Author: Rachelle Meinecke

The Museum Exhibition class has created some new exhibits and they would like to share them with the campus. The new exhibits will be on display from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 on the first floor of Neff Hall and the first floor of the Geology Building.

Students will be on hand to talk about their exhibits and answer questions. Refreshments will be available in Neff Hall. The event is come and go.

The Department of Anthropology will host an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16 in Neff Hall.

Those who have ever been interested in anthropology or wonder what it is like to major in anthropology can stop by and visit the Lowell Holmes Museum of Anthropology, the visual anthropology lab and an archaeology lab. Snacks will be available as well.

The Lowell Holmes Museum of Anthropology in Neff Hall is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment.

The museum houses unique cultural artifacts from all over the world. If you would like to schedule a tour, contact Rachelle Meinecke at 316-978-7068 or at holmes.museum@wichita.edu.

All are invited to a celebratory reception for Dr. Don Blakeslee, professor of anthropology and archaeologist, who is retiring at the end of the spring semester, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 5 in the 107 Devlin Hall and the Devlin Atrium. This is a come and go reception with remarks scheduled for noon.

Blakeslee joined Wichita State in 1976 as an assistant professor of anthropology. He is known for his research in the archaeology of the Great Plains. His main contributions include — aside from his research on the Middle Ceramic period and the Walnut River Basin — the discovery of the Wichita settlement of Etzanoa in Arkansas City and his research into the larger nation of Quivira. He served as department chair from 1990 to 1993 and was awarded full professorship in 1997. From 1988 to 1991 and from 2004 to 2007, he was a coordinator of general education program at WSU. He also served as president of the Professional Archaeologists of Kansas and of the Archaeological Association of South Central Kansas (AASCK), a society for amateur archaeologists.

Everyone is invited the the Spring Museum Students Exhibits opening at the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology in Neff Hall from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 25.

There are five new exhibits and students will be present to talk about their displays. This is a come and go event and refreshments will be provided.

A new exhibit by Kerry Majher, Wichita State NASA program coordinator, is currently being featured at the Ablah Library. The exhibit, “Spirited Away: Prohibition in Kansas” details Prohibition in Kansas, which took place from 1881-1948.

This exhibit is part of an independent study for Majher’s museum studies certificate program under the director of her instructor and coordinator Rachelle Meinecke.

The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology will host an event featuring spring 2022 exhibits 2-5 p.m. Tuesday, April 26 at Neff Hall. Light refreshments will be served at the event.

Featured exhibits will include the following:

“The Power of Ritual Object” – By the Museum Exhibition Class

“Accessibility in Museums” – Master’s project by Gracie Tolley

“Below Wichita” – by Gracie Tolley and Angie Guevara

“Etzanoa Traveling Exhibit” – A master’s project from 2019 by Carissa Speck

“The Many Faces of China” – A photography exhibit

Join Dr. Jens Kreinath at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 24 at Neff Hall on the second floor for an informative tour of “Remember Aleppo.” A discussion will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The tour and discussion will focus on the photo exhibit “Reimagining Aleppo Through Peace and Pain,” which opened at Neff Hall in 2019.

Visit Wichita State’s Ablah Library to view it’s latest exhibit, “Crime Scene ICT,” located on the lower level of Ablah Library, outside of Special Collections. The exhibit was created by Sara Rue, WSU anthropology graduate student.

Crime Scene ICT is about the history of forensic science in Wichita and at Wichita State University.  It highlights O.W. Wilson’s creation of training schools, Dr. William Eckert’s International Organization for Forensic Medicine, and Dr. Peer Moore-Jansen’s current Skeleton Acres Research Facility (SARF).

Rue is pursuing her graduate certificate in museum studies and created the display as part of an independent study under the direction of her instructor, Rachelle Meinecke, WSU Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Department of Anthropology museum director.

This unique museum displays cultural objects from all over the world. All of the exhibits were created by students and new exhibits are installed every spring semester.  The collection is also available for research by students and faculty.

The Holmes Museum of Anthropology is located in Neff Hall. The main gallery is located on the first floor, and there are exhibit cases and photo exhibits throughout the building. The main gallery is  open Monday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. or by appointment and is always free. For more information, you can explore our website www.wichita.edu/holmesmuseum or email holmes.museum@wichita.edu.