Wind and Water

A Collaborative Exhibition by the Emporia Camera Club and the Flint Hills Artist Guild

On Display | August 7 – 29, 2026

Artist Reception | August 7, 2026 | 5 PM – 6 PM

The Emporia Camera Club and the Flint Hills Artist Guild have partnered for a collaborative exhibit celebrating the beauty and power of Wind and Water. Featuring both literal and abstract interpretations, the exhibit invites artists to explore everything in between these two inspiring elements through photography and visual art.

Ann Galbraith and Friends

On Display | September 4 – 26, 2026

Artist Reception | September 4, 2026 | 5 PM – 6 PM

Ann Galbraith has invited friends to join her in celebration of her journey through the years. Sharing her skills and making friends along the way. Ann has met so many talented people and wanted to share this space with the people she enjoys.

All invited friends will have works of their own, but some will be part of group displays. Ann and others will show projects they have made together in the classes Ann has taught.

Glen Ediger

Environmental Exposure – Art Influenced by Nature

On Display | October 2 – 31, 2026

Artist Reception | October 2, 2026 | 5 PM – 6 PM

Everything we do leaves an impression. Every action, whether intentional or not, shapes our environment and the relationships around us. This philosophy is at the heart of Glen Ediger’s abstract work, where nature itself becomes the artist.

Working with copper and steel, Ediger creates compositions that are left exposed to the elements for months—and sometimes more than a year. Rain, snow, ice, animals, wind, and accumulated debris naturally transform each surface, creating rich patinas and textures without any direct manipulation by the artist. The resulting works are true collaborations between art and nature, capturing the lasting effects of time and the environment.

This commitment to the concept extends beyond the artwork itself. Each piece is presented in a frame crafted from reclaimed lumber, reinforcing the idea that everything we do leaves a lasting impression.

Believed to be a one-of-a-kind artistic process, Ediger’s work offers a unique snapshot of nature’s influence—allowing the elements to take the lead and revealing the beauty found in change, exposure, and time.

Annual Veterans Exhibition

On Display | November 4 – 14, 2026

Artist Reception | November 6, 2026 | 5 PM to 6 PM

Each year, the Arts Center proudly honors our nation’s Veterans by showcasing their creative talents in the Trusler Gallery—part of Emporia’s long-standing tradition as the Founding City of Veterans Day. This annual exhibition is more than a display of artistic expression; it is a tribute to those who have served, and a recognition of the vital role Veterans continue to play in our community. Through painting, photography, woodworking, and a wide array of mediums, these artists share their perspectives, stories, and skill—reminding us that service extends beyond the uniform. We are privileged to host their work and deeply grateful for both their creative contributions and their service to our country.

Holiday Art Gifts

On Display | November 21 – December 23, 2026

Holiday Open House | November 21, 2026

Members’ Breakfast 9 – 10 am & Open House 10 – 3 pm

It’s that magical time of year again—when our gallery fills to the brim with local and regional art, all wrapped in the glow of our gorgeous 20-foot Christmas Tree! Looking for that perfect one-of-a-kind gift? From paintings to pottery, jewelry to woodwork—you’ll find it all (and more!) tucked throughout the gallery. So come on down, feel the cheer, and put a little art under your tree this year!

Michael Kidwell

A Lasting Effect

On Display | January 8 – 30, 2027

Artist Reception | January 8, 2027 | 5 PM to 6 PM

A Lasting Effort continues an ongoing exploration of observation, memory, and connection to the environments that shape us. Rooted in familiar landscapes and everyday experiences, the work reflects on how meaning is built through care and sustained attention over time. Through layered mark-making and a restrained visual language, the exhibition considers the relationships formed with places, objects, and practices that become part of daily life. A Lasting Effort invites viewers into a shared space of reflection, encouraging conversation, connection, and an awareness of how these experiences shape our lives, communities, and sense of place.

Celebrating Emporia’s Birthday

A Collaborative Exhibition by the Emporia Arts Council and the Lyon County History Center

On Display | February 5 – 27, 2027

Artist Reception | February 5, 2027 | 5 PM to 6 PM

This year EAC and LCHC are partnering up to celebrate the 170th Birthday of Emporia! We are working together to make two fabulous shows: one using the vast collection of historical items the History Center has and EAC with a call for artist to make one of kind works to have on display.

Cait Maltbie

Unraveling Stitches

On Display | March 5 – 27, 2027

Artist Reception | March 5, 2027 | 5 PM to 6 PM

Unraveling Stitches is a further exploration of my narrative comic series, Inner Bonds. In this series different human feelings are represented through anthropomorphic characters. Each character represents a feeling that is regularly occurring to myself and others, with the central trio representing anxiety, misfortune, and insecurity.

This exhibition serves as an exploration of feeling through zines which viewers can sit and read, prints that accompany the zines, and cardboard cut outs of the characters that bring them from paper into the physical space with viewers. The overall exhibition aims to make one consider their feelings and how they interact with the space and the greater world.

Annie Honn

On Display | April 2 – May 1, 2027

Artist Reception | April 2, 2027 | 5 PM to 6 PM

Annie Honn’s work showcases her advanced glass blowing skills. Her vessels utilize intricate murrini and cane work, to enhance her eye for color and pattern. She is currently working in artist residency at Englewood Arts and experimenting with new forms and concepts. We are excited to see what she has in store.

Annie Honn is a Kansas native who began working with glass at Emporia state, where she earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts. Annie’s primary focus is blown glass vessels, exploring patterns, line work and bold colors. Annie’s love of glass is fueled by the intensity of the craft and the coordinated dance your whole body performs when creating each piece.

She enjoys making objects that have use in everyday life and aims to make glass a part of an individuals’ daily routine. Annie’s primary drive in glass is mastering techniques to make objects that are finely crafted and feel good to use while being visually pleasing and engaging.

Russ Horton

Behind the Façade

On Display | May 7 – 29, 2027

Artist Reception | May 7, 2027 | 5 PM to 6 PM

The show will consist of a series of alleyway paintings from sites in Lawrence, Ottawa, and Emporia. Horton often refers to these types of images as “urbanscapes”. Showcasing the under-observed areas of everyday life. A small step away from the traditional landscapes one tends to think of, and showing you something tucked away. Some feel as if you are having a stroll through town and taking a curious look around.

Riding Through the Years

On Display | June 1 – 26, 2027

Artist Reception | June 11, 2027 | 5 PM to 6 PM

Riding Through the Years will be a photography show to reflect on the past 20 years of Unbound Gravel. Working with local photographers to find dynamic and inspiring shots of the athletes and their supporters. Emporia is full of energy every year as the racers come to town and we want to celebrate the incredible community we have the honor of hosting.

Shaping The Future – A Young Artist’s Exhibition

On Display | July 10 – August 1, 2026

Artist Reception | July 10, 2026 | 5 PM – 6 PM

The Emporia Arts Center is proud to present its annual Shaping the Future: A Young Artists’ Exhibition, on display in the Trusler Gallery from July 10 through August 1, 2026. This inspiring exhibition celebrates the creativity and talent of young artists from Emporia and the surrounding communities.

The public is invited to the Artists’ Reception on Friday, July 10, from 5:00–6:00 p.m., with an Awards Ceremony beginning at 5:15 p.m. Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in four age divisions will be awarded by guest juror Kat Dorcas.

Featuring artwork from students in PreK through 12th grade, the exhibition offers young artists the opportunity to showcase their work in a professional gallery setting.

The Emporia Arts Center thanks Lyon County State Bank for generously sponsoring this annual exhibition.

Deon Morrow

Movement

On Display | May 26 – June 27, 2026

Artist Reception | June 5, 2026 | 5 PM to 6 PM

Movement is a search for the moments that move us, shape us, and stay with us long after they pass. In this body of work, I am not only interested in motion as something physical, but as something deeply felt. He thinks about the shifts, connections, and subtle experiences that leave an imprint on who we are.

Deon’s paintings often begin with everyday scenes, but they are not meant to document them. Instead, he transform these moments through layered color and gesture, allowing memory and feeling to take the lead. Each piece becomes a space where presence and emotion meet, where something ordinary can feel intimate and alive.

Movement in this work exists in the space between stillness and change. It can show up in the blur of a figure, the rhythm of repeated marks, or in the way color builds and fades across a surface. These elements reflect how we actually experience life, not as fixed images, but as evolving impressions shaped by feeling.

Deon searches for the moments that pull us closer to ourselves and to each other. The ones that carry love, vulnerability, and recognition. Moments that might seem small, but hold weight in how we remember, connect, and feel.

Through Movement, he invites viewers to slow down and notice these experiences, to sit with them, and to consider how even brief moments can shape a sense of closeness, reflection, and belonging.

Cally Krallman

Endless Horizons

On Display | May 1 – 20, 2026

Artist Reception | May 9, 2026 | 1 PM to 3 PM

Cally has been painting in the Midwest, both plein air and studio, for over 30 years. Her work has been featured in over 70 solo and group exhibits, both nationally and internationally, including The Salon International and Art in the Embassies Program – both in Tblisi, Georgia and Moscow, Russia.

Krallman typically paints the prairie, loving the poignant sunsets and sunrises that define the prairie. Having grown up on a farm in northwest Kansas, it gave her a unique perspective on the energy of the landscape. A 4th generation farmer, it may be in her DNA! She paints in both acrylic and oil paints.

Cally received a BFA in 1981 from Washburn University, Topeka, KS, and received a WU Fellow Award in 2015 in Topeka, Kansas. A Signature member American Women Artists, associate member of the Oil Painters of America, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, and DAR National Women’s Art Award 2021.

Her show will be oil and acrylic landscapes paintings depicting the vast and diverse land/water features throughout the state of Kansas.