An art exhibit by Wichita flag designer Cecil McAlister is on display at the Sedgwick County Historical Museum in Wichita.
Artist Cecil McAlister was born in Wichita in 1890. He came from a family of artists and he specialized in sign painting, billboards and set design.
In 1937, McAlister entered a contest held by the Wichita Rotary Club where he won a $40 prize for his design of the Wichita flag.
Sedgwick County Historical Museum Director Eric Cale says McAlister's flag is recognized today as one of the best-designed flags ever. Cale says McAlister was a rather obscure artist nationally, but not in Wichita.
"His work does still exist, especially in the older neighborhoods in various homes," Cale says. "He did a lot of decorative painting wall murals and they can be found in College Hill and Riverside. He worked up until his death in 1969."
Visitors to the museum will see nearly a dozen pieces including desert landscapes and galloping buffaloes.
An illustrated lecture about McAlister's artwork will be held at the museum on August 25 at 6 p.m.
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Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
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