Daniel Garber, Farm Lane, 1924, oil on canvas. Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University. This painting, acquired through funds raised by the Topeka Friends of Art, is one of several important works gifted to the Mulvane in its early years.
Joab R. Mulvane, a successful railroad executive, pledged funds in 1922 to build a museum on the campus of what was then Washburn College. The Mulvane Art Museum opened to the public in 1924 and was one of the first art museums established west of the Mississippi.
Following a tornado in 1966 that destroyed much of Washburn campus, the university fast tracked plans for museum expansion. Although the Mulvane's native limestone exterior was unchanged, the severely damaged interior was rebuilt and connected to the new Garvey Fine Arts Center. Additional renovation projects from the 1990s into the 2020s expanded exhibition galleries, created the Judith Lennox Sabatini Art Lab, and ensured the future preservation of the collection with improvements to art storage and display areas.
The Mulvane, which is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, now houses a collection of more than 6,000 objects. They are shown in regularly rotating installations alongside special exhibitions of works by artists from around the world. People of all ages and abilities engage with the Mulvane through outreach and public programs, including gallery talks, panel discussions, workshops, artmaking activities, and community events.
