Cultivating Creativity in Harper County, KS
The Arts Center is proud to partner with the South Kansas Symphony to present ‘Tchaikovsky and Friends’, held at the Chaparral Jr/Sr High School Auditorium! Enjoy an evening of beautiful music, featuring performers from surrounding areas, coming to Harper County for just one night!
Come join us for the 9th annual Benefit in the Barn — we affectionately call it the “Barnifit”! This fun evening is worth braving the chilly night air — we’ve got a delicious soup supper (no tickets or reservation needed!), a virtual silent auction with items curated by the Arts Center board, and a lively pie auction. This year we have a special guest coming for the live entertainment — speed painter Annika Wooton! And after she paints a masterpiece right in front of our eyes, we’ll auction off her creation. We hope you’ll come for an evening together, benefitting the work we do, and having some fun at the same time!
Learn how to carve rubber stamps out of pink erasers using linoleum cutting tools! These tiny surfaces allow for big creativity, and we’ll use them to embellish gift tags just in time for holiday giving!
Learn about the interesting, fun hobby of lure making while creating your very own unique “Jitterbug” lure fit for fishing. In this class you will be assembling a fishing lure, and customizing it with the paint a style of your choice. So come make your very own “Jitterbug” lure, or one for your favorite fisherman!
The Arts Center is proud to present its upcoming adult community theatre production – Steel Magnolias, by Robert Harling. This well-known story about friendship in a small town explores the power of tight-knit community within the walls of Truvy’s salon. This local production will run for two nights at the Historic Anthony Theatre — October 17th and 18th, 2025 at 7 pm.
The play is nostalgically set in the 1980s and takes place in one location — Truvy’s salon — which is a converted carport next to her home. Truvy’s salon is Chinquapin, Louisiana’s go-to place for a beauty fix with a hearty side of gossip. Along with her overeager assistant Annelle, Truvy pampers her small-town clients with hairdos, manicures and all kinds of unsolicited advice. Anybody who’s anybody is a regular: There’s the doting M’Lynn and her soon-to-be-married daughter Shelby, the moody Ouiser and the well-to-do widow Clairee. Through witty banter and wisecracks, this hodgepodge group of women form friendships as strong as steel, which they are forced to lean on when tragedy strikes.
TICKETS: Advanced tickets for Steel Magnolias will be available here. Tickets will also be available at the box office of the theatre on the day of the show. Adult tickets are $8, children (ages 4-12) are $6, children (ages 0-3) are $3.
The Arts Center is proud to present its upcoming adult community theatre production – Steel Magnolias, by Robert Harling. This well-known story about friendship in a small town explores the power of tight-knit community within the walls of Truvy’s salon. This local production will run for two nights at the Historic Anthony Theatre — October 17th and 18th, 2025 at 7 pm.
The play is nostalgically set in the 1980s and takes place in one location — Truvy’s salon — which is a converted carport next to her home. Truvy’s salon is Chinquapin, Louisiana’s go-to place for a beauty fix with a hearty side of gossip. Along with her overeager assistant Annelle, Truvy pampers her small-town clients with hairdos, manicures and all kinds of unsolicited advice. Anybody who’s anybody is a regular: There’s the doting M’Lynn and her soon-to-be-married daughter Shelby, the moody Ouiser and the well-to-do widow Clairee. Through witty banter and wisecracks, this hodgepodge group of women form friendships as strong as steel, which they are forced to lean on when tragedy strikes.
TICKETS: Advanced tickets for Steel Magnolias will be available here. Tickets will also be available at the box office of the theatre on the day of the show. Adult tickets are $8, children (ages 4-12) are $6, children (ages 0-3) are $3.
On September 21st, the local community is coming together for a special event aimed at supporting the Arts Center! This fundraiser promises an afternoon of creativity, camaraderie, and compassion as attendees gather to paint a Fall heart wreath or a Joy Christmas Wreath, all in the name of art and philanthropy.
Come audition to be a part of the cast for this well-known story about friendship in a small town. We’re looking for 6 women (and 1 man for a radio voice-over!) to bring this hilarious and touching story to life on stage…we know the right players are just waiting in the wings!
This casting call for “Steel Magnolias” is open to adults (18+ and out of high school). The time is come-and-go, but plan to spend 20-30 minutes with us. Here is additional information (rehearsal schedule and casting information, including monologues for auditions).
The Arts Center is proud to partner with Mindy’s Dance Studio to present a Talent Showcase, held at the Historic Anthony Theatre! Enjoy an evening of local talent, featuring performing arts acts in dance, theatre, music, and more!
Glazing class, but perfect for Valentine’s Day! This can be a date night or even the perfect Galentine’s celebration!
Make it how you like it! This class takes a pair of wine cups and really jazzes it up however you’d like. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing to make a cup that suits their taste, in both color and design!
February 14th — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
Make it how you like it! This class takes a classic bowl shape (perfect for soup or ice cream!) and really jazzes it up however you’d like. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing to make a mug that suits their taste, in both color and design!
January 31st — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
This is like painting a mug, but next level! This class takes a unique clay shape (it's like the old vintage ones, perfect for decorating for Christmas) and really jazzes it up. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing to make a cool Christmas tree that suits their taste, in both color and design!
December 14th — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
Introducing...improv classes for adults (age 18+)! These are beginning level short-form improv class, taught by Jessie Grey from Flying Pig Improv, based in Wichita, Kansas. Classes will be held at the Arts Center building, and the cost is $10 per student per class (and your first one is free!). No need to sign up — just show up, ready for anything!
This is like painting a mug, but next level! This class takes a unique clay shape (it's like the old vintage ones, perfect for decorating for Christmas) and really jazzes it up. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing to make a cool Christmas tree that suits their taste, in both color and design!
December 13th — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
Come join us for the 8th annual Benefit in the Barn — we affectionately call it the “Barnifit”! This fun evening is worth braving the chilly night air — we’ve got a delicious soup supper (no tickets or reservation needed!), a virtual silent auction with items curated by the Arts Center board, live entertainment, and a lively pie auction. We hope you’ll come for an evening together, benefitting the work we do, and having some fun at the same time!
Happy trees and happy accidents — come learn to paint like Bob Ross! This 2-hour class includes everything you need to paint a beautiful landscape from start to finish. This class is perfect for kids and teens!!
The Arts Center is excited to host this Bob Ross Painting Workshop on Saturday, November 16th at 2-4 pm, and the $30 registration cost includes all supplies and instruction. Space is limited.
Instructor Derese McAbee (of Butterbee Boutique out of Pratt, KS) is a certified Bob Ross instructor who hosts monthly painting workshops at the Pratt Public Library. She also holds private painting classes and classes for other businesses and organizations.
If you’ve ever thought about writing down stories from your life, writing a poem, or writing a story you can tell to others, this is the workshop for you. We’ll keep the coffee flowing at the beautiful Gallery Mostaza while we read published pieces and discuss how they work and how we might write with a reader in mind. We’ll use guided exercises to gather material for our own stories and talk about how to look for meaning in the stuff of our lives. Join us for this fun and friendly introduction to the art of creative writing.
November 16th — 10 am - 1:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
Happy trees and happy accidents — come learn to paint like Bob Ross! This 3-hour class includes everything you need to paint a beautiful landscape from start to finish.
The Arts Center is excited to host this Bob Ross Painting Workshop on Saturday, November 16th at 9 am-12 pm, and the $65 registration cost includes all supplies and instruction. Space is limited.
Instructor Derese McAbee (of Butterbee Boutique out of Pratt, KS) is a certified Bob Ross instructor who hosts monthly painting workshops at the Pratt Public Library. She also holds private painting classes and classes for other businesses and organizations.
This is like painting a mug, but next level! This class takes a unique clay shape (perfect for decorating for fall or Thanksgiving) and really jazzes it up. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing to make a cool pumpkin that suits their taste, in both color and design!
November 15th — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
Introducing...improv classes for adults (age 18+)! These are beginning level short-form improv class, taught by Jessie Grey from Flying Pig Improv, based in Wichita, Kansas. Classes will be held at the Arts Center building, and the cost is $10 per student per class (and your first one is free!). No need to sign up — just show up, ready for anything!
This is like painting a mug, but next level! This class takes a unique clay shape (perfect for decorating for Halloween or the Day of the Dead) and really jazzes it up. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing to make a cool skull that suits their taste, in both color and design!
October 18th — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
The Arts Center is proud to present ‘The Death & Life of Sneaky Fitch’, by James L. Rosenberg. ‘Sneaky Fitch’ is a Western tale, sure to delight audiences of all ages with singing cowboys, saloon girls, and shootouts!
To the little town of Gopher Gulch, Sneaky Fitch is an abrasive disgrace—a no-good, drunken, nuisance. When he falls ill, there is a sigh of relief, and when he apparently dies there are few tears. But when Sneaky rises from his coffin, the picture changes, for no one dares confront a man who has come back from the dead. Capitalizing on his “invincibility” Sneaky soon takes over as sheriff, mayor, and town banker—not to mention facing down Rackham, the fastest gun in the West. In short, where he was formerly unbearable he is now insufferable. But is Sneaky really immortal? Can he really outrun death? And will things in Gopher Gulch ever be the same?
TICKETS: Advanced tickets for ‘Sneaky Fitch’ are available here. Tickets will also be available at the box office of the theatre on the day of the show. Adult tickets are $8, children (ages 0-12) are $6.
The Arts Center is proud to present ‘The Death & Life of Sneaky Fitch’, by James L. Rosenberg. ‘Sneaky Fitch’ is a Western tale, sure to delight audiences of all ages with singing cowboys, saloon girls, and shootouts!
To the little town of Gopher Gulch, Sneaky Fitch is an abrasive disgrace—a no-good, drunken, nuisance. When he falls ill, there is a sigh of relief, and when he apparently dies there are few tears. But when Sneaky rises from his coffin, the picture changes, for no one dares confront a man who has come back from the dead. Capitalizing on his “invincibility” Sneaky soon takes over as sheriff, mayor, and town banker—not to mention facing down Rackham, the fastest gun in the West. In short, where he was formerly unbearable he is now insufferable. But is Sneaky really immortal? Can he really outrun death? And will things in Gopher Gulch ever be the same?
TICKETS: Advanced tickets for ‘Sneaky Fitch’ are available here. Tickets will also be available at the box office of the theatre on the day of the show. Adult tickets are $8, children (ages 0-12) are $6.
This is like painting a mug, but next level! This class takes a unique mug shape (perfect for holding in your hand) and really jazzes it up with a geometric pattern. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing using a tape resist to make a mug that suits their taste, in both color and design!
June 21st — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
Jon Stringer was born in the early 80s as the youngest of 3 children. Perhaps expectedly, he developed into an incurable attention seeker with a gift for making people laugh. A self-described "late bloomer" Jon would only discover his passion for stand-up comedy on his 30th birthday. One comedy open mic changed his entire trajectory. Now he's still channeling his inner child to avoid maturity at all costs. His uniquely optimistic perspective, combined with a commanding stage presence, makes him one of the most sought after new acts in comedy. Jon’s high-energy and physical style has proven to entertain everywhere he goes: USO tours, College Campuses, Cruises, Corporate Events, and Comedy Clubs nationwide. Jon can be heard regularly on I Heart Radio as well as be seen on Netflix (Chingo Bling's - They Can't Deport Us All). When he performs in your city, SEE HIM LIVE!!! He'll deliver the laughs you deserve and the ab workout you've been avoiding.
For more information, check out Jon's website: www.jonstringer.com.
Come audition to be a part of the cast for this hilarious Western tale! (Think Old West, with good ol’ fashioned stand-offs, cowboys & saloon girls, and lots of laughs!) We’re looking for 3 women and 10 men to bring this hilarious tale to life on stage…we know the right players are just waiting in the wings!
This casting call for “The Death & Life of Sneaky Fitch” is open to adults (18+). The time is come-and-go, but plan to spend 20-30 minutes with us. No need to prepare anything — we’ll have sides (short scenes from the script) for you to read with a partner.
***One role is for a singing, guitar-playing cowboy. If you’re interested in auditioning for this role, please bring a guitar with a prepared song.***
On August 4th, the local community is coming together for a special event aimed at supporting the Arts Center! This fundraiser promises an afternoon of creativity, camaraderie, and compassion as attendees gather to paint a country barn or a sunflower, all in the name of art and philanthropy.
Introducing...improv classes for adults (age 18+)! These are beginning level short-form improv class, taught by Jessie Grey from Flying Pig Improv, based in Wichita, Kansas. Classes will be held at the Arts Center building, and the cost is $10 per student per class (and your first one is free!). No need to sign up — just show up, ready for anything!
Even adults like the chance to get their hands in some clay and make something beautiful (and functional too)! This class is specifically for hand-building a pot, and each artist will learn techniques for working with clay to make a pot that suits their taste. This will include learning several hand-building techniques, adding interesting details and textures, and glazing with gorgeous colors and finishes.
July 12 and 19 — 6:30-9:30 pm (Artists need to be present for both days of the camp to complete their piece.)
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
This is like painting a mug, but next level! This class takes a unique mug shape (perfect for holding in your hand) and really jazzes it up with a geometric pattern. Each artist will learn techniques for glazing using a tape resist to make a mug that suits their taste, in both color and design!
June 21st — 6:30-9:30 pm
***This camp is for adults (18+).***
Introducing...improv classes for adults (age 18+)! These are beginning level short-form improv class, taught by Jessie Grey from Flying Pig Improv, based in Wichita, Kansas. Classes will be held at the Arts Center building, and the cost is $10 per student per class (and your first one is free!). No need to sign up — just show up, ready for anything!
The Arts Center is proud to present a double feature for your entertainment! The Summer Stock Theatre Camp Players will open with a mini production of ‘Ninja Red Riding Hood’, as pre-show entertainment for the cult classic 'Shrek'!
Pop into the Historic Anthony Theatre on BalloonFest weekend to grab some hot, fresh popcorn and see this funny a mini melodrama (only 15 minutes long!) by the Arts Center Players. It’s a fun, free, family-friendly show, and you can see it at 10 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm!
Get your best ‘boo hiss!’ ready for the villain, along with a sweet ‘oooooh aaaaaah!’ for the heroine…and will the hero get there in time to save the day?!
