Mulvane Art Museum

Mulvane Art Museum A free art museum at Washburn University. The Mulvane Art Museum is located on the campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. We're glad you're here.

Open to the public since 1924, it is one of the oldest art museums west of the Mississippi River. The Mulvane houses a collection of almost 6,500 objects in a broad cross-section of materials and techniques. The mission of the Mulvane Art Museum is to empower diverse communities to connect, appreciate, and think openly about art as a means for communicating human values. It functions as a hub for

creative thought and academic discourse centered on art. Through art exhibitions and public programs, the museum facilitates community conversations about wide-ranging themes and socio-cultural issues. As an academic museum, the Mulvane collects, preserves, and interprets works of art with special consideration to the educational and cultural needs of Washburn University. The Mulvane serves the broader region beyond the university through outreach programs in public schools and on-site educational opportunities for children, families, and members of our community. When posting:

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Jordan or LeBron? The debate of the century is happening at the Mulvane Art Museum.Whether you’re Team MJ or Team King J...
09/04/2026

Jordan or LeBron? The debate of the century is happening at the Mulvane Art Museum.

Whether you’re Team MJ or Team King James, you can’t deny the power of a perfect shot. Our current exhibition, "ICONIC: Sports Photography by Walter Iooss Jr.," features legendary images that capture these two greats. Decide for yourself who truly takes the crown.

Iooss Jr., Walter, "Michael Jordan, Highland Park, IL," 1996, archival pigment print. Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University.

Iooss Jr., Walter, "LeBron James, San Francisco, CA," 2009, archival pigment print. Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University.

Today we're celebrating the abundance of creativity in our state with a look at Kansas artist Larry Schwarm (b. 1944) 🌻 ...
09/03/2026

Today we're celebrating the abundance of creativity in our state with a look at Kansas artist Larry Schwarm (b. 1944) 🌻

Raised on a farm in Kansas, renowned photographer Larry Schwarm has spent decades capturing rural life in the state. From farmers to prairie burnings, his photographs document the people, places, and practices that make the heartland distinctive. They trace the ways that our interactions with the landscape have both changed and stayed the same over time.

Larry Schwarm
"Flint Hills at sunset along Sharpe's Creek Road, Chase County, Kansas," c. 1990
chromogenic print
Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University

Earlier this month we hosted a homeschool co-op and happened to run into artist Hong Chun Zhang! Zhang is the artist beh...
09/02/2026

Earlier this month we hosted a homeschool co-op and happened to run into artist Hong Chun Zhang! Zhang is the artist behind Journey to the West: A Survey of Hong Chun Zhang’s Art, 1996–2026 the current exhibition in the main gallery. While there visiting with a colleague, she pivoted and gave an impromptu gallery talk with the families. It was remarkable and the kids were so engaged. Sometimes timing is perfect!

Thanks to all of the friends and families who joined us on Saturday for our Washed Ashore community celebration! We want...
09/01/2026

Thanks to all of the friends and families who joined us on Saturday for our Washed Ashore community celebration! We want to give a special shout out to Washburn Ecobods for their contributions to The Washed Ashore Project in Topeka. The Washburn EcoBods are a group of Washburn University students who volunteer to facilitate a more Earth-friendly campus environment which can serve as a model for others. Along with the Topeka Zoo and The Rotary Club of Topeka, they played an integral role in the Topeka Public Schools Monarch Butterfly sculpture project. We are so glad they could be with us to celebrate!

We are thrilled to be hosting StoneLion Puppet Theatre today at the Mulvane Art Museum as a part of Washed Ashore: A Com...
08/29/2026

We are thrilled to be hosting StoneLion Puppet Theatre today at the Mulvane Art Museum as a part of Washed Ashore: A Community Celebration of Art to Save the Sea! Recycled puppet workshops are happening right now and until 2pm today. Join us and stay for a visit to the Art Lab and Galleries, which will be open until 4pm!

We have an incredible face painting artist onsite!  Shea Freeman is here until 2pm with a variety of ocean themed option...
08/29/2026

We have an incredible face painting artist onsite! Shea Freeman is here until 2pm with a variety of ocean themed options for our Washed Ashore community celebration. Free and open to the public!

The Topeka Public Schools Monarch Butterfly sculpture is on display in the Art Lab and our amazing student workers are r...
08/29/2026

The Topeka Public Schools Monarch Butterfly sculpture is on display in the Art Lab and our amazing student workers are ready to make some recycled art with visitors of all ages! Join us from 11am–2pm today for Washed Ashore: A Community Celebration of Art to Save the Sea. The Art Lab and Galleries will be open until 4pm. Free and open to the public!

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center Mobile Museum is all set up at the Mulvane Art Museum! Join us today from 11am–2p...
08/29/2026

The Kansas Children's Discovery Center Mobile Museum is all set up at the Mulvane Art Museum! Join us today from 11am–2pm for Washed Ashore: A Community Celebration of Art to Save the Sea and experience an exciting array of outdoor, interactive experiences for all ages! Free and open to the public.

The truck from Flint Hills Pints has arrived at the Mulvane Art Museum! Join us today from 11am–2pm for Washed Ashore: A...
08/29/2026

The truck from Flint Hills Pints has arrived at the Mulvane Art Museum! Join us today from 11am–2pm for Washed Ashore: A Community Celebration of Art to Save the Sea, and enjoy some of these delicious flavors, locally made in Alma, KS!

This is the ideal weekend to visit the Mulvane and view our exhibition, "71%: Picturing Waterways," which highlights bod...
08/28/2026

This is the ideal weekend to visit the Mulvane and view our exhibition, "71%: Picturing Waterways," which highlights bodies of water and the diverse life forms they sustain.

This exhibition features work from the museum's permanent collection and supports The Washed Ashore Project, an art installation of marine sculptures made entirely from plastic debris, bringing a global conservation message to Topeka. Together with Washed Ashore, "71%" reminds us of the vital need for each of us to protect sources of water across the planet.

Join us this Saturday, August 29, from 11am–2pm, as we celebrate this collaborative community project with a free and family-friendly closing celebration! We'll have art activities for all ages, featuring the Kansas Children's Discovery Center Mobile Museum, StoneLion Puppet Theatre, Washburn Ecobods and Mulvane Art Museum Art Lab Outdoors. The museum and Art Lab will also open early for the event, and Flint Hills Pints will be onsite!

Barbara Latham, "Watering the Horses," c. 1938–50, oil on canvas. Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University.

Address

1700 SW College Avenue
Topeka, KS
66621

Opening Hours

Tuesday 12pm - 7pm
Wednesday 12pm - 5pm
Thursday 12pm - 5pm
Friday 12pm - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

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