Kansas People’s History Project, 2016
Whenever I become discouraged (which is on alternate Tuesdays, between three and four) I lift my spirits by remembering: The artists are on our side! I mean those poets and painters, singers and musicians, novelists and playwrights who speak to the world in a way that is impervious to assault because they wage the battle for justice in a sphere which is unreachable by the dullness of ordinary political discourse.
- Howard Zinn
During a tumultuous time in our state, the idea of who we are as Kansans, what we value and how we want to be remembered - our identity - were being debated with passion and purpose. The Kansas People’s History Project explores these questions by empowering artists and citizen historians to evoke the stories of the many people and events that have helped shape our identity but are not widely known or acknowledged.
Inspired by Howard Zinn’s groundbreaking book “A People’s History of United States” which examined history “from the bottom up,” and the Celebrate People’s History project organized by Josh MacPhee, the KPHP focuses on the creation of screen printed broadsides with text narratives, a limited edition portfolio, and a touring exhibition that shines a light on lesser known but greatly influential figures and events from Kansas’s past.
The Watkins Museum of History in partnership with five arts-based and educational organizations from across the state (Pittsburg State University, La Casa de la Semilla in Wichita, Bethel College in North Newton, Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, InterUrban ArtHouse in Overland Park and the Salina Arts Center), are collaborating with lead artist Dave Loewenstein, printmaker Justin Marable and artists from across the state to unearth these lost or underrepresented subjects.
From the many Tribal nations that have called (and continue to call) this place home to the stories of Suffragettes, outsider artists, Civil Rights activists and countless others who have helped shape the story of Kansas, this project celebrates the integral role these often overlooked groups have had in the making of Kansas history.
This project has been supported by generous grants from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission and the Mid-America Arts Alliance Artistic Innovations program.
