Current Exhibitions
2020-2021 programs are made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities; a grant from the City of Wichita Falls as administered by the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture; the McGaha Smith DAF-Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation Donor Difference Fund; MSU Texas with support from the Museum Trust Fund; and individual donors to Texoma Gives and the Museum Annual Fund.
Join the Curator of Collections and Exhibitions in a tour every Saturday at 3:00 PM
Quilt Journeys: Pattern
January 30 – July 24, 2021
More often than not, a quilt tells a story. From Colonial quilts to the Abolitionist movement and from the Crazy Quilt era of the 19th century to today’s contemporary experimentation with materials redefining what a quilt can be, the quilt journey offers a rich history communicated through pattern, story, and collaboration. This exhibition explores pattern in 20th century quilts from the WFMA Permanent Collection.
Image: Grandmother’s Flower Garden Variation, Quilt, n.d; Gift of J.I. Staley.
Dwelling: Experiences of Shelter
March 27 – September 4, 2021
This exhibition invites reflection on the experience of shelter, both our own and those around us. During the pandemic, many people have expressed a new awareness of their homes. For some the experience is idyllic, for some claustrophobic, and for some dangerous. Created well before the Covid-19 coronavirus changed lives across the globe, these artworks remind us of a prior time and urge us to see them now in a new light.
Image: Katherine Liontas-Warren, The Lost Habitat, 2010, Pastel; Gift of the artist.
Visions of the West
April 24 – July 24, 2021
Visions of the West presents imagery of the American West by Texas and Southwestern artists, including the legendary Frank Reaugh. Spanning the 20th century and beyond, the works in this exhibition invite us to draw on our experiences of the West, both romantic and starkly real.
Image: Otis Dozier, Abandoned House, 1935, Oil on board; on loan from a private collection.
Online Exhibitions
Resiliency, Humility, Fortitude: Frank Gohlke’s Aftermath
On Tuesday, April 10, 1979, just after 6:00 p.m. a massive tornado struck the city of Wichita Falls, leaving a mile-wide path of devastation through the city’s southwestern edge. This series of photographs titled Aftermath by Frank Gohlke documents the devastation the day after the storm and the city as it appeared a year later. His work offers a vivid testimony to both the destructive power of the storm and the determination of the city and its people to rebuild.
In the museum’s annual tradition of honoring the resiliency, humility and fortitude of residents who experienced the 1979 tornado, our collection of Frank Gohlke’s photographs have been repackaged into accessible online formats.
Image: Frank Gohlke, 4503 McNeil, looking north , 1979/1980, Gelatin silver print; Gift of the artist, 1980.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Collectors Circle Retrospective
Fall 2021
Image: Frederick Mershimer, Moonlight, 2010, Mezzotint; Collectors Circle purchase, 2015.
Museum Day
Fall 2021
Image: 1966 breaking ground for the future home of the Wichita Falls Museum of Art.