Humanities Kansas

06/26/2026

Minersville is the story of an important 1870’s coal-mining ghost town in North Central Kansas.

06/22/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas. The June momentum continues! Lots of one-of-a-kind history experiences to choose from in communities across Kansas.

💡 Through July 5 at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum in Bonner Springs – See the “Americans” Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition and the local exhibition "American Indian Identity in Wyandotte County.”

💡 Through July 2026 – See “Americans” partner sites exhibitions: “Martin and Osa Johnson: Origins” exhibition at the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, the “Serpent Intaglio” exhibition at the Coronado Quivira Museum in Lyons, and “Beautifully Integrated” at the Olathe Downtown Library, presented by Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm.

💡 The "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” opens this week at these locations:
Finney County Historical Society, Garden City
Flint Hills Discovery Center, Manhattan
Franklin County Historical Society/Old Depot Museum, Ottawa
Sumner County Kansas Historical and Genealogical Society & Wellington Public Library, Wellington

💡 You can also see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka
Nicodemus National Historic Site
Phillips County Historical Society
Scott County Library in Scott City

💡June 23 at Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center in Overland Park – John Edgar Tidwell presents “Good Trouble."

💡June 24 at Leavenworth Public Library and June 28 at Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum – Adam Hodge looks at “Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape."

💡June 24 at Wamego Public Library – Derrick Doty leads “Let’s Dance! Dancing Traditions in Kansas.”

💡June 24 at Atchison Public Library – Rex Buchanan discusses “Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills.”

💡June 24 at Bradford Memorial Library – Jancita Warrington presents “Native American Ribbon Work."

💡June 25 at The Courtyard Event Center in Holton – Tara Mitchell leads “babisyakatek 'it is beaded.’” Sponsored by Jackson County Historical and Genealogical Society.

💡June 27 at W.A. Rankin Memorial Library in Neodesha – Chris Glasgow presents “The Wizard Behind Oz.”

💡June 27 at Newton Public Library - Lindsborg Folkdanslag Kansas Folklife presentation.

💡June 27 at Watkins Museum of History – Travis Lamb leads a Declaration Conversation reading and discussion of the Declaration of Independence.

💡June 28 at Manhattan Public Library – Ron Wilson talks about “Ridin’ Trails and Writin’ Rhymes: Cowboy Culture of Kansas."

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

06/17/2026

Spark a conversation on America’s 250th! HK’s FREE Declaration Conversation toolkit contains everything you need to host a reading and discussion of the Declaration of Independence. Including:

Declaration of Independence Text
Readers Script
PowerPoint Presentation
Discussion Questions

The toolkit is free to download and available for all to use. Find your toolkit here: https://tinyurl.com/HKToolkit

06/16/2026

As international soccer teams take the field in Kansas City, HK is exploring Kansans’ love of the beautiful game. One story is the rise of Garden City High School’s soccer program. Although Garden City was historically a community that celebrated their football culture, the community underwent cultural and athletic transformations. Garden City experienced an influx of immigration from Mexico and Central American nations, which prompted Garden City High School counselor Joaquin Padilla to establish a soccer team to engage Latino students in the mid-1990s.

Watch one of the earliest GCHS soccer team’s journey to athletic, personal, and professional successes in this short documentary, "From Football to Futbol." The short film was produced in 2010 by Justicia, Inc., and Via Dolorosa Films with the support of an HK grant.

This is "From Football to Futbol" by Marlo Angell on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

06/15/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas. Are you ready for this week? There are so many history and folklife topics to explore, exhibitions to see, and conversations to have all across the state.

💡 Through July 5 at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum in Bonner Springs – See the “Americans” Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition and the local exhibition "American Indian Identity in Wyandotte County.”

💡 Through July 2026 – See “Americans” partner sites exhibitions: “Martin and Osa Johnson: Origins” exhibition at the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, the “Serpent Intaglio” exhibition at the Coronado Quivira Museum in Lyons, and “Beautifully Integrated” at the Olathe Downtown Library, presented by Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm.

💡 It’s your last week to see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
El Dorado Senior Center
Lyon County History Center in Emporia
Phillips County Historical Society
Scott County Library in Scott City

💡 You can also see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka
Nicodemus National Historic Site

💡June 15 at Olathe Downtown Library – Adam Hodge presents “Kansas 1776: A Dynamic Landscape."

💡June 16 at El Dorado Senior Center – Angela Bates looks at “Children in the Promised Land.”

💡June 16 at Basehor Community Library – John Burchill talks about “People, Places, and Politics in 1800s Kansas."

💡June 18 at Manhattan Public Library – Gene Chávez presents “Flour Power/El Power De La Harina."

💡June 18 at Paola Free Library – “Digging Up Family History, Teen & Adult Edition"

💡June 18 at Hutchinson Public Library – Rex Buchanan discusses “Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills.”

💡June 19 at the The Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Scott – Theressa Rice presents “Food for the Journey: Kansas Stories.”

💡June 19 at Newton Public Library and June 20 at Lindsborg Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum (11:00am and 2:00pm) – Donna Rae Pearson talks about “The Taste of Freedom: A Juneteenth Foodways Journey.”

💡June 19 at Milburn Country Club in Overland Park – Virgil Dean looks at “'We, The People of Kansas …' The Story of Kansas’s Founding Documents, 1820-2020.” Sponsored by Sons of the American Revolution.

💡June 20 at Mankato Community Center – Chris Glasgow presents "Matilda Joslyn Gage: Lost Suffragist and Oz.” Sponsored by Mankato City Library.

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

06/08/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas this week! The week is packed with engaging history events and June is just getting started!

💡 Through July 5 at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum in Bonner Springs – See the “Americans” Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition and the local exhibition "American Indian Identity in Wyandotte County.”

💡 Through July 2026 – See “Americans” partner sites exhibitions: “Martin and Osa Johnson: Origins” exhibition at the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, the “Serpent Intaglio” exhibition at the Coronado Quivira Museum in Lyons, and “Beautifully Integrated” at the Olathe Downtown Library, presented by Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm.

💡 You can also see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, Abilene
El Dorado Senior Center
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka
Lyon County History Center in Emporia
Nicodemus National Historic Site
Phillips County Historical Society
Scott County Library in Scott City

💡June 9 at Wyandotte County Historical Museum in Bonner Springs and June 13 at Gardner Historical Museum – “Declaration Conversation” reading and discussions of the Declaration of Independence. Presented by Eric Anderson and Travis Lamb in Bonner Springs and Anne Hawkins in Gardner.

💡June 10 at KSDS in Washington – Beverley Olson Buller presents “William Allen White and the K*K in Kansas.” Sponsored by Washington County Historical Society.

💡June 11 at Beck-Bookman Library in Holton – Dennis Etzel, Jr., talks about “Poets of Kansas." Sponsored by Jackson County Historical and Genealogical Society.

💡June 11 on KPTS in Wichita – Watch the “An Oasis on the Prairie: Ranchers of Greenwood County” documentary.

💡June 11 at Old Ruppenthal Middle School in Russell – Rex Buchanan looks at “Petroglyphs of the Kansas Smoky Hills." Sponsored by the Kansas Anthropological Association.

💡June 12 at the Santa Fe Trail Center in Larned – Gene Chávez discusses “Flour Power.”

💡June 13 at Seneca Free Library – Ron Wilson presents “Ridin' Trails and Writin' Rhymes: Cowboy Culture of Kansas.”

💡June 13 at the Independence Science and Technology Center – Ann Dean talks about “Learning from Gordon Parks.”

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

06/05/2026

Another one-of-a-kind experience at a Kansas Folklife: Celebrating Kansas Traditions event! There's still time to bring "The Way of Tea" or other topics about dance, music, food, and other Kansas traditions to your community. All events must be scheduled by August 31. Learn more here: https://tinyurl.com/4efe9stt

06/01/2026

Join the Movement of Ideas this week!

💡 Through July 5 at the Wyandotte County Historical Museum in Bonner Springs – See the “Americans” Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition and the local exhibition "American Indian Identity in Wyandotte County.”

💡 Through July 2026 – See “Americans” partner sites exhibitions: “Martin and Osa Johnson: Origins” exhibition at the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, the “Serpent Intaglio” exhibition at the Coronado Quivira Museum in Lyons, and “Beautifully Integrated” at the Olathe Downtown Library, presented by Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm.

💡 You can also see "Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” at these locations:
Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence
Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum,Abilene
El Dorado Senior Center
Kansas Historical Society, Topeka
Lyon County History Center in Emporia
Nicodemus National Historic Site
Phillips County Historical Society
Scott County Library in Scott City

💡June 4 at Paola Free Library – “Digging Up History, Kid Edition” genealogy class. Supported by an HK Culture Preservation Grant.

💡June 6 in Downtown Dodge City – Derrick Doty leads “Let’s Dance! Traditional Dance in Kansas.”

💡June 7 at Jetmore Public Library – Mary Kohn presents “You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto: Evolution of Language In Kansas."

💡Book your Kansas Folklife: Celebrating Kansas Traditions presentation. https://tinyurl.com/HKKansasFolklife

Contact community hosts directly with questions about the events.

Explore more events on HK’s Calendar of Events: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

05/28/2026

Kansas Nonprofits! “Accordion” to Humanities Kansas, your summer plans are not complete with a Kansas Folklife presentation. How about adding a little music to your summer events with "Songs from the Coal Camps: The Accordion Story of the Little Balkans,” presented by Phyllis Bitner.

The rich history of southeast Kansas’s Little Balkans region cannot be told without its soundtrack. For thousands of immigrant families who arrived from Southeastern Europe, music was a comfort and cultural anchor. The accordion and button box—often treasured possessions brought from the Old Country—became the heart of daily life, community gatherings, and family celebrations. Join Phyllis as she explores the traditions, instruments, and spirit of Little Balkans music.

This presentation must be scheduled by August 31, 2026. Find out how to bring this presentation and others to your community: https://tinyurl.com/HKKansasFolklife

05/27/2026

It’s your last chance to see the Smithsonian in Kansas! Just in time for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the summer of world soccer in Kansas City, the “Americans" Smithsonian traveling exhibition is coming to the Wyandotte County Historical Museum in Bonner Springs. “Americans" will be on display May 30-July 5, 2026, and will be the final stop for the national exhibition in Kansas.

“Americans” is based on the exhibition of the same name currently on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). Curated by Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche) and Cécile R. Ganteaume, the exhibit uses historical photographs and objects representative of those in the Smithsonian's collection to tell their stories. Also on display is "American Indian Identity in Wyandotte County," the museum’s companion exhibition to “Americans.” The exhibition highlights Wyandotte County’s rich Native American history and the role it has played in the county’s development.

Plan your visit: https://www.humanitieskansas.org/events

“Americans” is part of Museum on Main Street (MoMS), a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Humanities Kansas to bring high-quality traveling exhibitions, educational resources, and programming primarily to small and rural communities in partnership with their local museums, historical societies, and other cultural venues. The exhibitions are designed to engage communities and spark conversations.

Support for “Americans” is provided by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation and the Sunflower Foundation.