Betty Austin Hensley’s Flutes of the World
Exhibition Overview
Angela Watts, curator
At 3 PM Sunday, April 20, Betty Austin Hensley will perform “Flutesong on the Kansas Prairie” in the Spencer Museum of Art’s Central Court. She will play the work on concert flute and on several instruments from her collection, Flutes of the World. Betty Austin Hensley’s Flutes of the World comprises a wide variety of wind instruments from several different countries. A reception will follow the performance.
In conjunction with the performance, a selection of Mrs. Hensley’s flutes that are now in the collection of the Spencer Museum of Art will be on display in the Renaissance Gallery, adjacent to the Central Court. Mrs. Hensley began playing the flute when she was in grade school in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and is now a teacher, performer and collector of flutes in Wichita, Kansas. Over the years, Mrs. Hensley has collected more than 400 flutes from more than 80 different world cultures. In addition to collecting flutes from all over the world, Mrs. Hensley has also learned how to play traditional songs on the many diverse instruments in her collection.
This exhibition is organized for the Spencer by Sofía Galarza Liu, collection manager, and Angela Watts, assistant collection manager.
