Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/280564
permanent home to Michelangelo's first painting,The Torment of Saint Anthony.The Kimbell offers a world-class collection of art, with masterpieces from antiquity to the 20th century, including works by El Greco, Cezanne, Rembrandt, Picasso, and Matisse. www.kimbellart.org The Modern Art Museum itself is a landmark design by modernist Japanese architect Tadao Ando. The building became home to the Modern in 2002. The perma- nent collection concentrates on European art since 1920 and American art since 1945, and includes works by Francis Bacon, Anselm Kiefer, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol. www.themod- ern.org The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring and documenting the lives of women who have distinguished themselves while exemplifying the pioneer spirit of the American West. www.cow- girl.net Staying Power There are 13,000 hotel rooms in Fort Worth and 3,000 hotel rooms located in the downtown area. There are a total of 140 hotels in Fort Worth. The airport is located just 25 miles from the center of town. WICHITA, KS If you've never been to Wichita, do yourself a favor and make plans to visit the city in the near future. Wichita, reportedly known as "the Air Capital of the World" because it produces a large percentage of the global aviation industry, has a lot to offer, including 33 museums, eight shopping districts, 28 art galleries and more. Forbes recently called Wichita one of "America's Engineering Capitals." "Wichita is the perfect place to host your next meeting because of its central location, unsurpassed level of service and dynamic cultural amenities," says Go Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau CEO Susie Santo. Where to stay is not an issue in Wichita.There are more than 8,000 hotel rooms, ranging from economy to luxury. Where to eat is also not an issue. There are more than 1,000 restaurants. The city has been called a Top 10 Foodie Time to Meet Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center boasts more than 200,000 sq. ft. of exhibition and meeting space that is con- nected to the 303-room Hyatt Regency Wichita Hotel. The two connected facilities have 28 meetings and ballrooms. Wichita is the largest city in the state of Kansas and the 49th-largest city in the United States. The city's population is esti- mated to be more than 380,000. The African American population is reportedly about 42,000. Getting There When it comes to getting intoWichita, it's less than 10 minutes by car from airport ter- minal to conference center. SANTA MONICA, CA "Santa Monica offers the perfect blend of urban sophistication and beach town cool and with an endless array culture, trend-setting shopping and outdoor recre- ation that is all within walking distance from our hotels and meeting venues," said Travis Pham, manager of Domestic Sales & Services. "A recent influx of new media, entertainment and tech companies has earned Santa Monica the moniker: Silicon Beach. When you hold your meeting or event in Santa Monica, your company will surely catch Santa Monica's creative edge!" Santa Monica, with the motto, California's Most Celebrated Beach City, has a population of 94,000, of which 3.7 % or 3,478 are African-American. About 7.3 million visitors come to Santa Monica each City by Livability.com. There is much to see and do in Wichita. Besides the 17 festivals and 22 attractions in the area, make sure to see The Wichita Grand Opera, Music Theater of Wichita and The Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Spend a night on the town in Wichita's entertainment district, Old Town, which was called one of "America's top 10 neighborhoods" by American Planning Association. It features more than 100 business, restaurants, shops and nightlife opportunities. Explore the area's museums on the River district. Located along the Arkansas River, some of the Midwest's best museums are within a two-mile radius. If staying downtown, you're near more than 80 miles of biking and running trails. If you go north along the river, you'll see public art along your way to the 44-ft.-tall Keeper of the Plains, which each night is illuminated by massive fire pots. Want to get in some exercise while taking in the sights, rent a bicycle at Bicycle Exchange and visit the many museums on the river also connected by the bike paths. The Kansas African American Museum, formerly the venerable Calvary Baptist Church was once the cornerstone of Wichita's vibrant Black community. It was built in 1917. The community featured restaurants, businesses and homes. It hosted jazz artists, Negro league baseball stars, and was the home of America's first African-American Academy Award winner (Hattie McDaniel). B M & T ••• January/February 2014 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 15 •pg_12-21__BMT_pg3-58 2/27/14 4:37 PM Page 15