Kauffman Museum

First Saturday Bird Walk
2024-01-06 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Chicago) | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States

A Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Halstead-Newton Christmas Bird Count
2023-12-17 13:30 - 16:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-12-02 08:00 - 09:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Our First Saturday Bird Walks depart from the kiosk in the museum parking lot for a mile-and-a-half hike through Chisholm Park and along Sand Creek Trail. Be prepared for some unpaved/steep terrain and winter weather. Binoculars and a bird book are recommended but not required. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome but should be able to remain quiet so they don’t scare away the birds!
Free and open to the public.

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-11-04 08:00 - 09:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Our First Saturday Bird Walks depart from the kiosk in the museum parking lot for a mile-and-a-half hike through Chisholm Park and along Sand Creek Trail. Be prepared for some unpaved/steep terrain and chilly late fall weather. Binoculars and a bird book are recommended but not required. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome but should be able to remain quiet so they don’t scare away the birds!
Free and open to the public.

Living Endowment Dinner
2023-10-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Spend an evening with the birds without eating like one! Be sure to invite your flock!
6 p.m. Reception Sip sparkling nectar while enjoying music provided by Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra flautists; view bird houses available during event auction; get a first look at KM’s upcoming Christmas Bird Count exhibit.
6:30 p.m. Dinner among the museum exhibits Featuring musicians from Bethel College Academy of Performing Arts.
After Dinner Program: “Chasing Warblers” – Bob Gress, director emeritus Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, KS
Bob Gress, accomplished photographer, author, and co-founder of BirdsInFocus.com, will offer a glimpse into the natural history of the Wood-Warblers family. With over 50 species in the United States and Canada, warblers tempt bird watchers with their bright colors and interesting antics, and in turn evade viewers with their elusive nature and small size. Unlike most programs about birds, this illustrated presentation is not about identification, but about the quirky and entertaining habits of one group of birds. Join us as we discover things we will never learn from bird field guides!
For details and reservations, click here! Registrations close October 23,2023.

Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum: "Learning about Climate Change with Online Simulation Software: Agriculture, Food, and Equity Issues," Dr. Dwight Krehbiel, professor emeritus, Bethel College
2023-10-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
This Sunday-Afternoon-At-The-Museum presentation will provide a rapid overview of a free online tool called En-ROADS to promote learning and thinking about climate change.
Dr. Krehbiel will explore how this tool can be employed to help understand the role of agriculture and of food production and consumption in climate change, as well as the countless ways in which climate change threatens health and wellbeing, especially for people who are already poor or in some way marginalized.
Dwight Krehbiel, emeritus professor of psychology at Bethel College, developed an interest in climate change modeling over a number of years of teaching a course on computing in science. In early 2020, he completed a 6-week training course in the use of En-ROADS software for workshops with diverse audiences, becoming a Climate Ambassador for Climate Interactive, a non-profit climate think-tank that created En-ROADS. Dwight has been teaching at Bethel for the past 46 years in psychology, statistics, and neuroscience.

Fall Fest Program: “Hidden Connections: The Bethel Bell and Brown vs. Board in the Supreme Court,” Levi Goossen ’59
2023-10-14 16:00 - 17:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
The Bethel bell once rang in the only known integrated school in Kansas, in Prairie Bell School in Thomas County. Later the children from rural Thomas County attended school in Oakley which led to the integration of public schools nationwide by order of the United States Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education. Meanwhile the bell was passed along from the rural school to the Meadow Mennonite church in Mingo to Bethel College. Come learn more about the bell’s unique journey and how physical artifacts play significant roles in retelling stories about the past.

"Land Trusts Leave a Conservation Legacy" – Jerry Jost '76, Conservation Director, Kansas Land Trust
2023-10-14 14:00 - 15:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
The Kansas Land Trust addresses climate change through habitat restoration, public access to protected areas and agricultural practices that sequester carbon in regenerative ecosystems. Jerry Jost ’76 discusses the impact land trusts can make on the world.

Organ Recital – "The Organ at Home"
2023-10-14 10:30 - 11:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
The Teschemacher cabinet organ has been part of the same Mennonite family since it was purchased by Johannes Deknatel in the late 1750s. Rosi Penner Kaufman (’85) and Donna Hetrick (’91), both organ teachers at Bethel, will share about the history of this gem and play music for “The Organ at Home.”

Kauffman Museum Monthly Bird Walk - Fall Fest Edition
2023-10-14 08:00 - 09:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
A local birding expert will lead a one-hour, 1.5-mile walk along Bethel’s Sand Creek Trail looking and listening for birds. Trail terrain is uneven. No cost. Binoculars recommended but not required.

"Wild Words: Poetry & Prairie" – Aubrey Streit Krug, director, Perennial Cultures Lab, The Land Institute
2023-10-07 09:30 - 10:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Through poetry, Wild Words celebrates the innate relationship Kansans have with the prairie. During the summer of 2023, Humanities Kansas is partnering with Kansas cultural organizations to distribute free copies of this original poetry chapbook within their communities.
The chapbook features 11 poems inspired by Kansas native plants and wildflowers with original illustrations by Melissa Dehner, followed by questions to engage readers in humanities-themed conversations.
This collection of poems is an invitation to listen to the call of native plants in Kansas, to the specific places where we make our homes and live in community with many human and other-than-human co-inhabitants.
––Megan Kaminski, editor of Wild Words
Poetry by Gwendolyn Brooks, CAConrad, Gary Jackson, Canese Jarboe, Megan Kaminski, Aubrey Streit Krug, R.B. Lemberg, Huascar Medina, Janice Northerns, James Thomas Stevens, and Wyatt Townley. Edited by Megan Kaminski. Botanical advising by Courtney Masterson.
Wild Words is made possible by the Humanities Kansas Friends of the Humanities, the Sunflower Foundation, the Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation, Kansas Tourism, and Native Lands Restoration Collaborative.

Kauffman Museum Association Annual Meeting
2023-09-10 15:00 - 16:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Help us celebrate at Kauffman Museum’s Annual Meeting!

Join us at the Museum at 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 10 for refreshments, conversation, a summary of last year’s accomplishments, and a preview of upcoming events. Ice cream will be provided by Salted Creamery.
We can’t wait to celebrate a successful museum year with you!

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-09-02 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Our First Saturday Bird Walks depart from the kiosk in the museum parking lot for a mile-and-a-half hike through Chisholm Park and along Sand Creek Trail. Be prepared for some unpaved/steep terrain and late summer weather. Binoculars and a bird book are recommended but not required. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome but should be able to remain quiet so they don’t scare away the birds!
Free and open to the public.

Uncle Carl's Camp – SURVIVAL ON THE PRAIRIE
2023-07-17 - 2023-07-21 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
July 17-21, 9:00-11:30 | Age 6 to 8 (completed grade K-2)
IN-PERSON
Join staff members from Dyck Arboretum for a prairie adventure at Kauffman Museum. Campers will learn about the plants and animals of the Kansas prairie and how they have survived and thrived for thousands of years. Come identify insects, scavenge for seeds, watch the weather, and play in the plants!

Application deadline: July 14
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructors:
Dyck Arboretum Staff
Dyck Arboretum, Hesston, KS

Uncle Carl's Camp – POTTERY POSSIBILITIES
2023-07-10 - 2023-07-14 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
July 10-14, 9:00-12:00 | Ages 13 and up
IN-PERSON
Get your hands dirty as we create with clay! Investigate how pottery was made in ancient cultures before trying your own pottery skills. Campers will start with handbuilding before throwing on potter’s wheels at Bethel College. No experience required! Campers will wrap up the week with glazing and an outdoor firing (weather permitting). Completed artwork may be picked up at a later date. Add your own modern twist to the age-old tradition of making pottery!

Application deadline: July 7
Maximum enrollment: 14
$75 per museum member / $90 per non-member
Instructors:
Kacie Schmidt
USD 411, Goessel, KS

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-07-01 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Our First Saturday Bird Walks depart from the kiosk in the museum parking lot for a mile-and-a-half hike through Chisholm Park and along Sand Creek Trail. Be prepared for some unpaved/steep terrain and summer weather. Binoculars and a bird book are recommended but not required. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome but should be able to remain quiet so they don’t scare away the birds!
Free and open to the public.

Uncle Carl's Camp – FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING
2023-06-26 - 2023-06-30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
June 26-30, 9:00-11:30 | Age 9 to 12 (completed grade 3-6)
IN-PERSON
Understanding how the body moves is part of learning to draw people. Campers will learn to find the fun in drawing the human figure through a variety of activities and experiences. Student drawings will be compiled in a sketchbook and a mixed media painting will be completed during this camp.

Application deadline: June 23
Maximum enrollment: 20
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
LaDonna Unruh Voth
USD 373, Newton, KS

Uncle Carl's Camp – ART IN NATURE
2023-06-19 - 2023-06-23 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
June 19-23, 9:00-11:00 | Age 6 to 8 (completed grade k-2)
IN-PERSON
Take a closer look at the patterns on the shell of an ornate box turtle. Notice the bright color on a barred tiger salamander. Artists get lots of ideas from nature. Kansas state nature symbols will provide a resource for campers to explore the patterns, colors and textures in nature using paper, paint and clay.

Application deadline: June 16
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
LaDonna Unruh Voth
USD 373, Newton, KS

Uncle Carl's Camp – FARM ANIMALS AT THE MUSEUM
2023-06-12 - 2023-06-16 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
June 12-16, 9:00-11:00 each day | Age 4 and 5 (not yet in kindergarten)
IN-PERSON
Jump into farm life with Farm Animals at the Museum! Students will learn all about goats, chickens, sheep, cows, and pigs through activities that include art, literature, music, and games. Real life farm animals will visit the museum each day, and there will be plenty of time for petting and snuggles. Join us for this hands-on, farm-tastic learning experience!

Application deadline: June 9
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
Rhonda Roux
USD 373, Newton, KS

Uncle Carl's Camp – PLAY THE DAY AWAY
2023-06-05 - 2023-06-09 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
June 5-9, 9:00-11:30 each day | Age 9 to 12 (completed grade 3-6)
IN-PERSON
Come and play with us at games camp. We will entertain ourselves with modern and old, American and international, and inside and outside games. Be prepared to win, lose, or draw and have fun doing it.

Application deadline: June 2
Maximum enrollment: 16
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
Monty Graber
USD 373, Newton, KS

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-06-03 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Our First Saturday Bird Walks depart from the kiosk in the museum parking lot for a mile-and-a-half hike through Chisholm Park and along Sand Creek Trail. Be prepared for some unpaved/steep terrain early summer weather. Binoculars and a bird book are recommended but not required. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome but should be able to remain quiet so they don’t scare away the birds!
Free and open to the public.

"Of Wool & Silk: Textile Explorations in Central Asia," Dr. Mary M. Dusenbury, Affiliate Research Curator, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas
2023-05-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
In 2009 Dr. Dusenbury travelled through the deserts of Xinjiang in Northwest China to the vibrant trading city of Kashgar, before driving over the Torugart Pass in the Tien Shan mountains to the high summer pastures of Kyrgystan to stay in a herder’s yurt for several days. Then through Kyrgystan – looking at felt making- to the markets of Osh in the Fergana Valley on the border of Uzbekistan. The town of Osh had just celebrated its 3000-year anniversary. In the Fergana Valley she lodged with the weaver Fazlitdin Dadajanov and his family in Margilan while investigating ikat weaving and silk rearing in more detail than she had been able to do previously. She was accompanied by three colleagues who shared expertise and insights and helped by many local craftspeople and specialists. This journey complemented two previous trips, one in 2002 to look at archaeological textiles in Xinjiang and the second, in 2008, to Uzbekistan to look at ikat weaving and other textile production. Dr. Dusenbury’s lecture will relate her experience with textile production in central Asia to the works on display in Reeds & Wool: Patterned Screens of Central Asia.

View the event recording.

"Mennonite Peace Efforts under Communist Observation," Pastor Bernhard Thiessen, Chairman, Peace Churches Office at the University of Hamburg, Berlin, Germany
2023-05-20 16:00 - 17:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
In the 1950s and 1960s, workers from Mennonite Central Committee Peace Section, the Puidoux Conferences, and the Christian Peace Conference organizations explored peace issues together in Europe. Their collaborative efforts drew the interest of the East German Protestant theologian Gerhard Bassarak, who worked for the East German Secret Police under the codename “Buss,” and of other theologians who worked with the East German section of the Christian Peace Conference and the Stasi.
Pastor Thiessen will explore this phenomena and other work related to the pop-up exhibit “Mennonites in East Germany,” on display May 18-20, 2023.

View the event recording.

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-05-06 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Our First Saturday Bird Walks depart from the kiosk in the museum parking lot for a mile-and-a-half hike through Chisholm Park and along Sand Creek Trail. Be prepared for some unpaved/steep terrain and unpredictable spring weather. Binoculars and a bird book are recommended but not required. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome but should be able to remain quiet so they don’t scare away the birds!

Free and open to the public.

Faspa: Mennonite Charcuterie
2023-04-30 16:30 - 18:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
We’ve been doing it for centuries! Register at kauffmanmusuem.org/faspa.
Faspa
a light evening meal of bread, meat, jam, and cheese, traditionally served in Low German Mennonite households.
Charcuterie
an assortment of meats, cheeses, artisan breads, olives, fruits, and nuts served on a board or tile.

Raffle
To celebrate spring, Kauffman Museum is collaborating with local business to offer prizes for a special faspa raffle! Each raffle ticket is $5. Use the links below to add raffle tickets to your order.

“A Berry Nice Surprise” Berry Box – A Surprise Assortment of Berry-Themed Food, Drink and Spring Items from G&C Farms
Ice Cream Pints – Choose your Flavors and Enjoy 6 Pints of Small-Batch Ice Cream from Salted Creamery
$50 Gift Certificate – Enjoy Dyck Arboretum of the Plains – Gift Shop, Native Plant Days, Native Plant School or Prairie Lights
$50 Gift Certificate to Cakes by Brenda – Custom Cookies, Cupcakes and Specialty Cakes for All Occasions
$50 Gift Certificate to Kauffman Museum Store – Shop Fair Trade, Kansas and Mennonite Themed Gift and Educational Goods for All Ages

Raffle drawing will be conducted prior to Sunday, April 30. Winners will be contacted and prizes distributed at the time of faspa pick up/delivery.

Masterworks Concert
We encourage you to attend the Masterworks Concert at Bethel College on April 30 at 4 p.m. Masterworks is an annual choral and orchestral performance and a longstanding Bethel tradition.

Pick Up & Delivery Details
• Faspa may be picked up at Kauffman Museum between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 30.
• For delivery ($5 per box), please contact Coralee Shenk – cshenk@bethelks.edu.
Please RSVP no later than April 23.

Additional Information
Questions? Email asa@bethelks.edu or phone (316) 283-1612.

Friends of the Museum Vintage/Antique/Art Sale
2023-04-29 09:00 - 13:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Kauffman Museum announces the Friends of the Museum sale of antiques, vintage items and art on Saturday, April 29, 9:00-1:00 at the museum’s front entrance and auditorium.
Sale merchandise includes the following and much more!
19th Century Kyivan Icon of Saints Boris and Gleb
Elson Jeweler’s or Watchmaker’s Lathe with Boley Box of Collets and Racine Motor
Angkor Wat Cambodia Temple Rubbing (early 1960s)
Untitled Portrait by Kansas Artist Lester Raymer
Franciscan “Jamoca” Dinner Set & Matching Madeira “Smoke” Glassware
1840 Red/Blue/Green Pennsylvania Coverlet
87-piece Set of William Rogers “Paris” Silverware
1816 Pennsylvania German Birth Certificate
1860 Godey’s Lady’s Book
Justrite Carbide Lamp for Coal Miner’s Helmet
1974 Book In the Fullness of Time by Walter Quiring and Helen Bartel
1950s Hall Individual Cream Pot
1964 BSA Eagle Scout Sterling Silver Charm
1920s Silverplate Baby Spoon
Collection of books on US presidents
Prices range from $1.00 to $2,000.00–something for everyone!
“O Give Me a Home” Table: you decide on the price for odds & ends
Special Silent Auction 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
Early 1800s French Cavalry Pistol, no ramrod (minimum bid $300.00)
19th Century Brass Samovar (minimum bid $100.00)
1956 Vornado Fan (minimum bid $25.00)
Cash, check or credit/debit cards (Discover, MasterCard, Visa). Prices include Kansas sales tax. Items donated for sale by Friends of Kauffman Museum. All proceeds benefit Kauffman Museum.
Stay tuned for updates!
23_Friends-of-the-Museum_Flier

Earth Day Tree Planting
2023-04-22 09:00 - 11:00 | Bethel College, 300 E 27th, North Newton, KS, 67114, United States
Kauffman Museum in partnership with the Sand Creek Trail Committee invites you to participate in a tree planting along the Sand Creek Trail to celebrate Earth Day. The Sand Creek Trail Committee will begin trail maintenance at 9 a.m., and the tree planting will begin at 10 a.m. with the event starting at the Sand Creek Trailhead. We are especially inviting families and hope you will see this as a great way for families to celebrate Earth Day. Come dressed for digging in the dirt and planting black walnut seedlings along the trail. For those interested, there will be a work time along the trail after the planting. If you have a shovel, feel free to bring it along. In case of inclement weather, watch for alternate plans. If you have questions contact Kauffman Museum at kauffman@bethelks.edu or 316-283-1612.

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-04-01 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Our First Saturday Bird Walks depart from the kiosk in the museum parking lot for a mile-and-a-half hike through Chisholm Park and along Sand Creek Trail. Be prepared for some unpaved/steep terrain and chilly early spring weather. Binoculars and a bird book are recommended but not required. Children accompanied by an adult are welcome but should be able to remain quiet so they don’t scare away the birds!

Free and open to the public.

"Images of Art and Design in Central Asia" – Phil Epp
2023-03-12 15:00 - 16:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Nationally recognized local artist Phil Epp will present an illustrated talk titled “Images of Art and Design in Central Asia” describing his observations on art and design while traveling in Kazakhstan for Kauffman Museum’s Sunday-Afternoon-At-the-Museum series on Sunday, March 12 at 3 p.m.
Epp visited Kazakhstan in 2009 as a part of the State Department’s Art in Embassies program. Kazakhstan borders Kyrgyzstan, the country of origin for the wall screens displayed in Kauffman Museum’s current special exhibition, Reeds & Wool: Patterned Screens of Central Asia. Epp will highlight similarities between patterns and designs in the museum exhibit and artwork he encountered while traveling.

Keith Sprunger Research Fund Launch
2023-03-11 19:00 - 20:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Former students and family members will remember the late Keith Sprunger Saturday, March 11, at 7 p.m. at Kauffman Museum, when a research fund in his honor will be formally launched.
The event will take place in person in the museum auditorium, but there is also a Zoom link for those who want to join from a distance: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87056000991.
