Kauffman Museum

Earth Day Tree Planting
2023-04-22 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | 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, 2023-03-04 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 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.

"East of Liberal: Notes on the Land—Exploring the Myths, Contradictions and Resilience" – Raylene Hinz-Penner, author
2023-02-26 15:00 - 16:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Discussing the recently published memoir she describes as a personal land acknowledgement, Raylene Hinz-Penner will talk about the central tension of the book, reconciling her idyllic childhood on Dust Bowl land in southwest Kansas with the thorny issues of settler accountability, the knowledge that the land on which her family thrived in the 1950’s and 60’s was once homeland to peoples who were forcibly removed from the land.
About Raylene Hinz-Penner
After retiring from a career of teaching Contemporary American Literature and Creative Writing at Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas and Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, Hinz-Penner has been writing about place–the land and its peoples, its history and geography. Her first book, Searching for Sacred Ground: The Journey of Chief Lawrence Hart, Mennonite was published in 2007. East of Liberal: Notes on the Land, a “land acknowledgement” about the southwest Kansas Dust Bowl land where she grew up, was published in December 2022. Field Notes on the Levee, a manuscript of poems and field sketches about the Topeka site where she lived for 20 years includes the forced Potawatomi march to Kansas and their early life on the land where Hinz-Penner lived in southwest Topeka. Now living in North Newton, she is an active member of Bethel College Mennonite Church, maintaining wider fellowship status with Southern Hills Mennonite in Topeka.

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-02-04 08:00 - 12:00 | 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 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.

Celebrate Kansas Day! at Kauffman Museum
2023-01-28 12:00 - 16:00 | KS
Celebrate Kansas Day! at Kauffman Museum. Mark your calendars for this free Kansas Day event at Kauffman Museum, happening on Saturday, January 28, 2023 from 12:00–4:00pm.
SCHEDULE:
Food in the Museum Parking Lot, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sage & Juliette Coffee • Tacos Ana’s • Shalom Mennonite / New Creation Youth Group
Activities in and around Kauffman Museum
In the Museum auditorium
• 1 p.m. – A Songwriter Celebrates Kansas in Song: Annie Wilson, educator/rancher/singer-songwriter, Chase County
• 2 p.m. – Faces: A Kansas Fine Art Portrait Project: Dave Lieker, photographer, Emporia
• 3 p.m. – Muralist Mexicana: The Challenge and Celebration of Urban Mural Arts: Vania Soto, artist, Kansas City
Indoor Activities and Artist Demonstrations
Wheat Weaving – Felice Goering
Et Cetera Shop Loom Weaving – Carol Goering
Reed Screen Weaving – Esther Eash
Watercolor – Susan Bartel
Ceramics – Abby Chappel Deckert
Wool Spinning – Marnette Hatchett
Pysanky Eggs – Janet Regier
Outdoor Activities, Crafts and Demonstrations Collaborative Mural
Chisholm Trail History Tours (12:30 p.m. & 2 p.m.) • Scavenger Hunt • Buffalo Chip Tic Tac Toe • Prairie Dog Corn Hole • Native American Teepee • Blacksmith Bill Moffet • Rope Making • Corn Grinding • Popcorn Popping • Vintage Washing Machines • Hay Rack Rides • Old-fashioned Schoolyard Games • Farmhouse open and heated
Handcrafted Kansas Cookie Sale
Raffle for 12 pints of Salted Creamery Artisan Ice Cream

First Saturday Bird Walk
2023-01-07 08:00 - 12:00, 2022-12-03 08:00 - 09:00 | KS

Five Places of Christmas at Kauffman Museum
2022-12-03 10:00 - 16:30 | KS
Newton-area museums welcome the public to “Five Places of Christmas” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. The annual holiday open house is a collaborative event among the Carriage Factory Art Gallery, Harvey County Historical Museum, Kauffman Museum, Warkentin House, and Bethel College Women’s Association. This year, Kauffman Museum will offer museum exhibits, gift shop discount tables, and refreshments while the Bethel College Women’s Association will host a Christmas sale featuring handmade crafts and baked goods at the Goerz House on the Bethel College campus. Warkentin House will showcase holiday decorations in every room and the Carriage Factory Gallery will provide materials for make-and-take ornaments from 10:00-12 noon. Harvey County Historical Museum invites guests to explore the videos, blogs and photos on its website. All participating locations will be open with free admission. Be sure to contact each site for its COVID and safety requirements.

First Saturday Bird Walk—November 5, 2022
2022-11-05 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. 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 | “The Past in the Present” with Justina Neufeld and Janine Wedel
2022-10-23 17:30 - 18:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
At 5:30 at Kauffman Museum, please join us for the annual Living Endowment Dinner. We look forward to gathering in the museum building for a meal together after a two-year pandemic hiatus. Following dinner, Justina Neufeld with Janine Wedel will present a personal conversation exploring the 20th century forces that shape the Ukraine of today and provide relevance for how we handle the crises of today.
Reserve online today. RSVP no later than October 18, 2022. Please contact asa@bethelks.edu or 316-283-1612 with questions.

View the event recording.

Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum | Ina Navazelskis from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
2022-10-23 16:00 - 17:00 | Bethel College, 300 E 27th, North Newton, KS, 67114, United States
At 4:00 in Krehbiel Auditorium in the Luyken Fine Arts Center on the Bethel College campus, Ina Navazelskis, an oral historian from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, will speak about the value of oral history in helping preserve family stories and in helping us understand the complexities of people’s experiences during World War II. Ms. Navazelskis’ program is free and open to the public.

Fall Festival | “The Oldest Books in the Museum's Collection” by Mark Jantzen, Bethel College Professor of History
2022-10-08 13:30 - 14:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Kauffman Museum owns a number of cuneiform tablets that are over 4,000 years old. These ancient writings provide insight into a culture that goes back to the very beginnings of organized, urban life in Mesopotamia, the ancient Near East. Hundreds of Bethel students have been introduced to these objects in the class History of Civilization instituted by Professor Keith Sprunger almost sixty years ago. This Fall Fest program will be led by Professor Jantzen (85’), the current instructor.

Monthly Bird Walk—October 8, 2022
2022-10-08 08:00 - 09:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
(Held on the second Saturday to coincide with Bethel College Fall Festival)
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. 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.

Annual Business Meeting
2022-09-18 15:00 - 16:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
View the event recording.

Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum | “Decommissioned Missile Silo Sites: Reminders of Our Past and Future” by Nate Hofer
2022-09-18 15:00 - 16:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Following a short business meeting of the Kauffman Museum Association, World Peace Photo award winner Nate Hofer will discuss making photographs of decommissioned nuclear missile silos. Nate’s project included finding and traveling to the sites, talking with landowners, and considering why he takes the photos and whether he really is a legitimate photographer. This program is held in conjunction with the current special exhibition “The Magic of Things,” a collection of not often seen museum artifacts including a Nuclear Free Zone t-shirt from 1984 when North Newton, KS, officially became a Nuclear Free Zone.

View the event recording.

First Saturday Bird Walk—September 3, 2022
2022-09-03 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. 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.

Details in light of the COVID-19 pandemic:
–Masks required. Bring your own mask (BYOM).
–Maintain social distancing at all times before, during and after the bird walk.

First Saturday Bird Walk—August 6, 2022
2022-08-06 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States

Pedal Power | Uncle Carl's Camp
2022-07-18 09:00 - 2022-07-22 11:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
If you like to bike, this camp is for you! Campers will build endurance and learn bicycle safety, history of biking through Kauffman Museum’s collection, bicycle maintenance and repair and riding rules and etiquette. Campers must already know how to ride a bike and be ready to expand their skills and confidence. Each day campers will bike longer distances, ending in a 10-mile ride. Each participant must bring a bike in good working order and a helmet.
July 18-22, 9:00-12:00 each day | Age 9 and over (completed grade 3 through adult)
Application deadline: July 15
$75 per museum member / $90 per non-member
Instructors:
Karen Kreider Yoder
SF-USD, San Francisco, CA
Stephen Kreider Yoder
Wall Street Journal

First Saturday Bird Walk—July 2, 2022
2022-07-02 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States

Life on the Prairie | Uncle Carl's Camps
2022-06-27 09:00 - 2022-07-01 11:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
There are more life on the prairie than you’d ever imagine! It has been home to many plants, animals and people for a very long time. We will investigate many different organisms that live on the prairie–big and small–and imagine how the prairie might be different (or the same?) if we had lived hundreds of years ago. Come ready to spend lots of time outside going on nature walks, doing experiments, and imagining life on the prairie through the ages!
June 27-July 1, 9:00-11:30 each day | Age 6 to 8 (completed grade k-2)
Application deadline: June 24
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
Kendall Smith
USD 373, Newton, KS

Exploring Printmaking 2 | Uncle Carl's Camp
2022-06-20 09:00 - 2022-06-24 11:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Campers will explore printmaking through the work of Kansas printmakers. Drawing from observation, students will use nature as the subject of their works. Exploring Printmaking 2 will give campers a unique inside glimpse into how an artist turns inspiration into art. Come discover a variety of processes for creating artwork on paper and fabric.
June 20-24, 9:00-11:30 each day | Age 9 to 12 (completed grade 3-6)
Application deadline: June 17
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
LaDonna Unruh Voth
USD 373, Newton, KS

Exploring Printmaking 1 | Uncle Carl's Camp
2022-06-13 09:00 - 2022-06-17 11:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Campers will explore a variety of simple printmaking techniques. Drawing from observation, students will use nature as the subject of their works. Exploring Printmaking 1 will introduce young artists to many forms of printing from the museum’s collection of paper and fabric artifacts.
June 13-17, 9:00-11:00 each day | Age 6 to 8 (completed grade k-2)
Application deadline: June 10
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
LaDonna Unruh Voth
USD 373, Newton, KS

Unraveling History’s Mysteries | Uncle Carl's Camp
2022-06-06 09:00 - 2022-06-10 11:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Get ready to dig deep in local archives, interview historians, and do detective work. Campers will investigate the rich history of Kauffman Museum, Bethel College and the local community. Come study artifacts, explore hidden stairways and mummify a piece of fruit. Are you ready for an adventure?!
June 6-10, 9:00-11:30 each day | Age 9 to 12 (completed grade 3-6)
Application deadline: June 3
$70 per museum member / $80 per non-member
Instructor:
Monty Graber
USD 373, Newton, KS

First Saturday Bird Walk—June 4, 2022
2022-06-04 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States

Little Houses on the Prairie | Uncle Carl's Camp
2022-05-31 09:00 - 2022-06-03 11:30 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
We will explore different types of homes from pioneer days. Come find out who built these homes, what they were made of, where they were built, what they did inside the houses, and why they did things that way! We’ll be inside and outside, so come prepared for both.
May 31-June 3, 9:00-11:30 each day | Age 4 and 5 (not yet in kindergarten)
Application deadline: May 27
$70 per museum member / $85 per non-member
Instructor:
Kristin Neufeld Epp
New Creation Preschool

Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum with Rachel Pannabecker and David Kreider
2022-05-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
Join us for “Collecting for College and Community: Past, Present and Future,” a Sunday-Afternoon-at-the-Museum program with Rachel Pannabecker and David Kreider.

This program is presented as part of “The Magic of Things,” a Kauffman Museum special exhibition celebrating the 125th anniversary of collecting at the oldest Mennonite museum in the Americas.

View the event recording.

First Saturday Bird Walk—May 7, 2022
2022-05-07 07:00 - 08:00 | Kauffman Museum, 27th & Main St., North Newton, KS, 67117, United States
