Downtown Wichita - 120 E. 1st St N.

The LUX is set on developing a unique sense of community and place in Downtown Wichita while keeping true to the building's original 1950s character. It's modern, Downtown living—in a city that is in the midst of a great revitalization! Join us.

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Downtown Events

Glass in Flight 2
Tuesday, May 20
Botanica Wichita

People often want to know what inspired me create this joyful, large-scale steel and glass sculpture exhibit. Mainly I am responding to the concept of "entomophilia' — the love of insects- particularly pollinators, without which the Earth we know would not exist. If my exhibit can foster a deeper understanding of insects, birds and other animals and how we all co-exist, then the time and hard work I dedicated to the making of Glass in Flight 2 will have been worthwhile."

- Artist, Alex Heveri
 

Nestled in the heart of Wichita, amidst lush greenery, vibrant trees, peaceful streams and bodies of water, and stunning blooms, Glass in Flight 2 by Alex Heveri comes to Botanica—not just a collection of striking outdoor sculptures—but a story of transformation and beauty.
 

Glass in Flight 2, a collection that embraces the role of pollinators and celebrates the intersection of art and nature. The sculptures were carefully designed and crafted, each one a masterpiece of vibrant, kiln-fired glass and metalwork. Her work captures intricate details of wings, dynamic movement, and the relationship of color and light.
 

"It is an honor to exhibit Glass in Flight 2 at Botanica.  The Wichita Gardens is so rich in color and in clear, Plains sunlight, that the sculptures will dazzle and appear "alive."

- Artist, Alex Heveri

Strategically placed throughout the Gardens, the sculptures create moments of surprise and delight. Large-scale luminous dragonflies, vibrant butterflies, playful hummingbirds, and much more serve as a visual reminder of the intricate connection between art, science, and the natural world, sparking curiosity in visitors of all ages.
 

“It is more than a collection of sculptures—in every flutter of light and color, Glass in Flight 2 invites us to dream and take flight in our own way,” said Dr. Zimmerman.
 

For a limited-time, Glass in Flight 2 will become a treasured part of the Gardens—a symbol of the harmony between Wichita’s natural beauty and its innovative spirit. This exhibition is included in general admission and is free to members.


Contact Dr. Lynette Zimmerman at (316) 264-0448 or lzimmerman@botanica.org
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Kansas: An Immersive Dome Experience
Tuesday, May 20
Exploration Place

Renowned for its sunflowers, windswept wheat fields and endless cattle ranches, Kansas evokes the legendary spirit of America’s heartland with its rolling plains and pioneer spirit. Home to buffalo, wild horses, majestic prairies and breathtaking views of the nation’s last wilderness reserves, those who live here are captivated by its beauty. From its Native American roots to its role in westward expansion, Kansas represents the heart of what makes our nation great.

“It makes me want to explore Kansas a little bit more”
   – Exploration Place Member

Filmed completely by drone, Kansas: An Immersive Dome Experience presents the beauty and wonder of the Sunflower State in a way never seen before: as a love letter to Kansas.

RATED: G | RUNTIME: 25 min. 

Dome Theater tickets are available for purchase only at Exploration Place. Tax not included. 

More information on Digital Dome Theater shows


Contact Erin Manning at (316) 660-0600 or erin.manning@exploration.org
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Being Modern
Tuesday, May 20
Wichita-Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum

Wichitans desired to be modern since the City’s beginning in 1870. The Modern era had been evolving for a century at that time and it would take another 100 years before Wichita achieved a “modern” look. World War II (1939-1945) greatly disrupted development in design.

Over the next two decades, postwar prosperity propelled design of the modern era to its zenith. By that time, Wichita’s modernization was most apparent in its new urban 1969 skyline, which remains in place today.

In the 1950s and 1960s, modern design from architecture to fashions and furnishings became familiar as people followed popular trends replacing old with new. Visual art and advertising led the way for the modern look - which by the 1960s, people referred to as “Mod.” This new look coincided with changes as  society became more pluralistic and increasingly aware of its diversity. The post-war baby boom gave rise to a prominent youth culture creating new markets. New technology improving the ability to travel and share information led to wide acceptance of modern style.

This modern sensibility cast a popular and unifying mindset. This era featured non-representational abstract design to create engaging effects rather than portray objects or scenes. The effects were both dazzling and confusing, challenging everyone’s perception of reality. Our visual world was forever changed.

(This exhibition follows (and is directly patterned after) the Museum’s previous exhibit Art Deco on the Plains. It takes the timeline forward to explore modern design experienced locally in the 1950s and 1960s. The exhibition is a feature of the Lois Kay Walls Local Visual Art History Series.)


On view through 2025 in the Slawson Gallery, 4th floor.

Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum - 204 S Main


Contact Michelle Frikken at (316) 265-9314 or museum@wichitahistory.org
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Thrift Finds in the Museum Collection
Tuesday, May 20
Wichita-Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum

Since 1939, the Historical Museum has been actively collecting and preserving artifacts central to telling our local history’s stories. These artifacts are acquired in a number of ways, including purchases from local thrift shops.

Thrift Finds in the Museum Collection features objects fortunately discovered by Museum staff at local thrift stores. These items, no longer of use to their original owner, can help us to tell the story of our community.

Some of these notable finds include designs by Halston and Victor Costa, a Nehru jacket retailed by Henry’s department store, and a 1950s Shocker Lounge bowling shirt.

Collection artifacts not previously seen are revealed and interpreted in this exhibition.


 


Contact Michelle Frikken at (316) 265-9314 or museum@wichitahistory.org
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Exhibit - "Portraits From the Museum Collection"
Tuesday, May 20
Wichita-Sedgwick Co. Historical Museum

The urge to create or possess a visual representation of a specific person – a portrait – is present throughout history. Portraits are created for many reasons: from sentimental to celebratory, for public or private viewing, as memorials, and as icons. .

Until the introduction of photography in the 1840s, portraits were rendered by artists in both two and three-dimensional mediums such as paintings and sculptures.

The Museum’s collection includes a variety of portraits, most of which depict local people. In this exhibition, we learn of portraiture and the people portrayed.

On view during regular Museum hours

March 2025 - March 2026

Tues-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat & Sun 1-5 p.m.

Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum - 204 S Main

Located in the Lois Kay Walls Gallery - 3rd Floor


Contact Michelle Frikken at (316) 265-9314 or museum@wichitahistory.org
More Info