2008 Friends of the Wichita Art Museum Board
Mary Ellen Joyner - Chair
Joy Archer - Vice Chair
Nancy Conover - Secretary
Vicki Skaer - Treasurer
Susan Arnold
Patty Bennett
Ashley Biel
Sally Buch
Nancy Conover
Brian Cunningham RoxAnn Dicker
Karla Fazio
Charla Felt
Marie Gillespie
Kathy Goree
Kim Green
Joyce Haynes
Sharon Heiman
Beverly Hoover
Carol Jones
Susan Koslowsky Eleanor Lucas
Anita Lysell
John Lysell
Libbey Merritt
Richard Minkler
Kathie Molamphy
John Neely
Luanne Neely
Pam Porvaznik
Adriene Rathbun
Abe Rodriguez
Joan Schulz
Carolyn Skaer
Dora Timmerman
Laura Tuttle
Paula Varner
Leslie Wilson
History
In 1960, the city of Wichita invited citizens to come together
as a tax-exempt organization to raise money through memberships
and other income-generating activities to help grow the Wichita
Art Museum. WAMM, Inc. was formed, and in 1976, the name changed
to the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum as
it remains today.
FWAM grew to become the life of the museum and functioned as
a volunteer arm which maintained an office in the museum and
began the research Library.
A Volunteer Alliance directed annual membership drives, supplied
professional librarian service, produced and financed a publication
of a monthly museum newsletter, and a members' directory. FWAM
also sponsored annual lectures, a Young at Art group, and domestic
and foreign art tour programs. In addition, it sponsored a docent
program under the direction of the Museum Curator of Education,
financed all exhibition preview receptions, social activities
and special projects at the request of the Museum Director.
FWAM organized and operated a gift shop, a sales-rental gallery,
and a restaurant. The Friends initiated a mobile gallery which
traveled in a nine-county area of South Central Kansas exhibiting
art to schools and communities, and established the annual Art,
Book, and Craft Fair which generates $30,000 annually and continues
as a major fundraising event today in its 49th year.
