The Wichita Art Museum opens "Homeward to the Prairie I Come," an exhibition of 71 photographs by Gordon Parks, running from May 11 to July 27, 2025. The works come from a collection Parks curated and donated to Kansas State University in 1973, now held by the Beach Museum of Art, which co-curated the touring show with Aileen Wang and Sarah Price. The exhibition is organized thematically around five large iconic images, including portraits of Muhammad Ali, Alexander Calder, Malcolm X, and Flavio da Silva, the subject of Parks' first film.
This exhibition matters because it highlights the enduring power of Gordon Parks' photography, which captured American life and culture, especially Black American experiences, with extraordinary range—from fashion shoots in Paris to social documentary in Rio de Janeiro. The show also underscores the importance of regional museums in preserving and presenting major artistic legacies, as the collection originated from Parks' personal gift to Kansas State University and now travels to new audiences. David Parks, the artist's son, notes that the continued interest in his father's work is "a testament to his legacy."