About MAPS

Purpose of MidAmerica Pastel Society

MidAmerica Pastel Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts organization serving Kansas City and the surrounding areas. The purpose of MAPS is to bring together practicing pastel artists as a group to:

• Network
• Educate and promote community interest in and support for the medium of soft pastels in the visual arts
• Support these artists in their artistic development
• Exhibit work as a group and individually (For a List of MAPS Juried Shows & Exhibitions, click here.) 
• Provide teaching workshops for further development of artists using pastel
• Make a contribution to the community through development of student artists in the medium of soft pastel

History

MidAmerica Pastel Society was formed July 14, 1997 when a group of local Kansas City area artists found their favorite medium, soft pastel, was being overlooked as a serious art form. Determined to prove that pastel, with its century-long history, stability, and rich vibrant beauty is still a viable medium, these artists formed a non-profit society to foster their passion for pastel.  As a group of artists in a formal society, MAPS has become a force better able to capture the attention of an audience of art patrons, critics and show jurors.

Past Presidents

What are soft pastels?

Pastel is a powdered pigment mixed together with a minimum of a non-oily binder. The dry or soft pastels can be formed into sticks, pastel pencils or pan pastels. Pastel is one of the oldest painting mediums. It became popular in portraits in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. The medium was used in the 19th century by artists like Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, Manet, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam, Delacroix and Whistler. Picasso, Matisse and Chagall joined the pastel enthusiasts in the 20th century. It is a highly versatile medium which does not yellow, crack or darken with age but does need to be framed under glass.

Affiliations

MAPS is affiliated with the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS) whose objective is "to celebrate worldwide the expanding presence of Dry Pastel as a major fine arts painting medium and to provide a strong voice for pastel artists and the luminous medium of Pastel.” IAPS is a non-profit organization representing pastel societies and uniting in a common cause - to demonstrate the validity and quality of pastel fine art around the world.