Frances H. Gearhart: Color Block Prints in Wichita surveys the work of one of the leading color woodcut artists of the early 20th century. Renowned for her dramatic landscapes of the California mountains, deserts, and shoreline, Gearhart’s use of saturated color and bold compositions made her a key figure in the color block print revival. A Californian, Gearhart was a well-known member of the early Wichita art scene. Each spring, her prints were exhibited alongside other influential American printmakers in Wichita’s nationally important color block print show. As an essential early member of the Prairie Print Makers—a Wichita-based print society founded in 1930—she also participated in the annual Prairie Print Maker fall exhibition. Gearhart’s tireless enthusiasm for prints, printmakers, and accessibility of art for all made her a valuable link between Kansas artists and the West Coast.

Frances H. Gearhart: Color Block Prints in Wichita is organized by the Wichita Art Museum and guest curated by Roger Genser. Genser is a print dealer and scholar based in California and is a leading authority on Frances Gearhart. The exhibition is part of an on-going series at the Wichita Art Museum that celebrates the Prairie Print Makers and their regional and national legacy.

Image: Frances H.Gearhart, A Blossomy Way, about 1930. Color block print, 10 X 10 3/4 inches. Collection of Bruce and Debbie Hinckley