Be sure to check out the newly opened restaurant at Douglas & Oliver, Mike’s Wine Dive. THFA is pleased to announce Mike’s Wine Dive as an exhibition venue for our “pop-up” gallery series.

On view this month: new works from Matthew Hilyard & Jordan Chalmers.

WSU painting MFA graduates Kevin Kelly and Shannon Johnston have merged their studios again for a lot can happen on view at The Frame Guild, 506 Douglas Ave.(next to Planet Hair)

on view March 12-April 16.

10am-5:30pm, Mon-Sat

Reception for the Artists, Friday March 26, 6-8pm.

Don’t miss Shannon’s performance “Sugar and Spice, But Not Everything is Nice” during this Friday nights opening!

a lot can happen will be on exhibit through April 16th. Shannon Johnston’s performance, Sugar and Spice, But Not Everything Is Nice will begin at 7pm, Friday March 12 with a final performance at 7pm on Friday March 26th.

Expansion of the Arts in Afghanistan Can Be A Catalyst for Social Change
Local Artist to Exhibit Photos from Five-month Stay in Kabul

“From Afghanistan”
January 30, 2010
2:00 PM
City Arts Boardroom (address) second floor

For the past five months, Wichita artist Michael Pointer has been in Kabul, Afghanistan, working with the non-profit Afghanistan Dental Relief Project, (http://www.adrpinc.org/). He taught dental laboratory technology, the job skill he has used for the past 32 years to support his art making. He also made prosthetic dental restorations and performed basic dental care and treatment at the prison for women in Kabul. He will continue this work when he returns to Afghanistan in a few weeks.

Upon his return to the Afghani capitol, Pointer’s main responsibility will be as a member of the International Committee for the Development of the Arts in Afghanistan as its Funding and Communications Director, editing the English language versions of the committee’s publications. The main goals of this project are to advance the rights of Afghan women, increase tolerance for individual expression and to provide for expanded arts education.

“Educating Afghan society about the arts has already led to some loosening of the restrictions for women,” Pointer said. “Now, with the push to include artists from all parts of Afghanistan, we can continue to work more broadly for positive social change.”

Pointer recently became affiliated with the Center for Contemporary Art Afghanistan (CCAA) and will teach seminars on his Photoexpressionist technique in Kabul.

Pointer is a native Wichitan and a fourth-generation artist; he has been exhibiting his work since 1969. He has taught photography at Wichita State University, Newman University and Tabor College and has been included in more than 80 exhibits. His work is included in many private collections throughout the United States and Europe.

The gallery talk will include a showing of photographs taken by Pointer during his last trip to Afghanistan. Following the talk, he will be available for interview.