Art Deco in Our Hometown

Photo grid of 18 square photos showing Art Deco imagery and graphics on buildings in Wichita, Kansas

Art Deco in Our Hometown

Photography by Larry Schwarm

Art Deco in Our Hometown

White building with Art Deco Details

The original Wichita Art Museum structure in 1935

Art Deco is plentiful in Wichita, and it is exquisite. Yes, even the original 1935 Wichita Art Museum was a magnificent Art Deco structure.

The U.S. Federal Courthouse downtown and Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita’s early airport building by McConnell Air Force Base are other standout examples of Art Deco in our city.

The images below are fine evidence for this design moment across Wichita.

Visit WAM’s YouTube channel for the recording of Art Deco in Our Hometown, an illustrated talk by architect Dean Bradley and photographer Larry Schwarm that was held during American Art Deco Opening Day.

Art Deco in Our City

Relief sculpture of

Henrion Hall, Wichita State University campus. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Metal sculpture of an airplane set in a concrete and brick framework

Wichita Aviation Museum, 3350 George Washington Blvd. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief sculpture in Art Deco style depicting clouds in white on a blue background around a rising sun in geometic patterns of orange and yellow, over concrete arches on a red brick building. Windows are the top of the imagender the scultou

Entry at Stanley Elementary School, 1749 S. Martinson Street. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Art Deco relief sculpture of a half sunflower in white, gold and brown, with geometric swirls reaching to the top of the sculpture in green, terracotta red and brown

Griffin Building, 416 S. Market Street. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief sculpture in Art Deco style of repeating arrow-like objects carved in white stone

Petroleum Building, 221 S. Broadway Avenue. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief sculpture in Art Deco style of an eagle, carved from white stone

Packard/Chevrolet Building, 1525 E. Douglas Avenue. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Art Deco style numbers, 1931 in white with pink/red outline, with strips of blue, dark pink, and light pink above the numbers, inset into white stone

Margarita's (formerly Landrum's Market), 3109 E. Douglas Avenue. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Art Deco relief sculpture on brick wall with geometic shapes suggesting a rocket-shape with stripes in green, red, and blue on either side.

Riverside Park. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Geometric pattern of turquoise blue and dark red rectangles on a white background

St. Patrick's Church, 2702 N. Arkansas Avenue. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief sculpture of wheat and corn

Dockum Building, Douglas and Hillside. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief sculpture in stone of ears of corn on a sunburst background

Dockum Building, Douglas and Hillside. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Building facade with sculpture suggestive of an eagle with outstretched wings. Above is a carved floral pattern

Dockum Building, Douglas and HIllside. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Building facade with geometric patterms in red and blue. Center pannel is red stone with an inset pattern of down-pointing arrows in blue and red, flanked by brick columns topped with red and blue pillars.

Dockum Building, Douglas and Hillside. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Street level image of a bulding colum with an art deco relief of rectanguler shapes in orange, blue, brown, and black. At the right is a double doorway with a wood and glass door with brass trim and the left is a window with a painted pink curtain

Dockum Building, Douglas and Hillside. 631 N. Topeka Street

Buildling facade of red brick with a rectangle relief sculpture suggestive of white clouds and a floral motif in red and green leaves in the corners. Above is a similar relief with white swirls, red flowers and green leaves

The Pines, 631 N. Topeka Street. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief sculpture on a longhorn cow over the date 1930

Cattle Building, 21st and Mosley. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Building facade of buff brick with top decoration of turquoise, black and gray-toned stone. Center is a half-circle of three layers of brown, with white.

Second Blessing Thrift Store, 2323 E. Central Ave. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Brick column topped with a series of alternating black and white cylindrical shapes - three tall in the center, flanked on either side by two more sets in progressively shorter height.

Marquee Motors, 2938 E. Douglas. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relieft sculpture depicting white buffalo hunted by an Indian on a black horse against a blue sky, with an orange and yellow sun in the top left corner and a pink cloud in the top right corner. Below the mural are three eagle sculptures in brown tones

Entry Tower at Wichita North High School, 1437 N Rochester St. (13th and Waco). Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief carving of a buffalo, facing to the right, on a sky blue background, standing on a field of green, framed in a square

13th Street Bridge near Wichita North High School. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Round bronze ornament with a flower motif on a green marble base

Farmers and Bankers Building, 200 E. First Street. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Brass relief with words Letter Box over an eagle with outstretched wings over words U.S. Mail

Farmer's and Banker's Building, 200 E. First Street. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Relief carving in white stone at the the top of a pillar with a tulip-shaped floral motif flanked by scroll-topped pillars.

Ventilation grate at the Federal Courthouse, Third and Market. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Bronze eagle, with head turned to the right

Above the entry doors to the Federal Courthouse, Third and Market, Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Stone carving of an Indian with a feather headdress

Stiarcase entrance, Federal Courthouse, Third and Market. Photo by Larry Scharm.

Round flower carving in shades of brown, in a square frame against a background with a floral motif in shades of brown.

Federal Courthouse, Third and Market. Photo by Larry Schwarm.

Watch the Illustrated Talk

YouTube logo with red square on left with a white triangle in the center and the words YouTube in black sans serif font on the right

Learn more about Art Deco in Our Hometown, with an illustrated talk by architect Dean Bradley and art photographer Larry Schwarm that was held during American Art Deco Opening Day on February 12, 2022.

Click here for the video

Art Deco Exhibition Sponsors

American Art Deco: Designing for the People, 1918–1939 is organized by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, and Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska.

The Wichita presentation has been generously underwritten by presenting sponsor Lattner Family Foundation. Judy Slawson Exhibition Fund and DeVore Foundation are lead sponsors. Emprise Bank, Charles E. Baker, David and Rynthia Mitchell, and Jan and Steve Randle provided additional major underwriting.

J. Eric Engstrom and Robert Bell and Sarah T. Smith are principal sponsors.

Generous support has been provided by The Trust Company of Kansas, Dr. John and Nancy Brammer, Donna J. Bunk, Carol and H. Guy Glidden, Sondra Langel, and Mary Sue Smith.

Charles E. Baker and Jim V. Phillips Exhibition Fund, Sue and Fred Berry, Dr. Alan and Sharon Fearey, Toni and Bud Gates, Patricia Gorham and Jeff Kennedy, Harold and Evelyn Gregg, Sonia Greteman and Chris Brunner, Anita Jones and Richard Hite†, Delmar and Mary Klocke, Errol and Suzanne Luginbill, Dr. Glen and Marianne Misko, Dr. Barry and Jane Murphy, Kristin and Will Price, Bob and Nancy Schwan, and Sue and Kurt Watson are additional exhibition patrons.

2022 exhibitions and public programs are generously supported by the Downing Foundation. All museum exhibitions receive generous sponsorship from the Friends of the Wichita Art Museum and the City of Wichita.