Our History

Harvester Arts launched in 2014 with the mission to build the creative capacity of the community through arts experimentation, public art projects, artist residencies, and professional development for artists. We believe creative action builds healthy communities. Our core values are centered around experimentation, capacity building, fostering critical thinking through arts experiences, and community engagement.

Critical thinking is a skill that needs to be practiced and developed. The arts are a perfect place to engage with critical thinking. Individuals who have agency and motivation in creative problem solving and the ability to be thoughtful have impact in other facets of our community.

Between the co-founders, we have varied and vast experience in the arts, communications, community organizing, and idea sharing. We started this to focus our energy into making the Wichita community the sort of thriving arts destination in which we all want to immerse ourselves.

​Mission

Harvester Arts builds the creative capacity of the community through arts experimentation, public art projects, artist residencies, and professional development for artists.

Vision

Creative action builds healthy communities.

OUR TEAM

Kristin Beal

Co-Founder and Executive Director

KRISTIN BEAL is an arts advocate, administrator and culture producer. She currently serves as Wichita State University (WSU) Placemaking and Special Projects manager and guest lecturer in the Master of Arts Administration program for the WSU College of Fine Arts. In 2014 Beal co-founded Harvester Arts and serves as executive director for the nonprofit organization that provides a platform for visual arts experimentation, community engagement and professional development. She studied at the Kansas City Art Institute, Wichita State University (BFA Drawing and Painting) and Virginia Commonwealth University (MFA Painting and Printmaking). Kristin Beal has worked extensively as a grant facilitator with local artists to realize projects through Harvester Arts with the Wichita Arts Council, The Knight Foundation and The NEA. She has exhibited nationally and internationally and pursues projects that explore various means of collaboration and creative action via community-based art projects.

Mina Estrada

Managing Director

Mina Estrada attempts to commit a substantial amount of time to teaching, creating, and facilitating some kind of dance experience for herself and those who care to join. She received her MFA in Dance at Temple University, and her choreography and workshops, which are rooted in contemporary movement concepts and improvisation, have been commissioned by folks all over the country, but not everywhere. Mina has served as faculty for the dance programs at Temple University, Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, and Drexel University. She is often producing shows in collaboration with other artists and contributing to festivals and conferences around the country. While in Philadelphia, she performed in the Live Arts Festival and Collage Festival, received the New Edge Residency at the CEC, worked with notable artists Jumatatu Poe, Silvana Cardell, Shavon Norris, and Leah Stein Dance Company. Transitioning to the South, Mina served as Director of Artist Resources for the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and faculty at Louisiana State University. Now, here in Wichita, she has served as the Managing Director of the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company, teaches at Friends University and Wichita State University, co-creator of Benevolent Instruction (creative modality and podcast), and is now Managing Director of Harvester Arts. When she is not busy making dance stuffs, Mina continues to be in hot pursuit of great storytellers, generous muses, equilibrium, and more time to pet her cats, smile at her husband, and hang out with Mother Nature.

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