KANSAS STORIES

Prairie Print Makers
In depression-era Wichita, pride of place and respect for craft brought a group of artist friends
together to form the Prairie Print Makers. Eventually growing to over 100 artist members, the
Prairie Print Makers developed a large body of work that provided a Kansas-specific voice to
the regionalism gaining popularity throughout the Midwest. This presentation will discuss the
rich artistic development of the Prairie Print Makers and the climate in which they worked: the
national coming-of-age of American painting, Wichita publishing firms, a local elite committed
to encouraging visual arts, and the art schools and government arts programs of the 1930s.
Presented by Lorraine Madway.
Lorraine is the curator of Special Collections and university archivist at WSU Libraries.
Lorraine Madway
316/978-3590 (w); 316/993-0539 (c)
lorraine.madway@wichita.edu
Foam on the Range
Kansas was on the forefront of the temperance movement, eventually becoming the first state
to prohibit alcohol consumption. This enforced abstinence clashed considerably with many
German, Czech, Irish, Italian, Mexican, Croatian, Greek, and Jewish immigrants who had
settled in across the state. Indeed, anti-foreign prejudice helped drive support for prohibition in
some areas. In response, ethnic communities frequently violated prohibition laws in an effort to
preserve an important expression of cultural identity. Although Kansas breweries and vineyards
were forced into neglect, immigrant communities improvised and persevered. Presented by
Isaias McCaffery.
Isaias is a historian and the chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences at Independence
Community College.
Isaias McCaffery
620/332-5438
imccaffery@indycc.edu
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Walt Disney
Abraham Lincoln remains one of the most visibly recognizable historical figures in history.
Hundreds of books and articles have tackled nearly every aspect of his life: his political career,
writings, psychological and marital problems, and his assassination. Yet it has not always
been an easy road in terms of the memory of our 16th president. In the 1960s, as the Civil
War Centennial got underway, the leadership of the commission thought Lincoln needed to be
diminished because of a belief that Civil War students would not care much about his legacy.
The commemoration would have been a total disaster if it were not for Walt Disney, who forged
on his own to bring Lincoln to the 1964 World’s Fair in New York through the construction of the
attraction called “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” Presented by Brian Craig Miller.
Brian teaches history at Emporia State University.
Brian Craig Miller
620/341-5573 (w); 662/544-0261 (c)
bmiller4@emporia.edu
KHC Humanities Catalog Page 9