Photography by Great Bend native Jeremiah Ariaz that depicts small-town newspaper offices will be featured Wednesday when the Kansas Historical Society hosts a Virtual Museum After Hours event on its YouTube channel. The program is called “The Kansas Press: The Fourth Estate in the Heart of America.”

Seeking to visualize democracy in the U.S., Ariaz returned to his home state of Kansas to photograph small-town newspaper offices, including the Great Bend Tribune. His photographs celebrate the civic function, labor, and technology at the heart of local newspapers’ production.

These newspapers play a critical role in our shared democracy, Ariaz explains. As our personal, social, and political lives are marked by increasing division, driven largely by national voices, Ariaz seeks to honor these local newspapers and the individuals who were custodians of them.

The program will stream live on the Kansas Historical Society YouTube channel from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 8. Find a link to the registration page under “upcoming events” on the Kansas Historical Society Facebook page or at this link.

If this webinar is full, watch the live stream on theYouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/kansashistorical

About Jeremiah Ariaz

Ariaz (jeremiahariaz.com) was raised in Great Bend and is now a professor of art at Louisiana State University. He received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and MFA from the State University of New York at Buffalo. His photographs have been exhibited nationally.