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Topeka also has more than 20 art galleries devoted to furthering artistic expression and appreciation. The Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University and the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library maintain permanent collections and present exhibits monthly. Community events, such as the Mulvane Mountain Plains Art Far, Kaw River Valley Art Festival and Cider Days offer area artists opportunities for display and sale of their works. Another measure of the city’s cultural vitality is the Arts Council of Topeka, a nonprofit organization that promotes the arts in Topeka and Shawnee County. ACT recently opened its new headquarters, a unique clay-tile building that serves as an art center for exhibits and classrooms. The real measure of Topeka’s art is visible throughout the community. Live theater can be experienced nearly every night at the Topeka Performing Arts Center, the Topeka Civic Theatre, the Helen Hocker Performing Arts Center in Gage Park, Terrance McKerr’s Theater Pub or Washburn University. In addition, the Kansas Expocentre provides the stage for nationally recognized performers. The Topeka Performing Arts Center features professional performances and concerts, and the annual Topeka International Jazz Festival. The festival features more than two dozen of the world’s greatest jazz musicians. The Topeka Civic Theatre and Academy offers award winning dinner theatre, traditional stage performances, along with a children’s academy. The 80-member, professional Topeka Symphony Orchestra provides classical music and world-renowned guest artists in their annual concert series. The Topeka Community Concert Association, the Topeka Opera Society, the Fine Arts Society and the Topeka Jazz Workshop also offer a variety of entertainment by local, regional and national performers. The Sunflower Music Festival brings musicians from across the country to Washburn each June and the city and county parks and recreation departments feature local musical groups in area parks and at Brown Bag lunches downtown during the summer months. |
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Not surprising for a state capital and regional center, Topeka’s arts environment is strong, with a world famous Jazz Festival, the Topeka Symphony, Ballet Midwest and Metropolitan Ballet.
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