 701 Beach Lane in Manhattan, offers free admission and parking. It also provides online programming and resources through its website and YouTube channel.