KANSAS! Magazine | Spring 2017

SPRING 2017 | VOL 73 | ISSUE 1 | KANSASMAG.COM

H O M E

S T A T E

ARTISTS tulip

territory

revisiting GREENSBURG

Come PLAYwith us in Marion County

Fishing and boating Hunting and hiking Camping and picnicking Marion County Economic Development www.growmarioncounty.com | 620-382-8830

contents features 36 |

20 Great Art Destinations

44 |

Flint Hills as Muse

52 |

Arty Party

A renowned Kansas artist shares her picks for must-see galleries and museums across the state

One of the state’s great natural wonders continues to inspire artists

Must-see art attractions across Kansas

departments 04 |

In This Issue

06 |

Editor’s Letter

09 |

This Season

10 | Culture 12 | Sampler 13 | Outside 15 | Shop 16 | Eat 17 | Behind the Lens 18 | Reasons We Love Kansas 21 | Spring 2017 Events

22 |

Wide Open Spaces

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

SPRING 2017

02

22 | REBUILDING KIOWA

Greensburg: ten years later

26 | TULIP TIME IN KANSAS

Where to find brightly colored bulbs this spring

30 | TASTE OF KANSAS: TEMPTING TREATS

Finding a chocolate delight to satisfy your sweet tooth

59 |

KANSAS! Gallery: Spring

64 |

#KansasMag

Detail of STORM | Beverly Dodge Radefeld

KANSAS! MAGAZINE SPRING 2017

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SPRING 2017 | VOL 73 | ISSUE 1 | KANSASMAG.COM

H O M E

S T A T E

ARTISTS tulip

territory

revisiting GREENSBURG $4.99

ON THE COVER Detail of Michael Duane’s Red Truck #3, pastel on paper, courtesy Michael Duane.

IN THIS

issue For our story on the state’s 20 must-see 36 galleries and museums, we turned to prominent Kansas artist Barbara Waterman-Peters. Though her paintings can be found across the nation, Waterman-Peters creates most of her new works from Studio 831, a working artists’ gallery that she organizes in the NOTO Arts District of Topeka. Here, you can see WatermanPeters’ work most every month at First Friday Art Walk, Topeka’s city-wide opening of galleries and art studios on the first Friday evening of each month.

THIS ISSUE FEATURES 32 KANSAS ARTISTS.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

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SPRING 2017

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CHAMPIONING ARTISTS For our feature article about the relationship between Kansas artists and the Muse of the Flint Hills, we tapped Michelle Leivan.

A first-time contributor to KANSAS! magazine, Leivan is an advocate for Kansas artists through her Topekabased art-image print business. She also creates conceptual works such as her storybook-themed selfportrait series “Fairy Tales and Other Futile Fantasies.”

GREENSBURG REVISITED

We revisit Greensburg 10 years after an EF-5 tornado 22 destroyed 95 percent of the town. Amy Bickel reconnects with Greensburg residents to learn about how the community has rebuilt to be more energy efficient.

Visitors can take part in “green tours” to learn how the town encourages sustainable living environments. One of the stops along the tour is the Arts Center, which is the first LEED platinum building in Kansas and is powered through wind and solar energies.

PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Courtesy Barbara Waterman-Peters, Courtesy Greensburg CVB, Courtesy Michelle Leivan

ARTISTIC TALENT

SPRING2017

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Andrea Etzel EDITOR

Sam Brownback GOVERNOR

Robin Jennison

KDWPT SECRETARY

WWW.SUNFLOWERPUB.COM LAWRENCE, KANSAS

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DESIGN & PRODUCTION

PRINTER

Katy Ibsen

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GENERAL MANAGER

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Shelly Bryant DESIGNER/ART DIRECTOR

Kelly Gibson SECTION EDITOR

Nathan Pettengill SECTION EDITOR

Joanne Morgan

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Newsstand price $4.99 per issue; subscription price $18 per year; international subscription price $22 per year. All prices include all applicable sales tax.

Please address subscription inquiries to: Toll-free: (800) 678-6424 KANSAS!, P.O. Box 146, Topeka, KS 66601-0146 e-mail: ksmagazine@sunflowerpub.com Website: www.KansasMag.com POSTMASTER: Send address change to: KANSAS!, P.O. Box 146, Topeka, KS 66601-0146.

Please mail all editorial inquiries to: KANSAS!, 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66612 e-mail: ksmagazine@sunflowerpub.com The articles and photographs that appear in KANSAS! magazine may not be broadcast, published or otherwise reproduced without the express written consent of Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism or the appropriate copyright owner.

Unauthorized use is prohibited. Additional restrictions may apply.

05 SPRING 2017

KANSAS! (ISSN 0022-8435) is published quarterly by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66612; (785) 296-3479; TTY Hearing Impaired: (785) 296-3487.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

MARKETING, (785) 832-7264

FROM THE

editor In time of silver rain The earth puts forth new life again, Green grasses grow And flowers lift their heads, And over all the plain The wonder spreads Langston Hughes, excerpt from “In Time of Silver Rain”

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

I recently came across this poem by Langston Hughes, and, to me, it embodies the splendor of spring. After a cold winter, the vitality of spring seems especially striking.

Green grass; tulips of orange, red and pink; singing songbirds; and sun-filled blue skies bring a sense of renewal as we move from the past and toward to the future.

When I read Hughes’ poem in its entirety, I think he is writing about his native home, Kansas.

In this issue of KANSAS! magazine, we find there are many local artists who find their muse in the beauty of our state. If you are looking for inspiration or are a lover of the arts, Kansas boasts numerous art galleries and museums for you to experience. Thank you to Topeka artist Barbara Waterman-Peters, who shared a list of some of her favorites.

Enjoy your spring and thanks for reading!

ANDREA ETZEL

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06

NEW! READERS’ CHOICE “FAVORITE LOCAL EATS IN KANSAS” Our last readers’ choice for favorite small towns was quite a success! We’re following it up this year with “Favorite Local Eats in Kansas.” We are currently accepting nominations, and the rules are simple. You may nominate a local restaurant, café, food truck, eatery, bar, doughnut shop, bakery, etc., but no national chains or franchises will be accepted. You can send us a letter or an email, submit your choice on social media or through our website. Submissions must be received no later than March 14. Voting will be March 15 through May 31. Winners will be announced this winter.

NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL EATS! facebook.com/kansasmagazine | 1020 S Kansas Ave #200 | Topeka, KS 66612 | kansasmag.com

facebook.com/KansasMagazine

@KANSASMag

KansasMagazine (get spotted; use #kansasmag to tag us)

PHOTOGRAPH Courtesy Andrea Etzel

EDITOR, KANSAS! MAGAZINE

KANSAS!

KANSAS!

THIS

season

There is plenty to see and do in Kansas.

Be sure to call ahead for complete details.

ADD YOUR GALLERY OR MUSEUM in KANSAS! Magazine

Contact Sunflower Publishing for details (888) 497-8668 | sunpubads@sunflowerpub.com

SPRING2017

THIS SEASON 30

10 Culture 12 Sampler 13 Outside 15 Shop 16 Eat

26

17 Behind the Lens 18 Reasons We Love Kansas 21 Spring 2017 Events WIDE OPEN SPACES 22 Rebuilding Kiowa 26 Tulip Time in Kansas 30 Taste of Kansas: Tempting Treats

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

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09 SPRING 2017

PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Courtesy Cocoa Dolce, Courtesy Greensburg CVB, Courtesy Doug Stremel, Courtesy Bill McBride, Jason Soden

22

Welcome to KANSAS! magazine’s “This Season.” Here we explore what’s new and buzzing throughout the state—from restaurants and shopping to cultural happenings and attractions.

culture.

By Cecilia Harris

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Mapping Inspiration H

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10

aving moved from Chicago to Matfield Green to fulfill his dream of becoming a full-time sculptor on the prairie, Bill McBride explored his new surroundings in the Flint Hills through paper maps. He discovered that detailing rivers, ponds and man-made structures on the maps resulted in incredible works of art emphasizing connections and patterns in the land.

“Years ago, I was with a friend looking at a map and we started to color-code information that was on it, and all of a sudden we saw a lot deeper into the map,” McBride says.“I realized I could highlight things that nobody would see just normally looking at a map.”

The sculptor veered from his main form of expression to create a series of six artistic maps of the Flint Hills using pages from the Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer of Kansas as the base and accenting specific information in oil on the 66x37-inch paper. One map features railroad tracks in black, cities in red and grassland in yellow; another marks grass, ridges and watersheds in different colors, and a third map defines oil fields, among other things.

Many maps highlight more than one thing; for instance, all of the maps highlight the grass.

McBride even added objects to some of the paintings for further emphasis, such as wooden balls marking public and private airports.

“The one with the nails in each pond is a dimensional one that calls out something that you would never see just glancing at the map,” he says.“It’s a way of touching the earth, a way of feeling what’s actually here and opening somebody’s eyes to a new dimension like where are the airports and how many airports are in this area of the Flint Hills. I was trying to do that plus make something that looked interesting as well.”

After completing the Flint Hills maps, McBride took on a bigger project—a 66x138-inch map of Kansas.The resulting triptych features grassland painted in gold and every mile of road marked in red.

The maps are currently part of private collections; Emprise Bank (in Wichita) has purchased the large map of Kansas, which hangs in its main office; the additional Flint Hills maps are owned by the Kansas Leadership Center. billmcbridestudio.com

Where in

KANSAS?

JOIN ‘EM HUTCHINSON ART ASSOCIATION ART FAIR May 13, Hutchinson More than 75 professional artists from six states participate in this juried art fair in its 55th year. “Ours is a fine art fair and really high-end crafts like exquisite stained glass,” says Mark Rassette, executive director of the Hutchinson Art Center.

Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, jewelry and much more in a variety of price ranges fill the Sunflower South Building on the Kansas State Fairgrounds. The family-friendly event is free and includes jazz, bluegrass, classical and other music, food, and arts projects for children. hutchinsonartcenter.net 119TH ANNUAL MIDWEST ART EXHIBITION Now through April 23, Lindsborg The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery this year features the work of four artists with ties to Kansas during this annual exhibition that first was held in 1899 on the Bethany College campus, according to gallery director Ron Michael. “Joel Dugan, who is a painting professor at Fort Hays State University, will have large-scale paintings, usually with multiple aspects to them,” Michael says. “Warren Taylor grew up in Kansas and has become a nationally known watercolor painter. Elaine Lierly Jones of Gardner primarily works with pastels and usually does rural scenes. Michaela Groeblacher of Lindsborg is a figurative sculptor.” sandzen.org

The Art Exhibition in Lindsborg began in 1899.That same year, the Miami County Courthouse was built in Paola and the Brown Telephone Company (later known as Sprint) was founded.

PHOTOGRAPH Courtesy Bill McBride

this season

Family owned & operated since 1986.

The Barn is the perfect place to enjoy the fun and relaxation of the countryside.

Amenities include: 9 Hole Disc Golf Course King-Size Beds/Private Baths Massage Therapy Available Supper and Breakfast Included Wireless Internet Indoor Heated Pool/Hot tub Fitness Room Recreation Room Fishing Pond Walking Paths

weBSite: www.theBaRnBB.coM 785-945-3225 • email: thebarn@giantcomm.net

14910 Blue Mound Road, Valley Falls, KS 66088 www.thebarnbb.com

this season

sampler.

By Katy Ibsen

Limestone Foundation

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

L

imestone is as much a symbol of Kansas’ natural beauty as the sunrises and sunsets.The material remains a strong reminder of the roots that were established by settlers who homesteaded in Kansas.

Various attractions and byways in Kansas celebrate the native stone, not to mention the University of Kansas, where the school chant—“Rock Chalk Jayhawk!”—was derived from a conversation about the abundance of limestone buildings on campus. Tributes to the natural stone pepper the state, but none is more educational and celebratory than the Post Rock Limestone Courtyard at the Grassroots Art Center in Lucas.

Local philanthropists came together to create a space that shares the artistry and history of limestone in Kansas.Volunteers helped created familiar limestone scenes, such as a barn entrance, church windows and symbolic carvings, to educate visitors.

For those visiting the area, don’t miss this recent addition to a community booming with folk art and Kansas hospitality. grassrootsart.net

LOCAL GOODS

Where in

KANSAS?

THE A-MAIZE-ING POPCORN ADVENTURE Through April 2, 2017 The A-Maize-ing Popcorn Adventure exhibit at the Stauth Memorial Museum in Montezuma, Kansas, offers all ages a fun opportunity to learn the history, production and nutrition of popcorn. The A-Maizeing Popcorn Adventure is organized by the Purdue Agriculture Exhibit Design Center. stauthmemorialmuseum.org

PARADE OF QUILTS March 1–31 Yoder hosts the 17th annual parade of quilts during the month of March.

Visit various Yoder merchants where dozens of hand-stitched quilts will be on display. yoderkansas.com

Popcorn kernels pop at 347 degrees Fahrenheit. The moisture in each kernel turns to steam and the pressure causes popcorn kernels to explode.

PHOTOGRAPH KDWPT

SPRING 2017

12

By Dave Zumbaugh

PHOTOGRAPH Doug Stremel

YOUTH AQUATIC EDUCATION DAY Council Grove Reservoir May 6, 2017 This exciting event introduces youth, people with disabilities and their families to the wonders of the great outdoors. Fishing will be emphasized, with information on regulations, fish identification and water safety. Activities include a casting contest and fish-frying competition. Drawings for free prizes add to the fun. Hosted by Fishing’s Future. fishingsfuture.org

Where in

KANSAS?

the outdoors Spring from hunting to wildlife watching

A

Kansas spring flourishes with outdoor adventures for all ages. Enthusiasts will enjoy moderate weather, warming sunshine and the renewed flora and fauna.

Increasing in popularity in the Sunflower State is spring turkey hunting. Wild turkeys were reintroduced into Kansas in the 1970s, and both Rio Grande and Eastern subspecies supply delicious, hearty meals. Harvesting one of these wily creatures is even a challenge for the experienced hunter.

Additionally, younger hunters will be mesmerized by booming gobblers during a crisp Kansas sunrise!

Adding to the emerging native splendor is the incredible migration of colorful birds journeying to their breeding grounds. Wildlife watching is an opportunity to learn more about nature as you explore your surroundings with a field guide on birds or wildflowers. Rising water temperatures boast plenty of fishing action. Kansas also offers special ADA piers and jetties to provide angling opportunities for those who need assistance. ksoutdoors.com

The largest carp caught in Kansas on record weighed 47.1 pounds and was 40.5 inches long. Phil McAmis of Hutchinson caught the fish at Carey Park in 1997.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

KANSAS WILDLIFE FEDERATION, 66TH ANNUAL MEETING Acorns Resort, Milford April 7 & 8, 2017 The 66th Kansas Wildlife Federation Annual Meeting promotes the theme “Let’s get the family outdoors.” Both novice and experienced outdoor enthusiasts can take part in activities to celebrate getting outside. In addition to hands-on fun, the traditional Conservation Achievement Awards will be presented to individuals and organizations that have made an impact on natural resource conservation in Kansas. kswildlife.org

outside.

13 SPRING 2017

GET OUTSIDE

this season

this season

By Patsy Terrell

shop.

Sarah Zepick pottery

PHOTOGRAPH Doug Stremel

KANSAS MENNONITE RELIEF SALE | Kansas State Fairgrounds | April 7­–8 The 49th annual Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale is the largest MCC Relief Sale in the country and features a quilt auction, traditional food and unique gifts. Find everything from freshly made apple butter to pysanky eggs. Details at kansas.mccsale.org.

Where in

KANSAS?

A Ukrainian tradition, pysanky are eggs decorated with folk designs during the last week of Lent.Artists “write” with a pinhead or small stylus and beeswax to create the patterns.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

S

15 SPRING 2017

arah Zepick describes her pottery as hand-built pieces with organic edges. Her distinctive look usually involves a white glaze with gold rim.

Her design wasn’t something she started out doing.

“It developed through trial and error before I found a look that I loved,” she says.

Although she had dabbled in pottery since high school, it was only in the last few years that she took some classes to learn the techniques she uses today. A successful gift-giving season one Christmas led her to start selling.

“My mother-in-law cried when she opened the bowls I had made her. From there, I loved it so much that I kept making things and started signing up for local artisan markets,” says Zepick, who is based in Wichita.

Zepick loves seeing the transitions in pottery. “My favorite part of the whole process is creating something functional from a ball of wet clay,” she says.

She is content for now to sell in small, local markets and “pop-ups” (where a shop features a local artist).“I never want to get in over my head and never want it to feel like a burden.”

this season

eat.

By Lou Ann Thomas

Barkman Honey

I

t was a love of bees and a desire to learn more about them and their honey that sent Esra Barkman from Hillsboro to Oregon in the 1920s. After returning to Kansas, Barkman began selling honey at the beginning of World War II, when sugar was being rationed.

Today, with operations in several states, Barkman Honey still has a strong presence in the Hillsboro and Wichita areas. Barkman Honey is shipped to Hillsboro from beekeepers all over the world. Once in Kansas, it is tested for quality and safety, then packaged and shipped.

“The majority of our processing and packing operations and our corporate offices remain in Kansas,” says Rebecca Ignowski, marketing coordinator.

Busy Bee and Naked Wild Honey are the company’s flagship brands, but the company’s mission goes beyond honey production. Barkman also works to safeguard and sustain the honeybee population through bee health initiatives, habitat preservation, beekeeper recruitment and consumer education.

One might guess that would seem pretty sweet to Esra.

FOOD HAPPENINGS

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Where in

KANSAS?

JUAN-D-FUL MEXICAN FOOD TRUCK Atwood, Kansas Hungry diners in Atwood, Colby, Oberlin and Bird City head for Juan-dful Mexican Food Truck.

Chef and owner of the first food truck in northwest Kansas, Juan Robles, whose wife is an Atwood native, serves homemade Mexican delights such as tamales, guacamole, giant burritos and more. Robles, who learned to cook from his mother in Dallas, Texas, uses her family recipes to create his menus. “I make everything from my soul,” Robles says.

Deemed the state insect in 1976, honeybees in Kansas produced 288,000 pounds of honey in 2015.

PHOTOGRAPH Doug Stremel

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

SUGAR CREEK COUNTRY STORE 505 W. Bertrand, St. Marys Stepping through the door of the Hohman family business, Sugar Creek Country Store, in St. Marys feels like stepping back in time, but with all the conveniences of today. Open since July 2016, the specialty and bulk foods store is housed in a beautifully restored 130-year-old building; it carries a variety of pastas, candies, soups, baking supplies and much more. It also houses a New York-style deli serving up tasty, piled-high sandwiches, like the Pullman Panini with roast beef, onions, jalapeños and cream cheese.

WHO WOULD YOU NAME AS AN “HONORARY KANSAN” FOR THEIR PHOTOGRAPHY? WHY? Jim Richardson. He’s spent his entire career telling Kansas photographic stories in an honest and beautiful way. No other Kansan (or anyone else) has done it better.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAMERA? WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT IT? My first camera was a plastic Mickey Mouse shaped camera. I won it in a raffle from the local 5-and-dime store.

I still have it, too. I only shot one roll of film on that camera, and don’t recall if they were ever developed. My first real camera was a Minolta SRT-102. I still have that camera, too.

IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE IN TERMS OF A FAMILY TREE, WHO IS YOUR “MOTHER,” YOUR “FATHER,” AND YOUR “BROTHER” OR “SISTER”?

My father would be Jim Richardson (photographic hero/mentor). My mother Ed Sturtz (my high school art/ photography teacher). My brother Micheal Snell (fellow Kansas photographer).

WHAT ARE SOME OBJECTS YOU LIKE TO PHOTOGRAPH THAT ARE NOT COMMON IN OTHER WORKS? The lone tree. A small tree that sits alone on a hill in the Flint Hills. I also shoot a fair amount of what I call “ironic food.”

PHOTOGRAPHS Doug Stremel

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KANSAS LANDMARK TO PHOTOGRAPH? Not sure it’s a landmark, but I would say the Flint Hills. There’s so much subtle beauty and so many stories out there.

Where in

KANSAS?

Doug Stremel

A conversation with KANSAS! photographers about their lives in photography ​ONLINE EXTRA! Read the full interview with Doug Stremel at kansasmag.com​

TELL US ABOUT THE SHOT THAT GOT AWAY. One shot that got away was in Iceland.

I was traveling down a lonely road and was overtaken by hundreds of sheep that were being moved to sell (they just herd them down the roads in Iceland). I pulled over and shot a ton of photos, but I didn’t come anywhere close to capturing the uniqueness of the moment. I blew it.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BEST CHANCE PHOTO TAKEN IN KANSAS. WHERE WAS IT? HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? The “Flames in the Flint Hills” (Flying W Ranch) photo that appeared in National Geographic. It was the end of the burn, and most of the visitors had already wandered back to the Ranch House area, so there weren’t very many people around. Jim Hoy, Josh Hoy and Gary Sneed were together talking about the burn. Josh and Jim on horses, Gary standing and the ranch dog hanging around. There were three enormous walls of fiery smoke surrounding them. It was a spectacular sight, and I happened to capture a perfect moment.

I was kneeling in the prairie to get the shot and realized my pant leg had started on fire—but I was concentrating too much to even notice.

DRAW A MAP OF KANSAS, AND PINPOINT ON IT THREE LOCATIONS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOU OR YOUR CAREER. WHAT ARE THEY? • Ellinwood, KS—where my photography career first started.

• Flying W Ranch in Chase County—many of my best photos have happened here.

• Lone Tree location (secret spot south of Manhattan)—the spot I have visited and photographed 40+ times, and sort of helped define my big-sky approach to photography.

I grew up in Ellinwood. I live in Lawrence. I spent a short time in Portland, Maine—so I’ve lived in Kansas for 53 years.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

WHAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU WANTED TO BECOME A PHOTOGRAPHER? HOW OLD WERE YOU AT THE TIME? I’m not sure there was a “moment,” but I realized in high school art class that I wanted to tell stories through photography. I was an aspiring photographer into college, then wandered into becoming a video photojournalist early in my career. I didn’t get back into still photography for another 20 years.

behind the lens.

17 SPRING 2017

this season

By Doug Stremel

this season

reasons.

By Cecilia Harris

REASONS we love Kansas

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Delightful springtime attractions from across the state make it easy to understand why we love our Sunflower State

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18

TEA TIME Three Sisters Victorian Tea and Treasures, Canton Twelve years ago Cheryl Everhart and her friend decided that a properly done high tea would be just the thing to treat visitors to Canton. Since then, her Three Sisters Victorian Tea and Treasures has hosted the annual Victorian Spring Fling featuring 23 flavors of tea and three-tiered servers of scones, fresh fruit and assorted sandwiches and desserts. A fashion show featuring reproduction Victorian-era clothing follows at the nearby Canton Christian Church.“We have ball gowns, walking dresses and sporting attire with vintage accessories,� says Everhart. Reservations are required for the event (date TBA) and tickets for the fashion show may be purchased separately.

(620) 628-4484 | facebook.com/threesisters.tea

A DAY AT THE PARK Sappa Park, Oberlin If you take a bicycle ride or hike through the approximately 460-acre Sappa Park east of Oberlin, you are likely to spot deer, pheasants, raccoons, turkeys, birds and other wildlife. The park also offers a disc golf course, fire pits for roasting marshmallows and a 1930s-era native rock Shelter House featuring two fireplaces and an adjoining playground. Also on the grounds are a nine-hole golf course and public rifle and archery ranges. Primitive campsites and several RV hookups are available. The City of Oberlin requires reservations for the Shelter House and suggests reserving an RV hookup.

(785) 475-2217 | oberlinks.com

Springtime is made for gardening.

If you are looking for inspiration to plant and plan, then you are likely to find it amid the approximately 80,000 square feet of perennials, annuals, herbs, trees, shrubs, vines, aquatics, vegetables and much more at Arnold’s Greenhouse near LeRoy. As the business celebrates 40 years, owner Rita Arnold says she takes pride in stocking an extremely wide selection of plants, including a deep range of All-America Selections (award-winning plants and shrubs selected by a nonprofit gardening organization).This, says Arnold, allows customers to “come and pick their geranium out of thousands of plants.” Don’t have a green thumb?

Ask about hands-on classes and seminars—or let others dig around as you simply enjoy a spring breeze on the greenhouse porch.

(620) 964-2463 arnoldsgreenhouse.com

RIVERSIDE DINING Chuck & Hank’s River Shack, Atchison

TRAIN TO FARM Historic Home and Barn Tour, Abilene

COUNTRY DAY TRIP Sod & Stubble Country Heritage Back Road, Downs

Guests can enjoy warm temperatures and a view of the Missouri River while dining outdoors at Chuck and Hank’s River Shack in Atchison. Cousins Charlie Wilburn and Craig Handke own the restaurant that serves barbecue, Mexican cuisine, and occasional weekend specials such as frog legs and alligator bites. Customers favor the barbecue ribs, the large Tugboat Burrito and the flavorful “pb+j” chicken wings.“We have peanutbutter-and-jelly smoked chicken wings made with a Thai peanut sauce and a raspberry jalapeño jelly,” says Wilburn,“so it’s very unique.”

(913) 367-4837 | facebook. com/chuckandhanks

May marks the seasonal opening of the Abilene and Smoky Valley Excursion Train’s Historic Home and Barn Tours.

During the second Saturday of each month, from May through October, the excursion train runs from Abilene to Enterprise, where a bus then takes visitors out for a picnic lunch in a limestone barn and an excursion to two historic farmsteads.

“The homeowners do the tours of the homesteads themselves so they give all the history and information,” says Mary Jane Oard, ASVRR manager. Reservations are required.

(888) 426-6687 | asvrr.org

Bring the classic Kansashomesteading book Sod and Stubble and follow along as you travel the Sod & Stubble Country Heritage Back Road near Downs. A self-guided tour brochure available at the Downs City Office leads you to roadside markers explaining 22 sites found in the pages of the popular book written by John Ise about his parents who homesteaded in 1873 in Osborne County.“You can easily see the actual one-room schoolhouse the Ise children went to,” says local historian Von Rothenberger. Other must-sees along the route include the Baertsch Grove of century-old native trees and the historic Rose Valley Methodist Church.

(785) 454-6622 osbornecountyksessentials. blogspot.com

REASONS

we love Kansas

Send your “Reasons We Love Kansas” to ksreasons@sunflowerpub.com or to Reasons, KANSAS!, 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66612.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT) Shutterstock (4), Courtesy Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Shutterstock

IN THE GARDEN Arnold’s Greenhouse, LeRoy

reasons.

19 SPRING 2017

this season

Surprising connections to the past!

Places to go, things to do, events to remember For locations, activities and the 2017 calendar of events, contact:

Dine on the famous Kansas Belle Dinner Train ...

win dinner for two on the KanSaS Belle.

Visit our website or phone for details (email or street address required).

Mention code KSS17.

ENTRY DEADLINE: April 20, 2017.

Walk the historic Black Jack battlefield nature park.

Baldwin City ChamBer of CommerCe www.baldwincitychamber.com (785) 594-3200

this season

events.

TALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL ROAD SHOW March 5 / Junction City Showcase of selected short films, from dramas to documentaries jcoperahouse.org SOUTHEAST KANSAS SYMPHONY: RISING STARS March 9 / Pittsburg Classic greats by young, regional talent library.pittstate.edu/orch/about/#sekso TROJAN WAR: OUR WARRIOR CHORUS April 7 / Manhattan Actors and U.S.war veterans present play on eternal aspects of combat k-state.edu/mccain

EVENTS spring 2017

TULIP TIME April 8–9 / Belle Plaine Some 30,000 tulips, plus city-wide celebrations, BBQ and events belleplainechamber.com | bartlettarboretum.com EISENHOWER MARATHON April 8 / Abilene Qualifier for Boston Marathon starts near “Ike’s” childhood home eisenhowermarathon.com COOL HAND LUKE GRAVEL GRINDER April 23 / Leavenworth A 50-mile course and a 100-mile route challenge riders santafebikes.com

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

BARBED WIRE FESTIVAL May 4–6 / LaCrosse The 51st annual celebration of the invention that changed the Plains rushcounty.org/barbedwiremuseum KANSAS SAMPLER FESTIVAL May 6–7 / Winfield Celebration of Kansas arts, foods and culture kansassampler.org/festival

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PHOTOGRAPH Shutterstock

NASCAR RACING SERIES May 12–13 / Kansas Speedway Racing Series: Toyota Tundra 250 & Go Bowling 400 kansasspeedway.com BUSKER FESTIVAL May 26–28 / Lawrence Street performers, artists, strong women and more lawrencebuskerfest.com

FIND MORE EVENTS AT TRAVELKS.COM Because all events are subject to change, please confirm with organizers before finalizing plans.

wide open spaces

Kiowa Rebuilding

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Greensburg: ten years later

SPRING 2017

22

Visitors descend the stairs into The Big Well, the world’s largest hand-dug well, located in Greensburg. The Big Well Museum reopened in May 2012.

By Amy Bickel Photography courtesy Greensburg CVB

Before (above) and after (below) satellite shots of Greensburg after an EF-5 destroyed much of the town in 2007.

THE AFTERMATH Twenty-five separate tornadoes formed the night of May 4, according to the Department of Homeland Security. None, however, was as severe as the one that hit Greensburg. The EF-5 tornado grew to 1.7 miles wide when it reached the Kiowa County seat of Greensburg, where it flattened 95 percent of the town and affected 1,400 lives.

Eleven lives were lost.

The Dixsons had made up their minds early on that they would rebuild on the same spot where their 1912 home once sat.

“We didn’t miss a Christmas in our home,” says Bob, who has been the town’s mayor since 2008. “It didn’t matter that we didn’t have carpet.”

“We have new friends, a new outlook on life. We have a whole different set of standards we live by because we lost everything.

And we still have our community.”

—JUDI KIRK, GREENSBURG

Many other residents were just as determined to put the town back together.

A decade later, there are new homes, new churches, a new downtown. In 2012, residents reopened a renovated local attraction—The Big Well Museum—which features the world’s largest hand-dug well at 109 feet deep.

The storm, and its aftermath, transformed the community.

In the days following the tornado, hundreds of Greensburg residents gathered under a Federal Emergency Management Agency tent pitched on the edge of town, says Judi Kirk, a longtime resident and volunteer.

There they saw their friends and neighbors.

And they began to talk about what would be next.

“It was a healing process,” Kirk says. “But it was also a rebuilding process. [FEMA officials] started throwing ideas out at us … we began to mull it all around.”

On the night of the tornado, she and her husband, Steve, a local banker, had just returned home from celebrating the 40th anniversary of their first date. They went to the basement to watch movies when the sirens sounded. Then the lights went out.

“We went under the bed,” says Kirk. Twenty minutes later, their 100-year-old home was gone.

REBUILDING GREEN Under the red-and-white tent, the Kirks were among the 800 residents who pledged to return. “We never thought of doing anything else,” she says.

Residents also decided they would build back better, making Greensburg among the greenest communities in America.

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n the evening of May 4, 2007, Bob and Ann Dixson emerged from their basement to a landscape they hardly recognized.

It was just 20 minutes earlier that the sirens began to warn them of an approaching storm.

Bob admits he is typically the one who likes to go to the alley to watch the skies. But on this night, he knew something was different. The couple went to the basement and huddled between a desk and a dresser with rugs over their heads.

“I heard what I thought was the roof going off,” Bob says. “The next thing we knew, we were getting wet from the rain.”

At first, they thought they had lost only their roof. But as they climbed the stairs out of the basement and stood in the silent darkness, the enormity of the damage began to register.

“We lost everything,” says Bob. He could see through the flashing lightning that they weren’t the only ones.

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Greensburg has spent a decade rebuilding after an EF-5 tornado leveled the town in 2007.

This spring, residents will remember the devastation and celebrate the community’s rebirth.

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Kiowa County Schools

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“You have the opportunity to build a new town. You have the opportunity to build Greensburg back green. That is the seed that was planted,” says Bob Dixson of the idea’s early acceptance.

Today, besides “The World’s Largest Hand-Dug Well,” the city has the most LEED-certified buildings per capita in the world.

The BTI John Deere dealership and the 5.4.7 Arts Center—an energy-efficient work of art itself—both have earned platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design awards, the U.S. Green Building Council’s highest rating.

Greensburg is also the first municipality in the country to use LED streetlights. And if that wasn’t enough, the town’s electricity is powered by wind.

Most residents signed on to the green movement in some way, says Kirk. She and Steve rebuilt their home with thicker walls that used cellulose insulation. They also installed energyefficient appliances and an on-demand water heater, which provides hot water only as needed.

Many are seeing at least a 30 to 40 percent drop in their energy bill. Green living is just part of Greensburg’s everyday mindset, according to Kirk.

“We don’t even think about it anymore,” she says. “Like recycling a plastic bottle.”

A CELEBRATION As residents prepare this spring for the 10th anniversary, they are also trying to work past the tornado-town brand, says Stacy Barnes, Greensburg’s tourism director.

While details are still pending, the May 4th celebration will kick off with a 9:45 p.m. memorial service—the time the tornado struck.

“It’s amazing to see how far we have come,” says Barnes.

Residents are also working to install three public art pieces.

The first sculpture, which Barnes hopes will be in place in time for the celebration, is a stainless-steel cylinder, a thank you to those who helped rebuild the town. The artwork will go into a lot that once was where the city hall stood, but now has been designated to become a park.

Kirk looks at the past 10 years as a rebirth with new forefathers—individuals who led the way to rebuild the town.

“It’s never going to be the same,” Kirk says. “But we are much better off.”

BUSINESS INTERESTS Greensburg’s business district continues to grow as each year goes by. There are a half-dozen restaurants, a dress shop, new swimming pool, and a business incubator. The Twilight Theatre opened last spring and not only shows movies but also brings in live acts and classes.

Erica Goodman, who owns a downtown antique shop, moved to Greensburg from Las Vegas with her husband and two children about five years before the tornado.

“We would come back here to buy antiques and see family and friends,” Goodman says. “During one of those trips, we discovered Greensburg.”

The couple had purchased a church-turned-antique-store in the community. “I tell people we moved here for a more exciting nightlife,” Goodman jokes.

Both her family’s home and the church were destroyed on May 4.

Though the Goodmans are not natives of Kansas, Greensburg had become their home. They decided to set an example and stay.

“We bought the only building on Main Street that survived; it was the bank,” says Goodman of the two-story brick building, built in 1915. They put it on the National Register of Historic Places, turned the upstairs into a loft and opened the bottom as Where’dya Find That Antiques.

Ten years later Greensburg feels as if tragedy never struck. Even the trees are producing shade again.

A GREEN EXAMPLE Today Bob Dixson sees people visit from across the globe to see how the town rebuilt green; and he takes time to travel the United States to talk about it.

At a green-living conference in Aurora, Illinois, a man from Santa Monica, California, sat across from him, asking if re-building was worth it.

Bob paraphrased the gentleman, “I just don’t understand how a small community in the middle of nowhere would ever think of rebuilding.”

To which Bob responded, “You got two things wrong.

This is our home. This is where we live,” he says. “And number two. We are not in the middle of nowhere. This is the middle of everywhere.”

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A NEW HOME Greensburg residents refused to let the town fade away after an EF-5 tornado. Today, the city is a tourist attraction in green living.

Stacy Barnes, the city’s convention and tourism director, said she and her family were living in Lawrence when the tornado struck. But as weeks went by, she and her husband, Travis, who also grew up Kiowa County, knew they wanted to be part of the rebuilding. Now the couple and their two small children call Greensburg home.

Barnes has been working to help Greensburg continue to move forward for the past nine years.

In addition to the green attractions, see what else Greensburg has to offer.

GreensburgKs.org

THE BIG WELL For decades, the Big Well Museum has been a stop for travelers on U.S. 54 Highway.

The well dates back to 1887, when the city granted a franchise for a waterworks system. The well served as a city water source until 1932. The museum opened in 1937. After the tornado, it was closed until May 2012, when the well’s new visitors’ center was completed. The new center features a vortex design with the Big Well in the center, and visitors can take the spiral staircase to the bottom. Visitors can also learn more about Greensburg’s beginnings and the digging of the well, as well as about the tornado and the town’s rebuilding into a sustainable community. bigwell.org KIOWA COUNTY COMMONS After the tornado, the city built a new learning center, which houses the county historical museum, extension offices, the library and a media center. The media center is a technology hub for the region and provides technology classes, including video production and web design, for the county’s students. Also, the commons is home to the famous Greensburg soda foundation. Greensburg’s Hunter Drug was destroyed in the tornado, but owners salvaged the vintage soda foundation from the rubble. It was restored and moved into The Commons. Visitors today can order those same old-fashioned drinks, like chocolate Coca Cola and Green Rivers, says Barnes. “It’s like a trip back in time,” she says. kiowacountyksmuseum.org TWILIGHT THEATRE In April 2015, the curtains opened again in a brand-new Twilight Theatre. The theater first opened in 1917. In 1923, it was renamed the Twilight. As residents rebuilt, the focus on the theater eventually restarted, and they raised more than $3.5 million to complete the project. The theater is equipped with state-of-the-art features, from the sound system and lighting to digital projection. The community uses the stage for programs and meetings. Besides films, the theater also brings in live performances and offers classes. twilighttheatre.org 5.4.7 ARTS CENTER The 5.4.7 Arts Center, named so for the date of the tornado, was designed by University of Kansas architecture students. A community arts center, it is designed to raise awareness of fine arts. Another goal is to make arts accessible to everyone by providing an environment to create and learn through classes, exhibits and performances. It’s also the first LEED Platinum building in Kansas and uses wind and solar power. For more information, visit 547artscenter.org TAKE A GREEN TOUR Visitors can walk, bike or drive using a new app that shows residents how Greensburg rebuilt green. Visitors can obtain a map by visiting greensburgks.org, or by downloading the free Greensburg Tourism app to their smartphone, says Barnes. Moreover, the city’s new bicycle program allows visitors to check out bikes at the Big Well Museum and use them to tour the town. Barnes says visitors can peddle past all of Greensburg’s attractions, from the soda foundation to downtown businesses and the town’s LEED buildings, which include the school, hospital and John Deere dealership, as well as the city’s wind farm. “In most towns, the school and hospital are not tourist attractions,” Barnes says. “But in Greensburg, they are.”

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tulip time in Kansas

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Where to find brightly colored bulbs this spring

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Tulips bloom at Old Prairie Town Village in Topeka. The state’s capital is one of the best places to take in tulips in the spring.

Text and photography by Jason Soden

This sign marks the entrance to Old Prairie Town.

The replica town was constructed to emulate a Kansas town in the 1800s and features 2 ½ acres of botanical garden.

Tulips can be found in abundance at Old Prairie Town in Topeka.

TOPEKA It wouldn’t be spring in Kansas without a festival, and Tulip Time in Topeka continues to be a top destination. Three locations in the state capital

“Needless to say, the sight is amazing.”

—JASON SODEN

celebrate the abundance of tulips: Lake Shawnee at the Ted Ensley Gardens, Old Prairie Town Village and Gage Park. The blooms are nestled amongst flowering trees such as redbuds and dogwoods.

Stroll through the Ted Ensley Botanical Gardens at Lake Shawnee to view over 50,000 tulips and daffodils located along the edge of Lake Shawnee—and don’t miss the small waterfall.

Old Prairie Town, at Ward-Meade Historic Site, showcases more than 40,000 tulips inside an actual turn-of-the-century prairie town. An 80-yearold stone arch bridge is an attractive backdrop to the many tulips at Gage Park.

WAMEGO Topeka isn’t alone in this floral showcase.

Wamego hosts an annual Tulip Festival that attracts thousands of visitors and over 150 craft vendors; 2016 marked 30 years of the beloved event.

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hen I think of springtime in Kansas, the images that come to mind are thunderstorms, warming weather, and the awakening of our flora and fauna.

An annual event, however, that we in the Midwest sometimes overlook is the spring tulip bloom when brilliant shades of yellow, red, pink, purple and orange greet visitors as they enter gardens. Hundreds of different varieties result in a beautiful spring show. This time of year, Kansas gardens and arboretums burst with the colors of tulips, blooming trees and shrubs, thousands of daffodils and other blooming flowers.

Needless to say, the sight is amazing.

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More than 40,000 tulips are planted in Old Prairie Town’s botanical garden each year.

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Matching the cultural highlights of the community, the tulips come from Holland. In addition to festival, visitors will enjoy the 40-foot-high old Dutch Mill, which was built in 1879 and moved to its current location in 1920. The fascinating mill sits at the south-east corner of the Wamego Town Square, at the edge of the Wamego Prairie Village.

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WICHITA Two locations in the Wichita region become a little brighter in March. The Wichita Botanica and the Bartlett Arboretum (just south of Wichita in Belle Plaine) both attract hundreds to the sea of blooms.

A dazzling display can be found at the Wichita Botanica where 51,000 tulips in more than 80 varieties have names such as Palmyra, Pink Star, and Sugar Love.

Keep in mind, many of the tulips bulbs are sold after the display.

The tiny town of Belle Plaine puts on a splendid springtime tulip and daffodil display as well. Across the 15 acres of the Bartlett Arboretum, a local non-profit arboretum, tulips woo visitors who wander through the historic property. Running April 7–9, the annual Tulip Time Festival welcomes flower enthusiasts to downtown Belle Plaine.

We invite you to visit the various gardens in Kansas, and see for yourself why there’s truly no place quite like KANSAS!

FIND YOUR TULIP DESTINATION THIS SPRING TULIP TIME Topeka April 7–23 Tulip time in Topeka can be found at three different locations: Lake Shawnee, Old Prairie Town Park and Gage Park. parks.snco.us 31ST ANNUAL TULIP FESTIVAL Wamego April 22–23 Located at the Wamego City Park visitwamego.com/events/tulip-festival BOTANICA, THE WICHITA GARDENS Wichita TBA, typically mid-March through mid-April botanica.org BARTLETT ARBORETUM Belle Plaine TBA, typically mid-March through mid-April bartlettarboretum.com 32ND ANNUAL TULIP TIME FESTIVAL Belle Plaine April 7–9 Downtown belleplainechamber.com

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taste of Kansas

TASTE OF KANSAS

Treats Tempting

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Finding a chocolate delight to satisfy your sweet tooth.

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By Lou Ann Thomas

INDULGING TASTES Tasting chocolate is very similar to tasting wine or coffee. Here are some tips from Cocoa Dolce for savoring a fine chocolate and learning the differences between that and a lesser-quality chocolate.

LOOK What does your chocolate look like? A well-tempered chocolate will have a shiny finish if it has been molded and satiny if it has been dipped.

What color is it? The color, determined by the origin of the cocoa beans and how they were roasted, can range from deep brown to reddish brown.

SMELL Fine chocolate can be described similarly to fine wines and can have floral, fruity or caramel aromas.

TASTE Let a small piece of chocolate melt slowly on your tongue.

Run your tongue around your mouth to feel the texture of it. Fine chocolate should feel smooth and velvety, whereas cheap chocolate will feel gritty.

THE FINISH After swallowing, you should have a lingering chocolate flavor in your mouth rather than a greasy or waxy film.

COCOA DOLCE | WICHITA A passion for chocolate is what drives Beth Tully, president of Cocoa Dolce, in Wichita. After successful careers in marketing, communications and then sales for a Fortune 500 company, Tully realized she wasn’t living her life with gusto.

“I was just punching the clock and moving through life instead of really living it,” Tully says.

Soon after that epiphany, she entered Ecole Chocolat’s Professional Chocolatier Program and became a certified master chocolatier. Tully now uses that knowledge, training and passion to create artisan chocolates. Many of Tully’s creations are so visually striking it seems a shame to eat them. However, one nibble and you will be happy you did.

Cocoa Dolce offers a wide variety of handcrafted chocolates, organic or locally grown fruits and unique spices and ingredients from around the world.

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) Shutterstock, Courtesy of Cocoa Dolce (3)

PAM’S SUGAR SHACK | BUHLER Pam Polk enjoys making people happy.

That’s why she has created a unique and welcoming candy store in Buhler.

Walking into Pam’s Sugar Shack is like a trip down memory lane. With the original wood floors and counter and an 1890s crank cash register, the shop draws smiling customers who shop among shelves of chocolates and candies from their childhood.

In addition to a variety of chocolates, both milk and dark, the store also carries chocolate-covered sunflower seeds and dried blueberries, suckers of all shapes and sizes and old-time candies, like Pop Rocks, Fizzies, Necco Mints and a large selection of gummies.

“People will walk in and be surprised to find candies they remember their grandmothers always had or something fun from their childhood,” Polk says.

One of the Sugar Shack’s more unusual and tasty treats are the red velvet, chocolatecovered dried cherries. The shop also has triple-dipped chocolate malt balls and peanut

butter malt balls, along with a large selection of sugar-free chocolates and candies.

Pam’s Sugar Shack, open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, is a worthwhile trip to experience a “sugar blast from the past” for both young and old. Just be aware that the shop only accepts cash or checks. facebook.com/candypamssugarshack

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hether smooth and creamy, or dark and bold, chocolate can stir a craving or a pique a passion. And it is passion for this sweet treat that drives these Kansas chocolatiers.

TOUCH When you break a piece of chocolate you should hear a snap. This means the chocolate has been well tempered. Also notice how fast it melts. Cocoa butter melts more quickly than sugar so a higher proportion of cocoa butter in the chocolate means the more quickly it will melt.

taste of Kansas

For a special treat, try the Mayan, a 57 percent bittersweet ganache with a kick from ancho chili and other spices, or the Cocoa d’Or, a 75 percent bittersweet Tanzanian chocolate ganache with an edible gold touch. If you are a purist, Cocoa Dolce offers the Classic, a 54 percent bittersweet chocolate ganache.

Buy the chocolates by the piece or by the pound; order them to go or settle into the Cocoa Dolce Chocolate Lounge where you can learn about pairing chocolates with wine or alcohol, or enjoy a pastry with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. And yes, they ship. shopcocoadolce.com

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HAZEL HILL CHOCOLATE’S ELEGANT DESSERT SAUCE INGREDIENTS • 2 cups (12 ounces) your favorite milk or dark chocolate chips • ½ cup (1 stick) butter • 6 tablespoons whole milk INSTRUCTIONS Combine chocolate chips, butter and milk in 1-quart microwave-safe bowl.

In a microwave heat at medium power (50% or level 5) for 2 minutes, stirring well after 1 minute until smooth. Drizzle over dessert and serve.

SWEET GRANADA | EMPORIA The combination of salty buttered popcorn and gourmet white and milk chocolate is enough to send any chocolate lover over the moon. That’s why Pop-Choc is the Sweet Granada’s signature and bestselling item.

But that is only one of the sweet treats that owner, Kim Redeker, and her chocolate makers turn out in Emporia.

“We have so many handmade items, and customers can peek through the window and see them all being made,” Kim says.

Kim and her mother, Toni Bowling, opened Sweet Granada in November 2004 and have been making small-batch chocolates ever since. Kim has taken over sole ownership of the shop, which remains a family passion, with husband and children pitching in and helping with bookkeeping, daily tasks and serving as “official taste testers.”

Sweet Granada, located next door to the historic Granada Theatre in Emporia, now features more than 100 handmade, gourmet confections and at least 20 different flavors of truffles, such as espresso, cheesecake and German chocolate. And don’t miss the fudge.

Sweet Granada truly has something for everyone, even our fourlegged friends. Their dog treats are dog biscuits dipped in safe-for-dogs white chocolate. These too can be turned into custom-designed gift baskets along with anything else in the store. sweetgranada.com

PHOTOGRAPHS Courtesy of Manhattan Magazine (5)

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HAZEL HILL CHOCOLATE | TOPEKA & MANHATTAN Nick Xidis is a third-generation chocolatier. He and his wife, Terry, owners of Hazel Hill Chocolate in Topeka and Manhattan, specialize in a wide range of treats all made in small batches, by hand, using only the finest and freshest ingredients.

“We only use Guittard chocolate because it is the highest quality and an all-natural chocolate,” Nick says of the California-based chocolate maker.

It’s not only the chocolate that is made by hand. Hazel Hill also makes their own caramel, marshmallows, and truffles.

During the spring, Hazel Hill makes fudge Easter eggs covered in chocolate. Other times of the year Nick and Terry enjoy creating custom orders for individuals and businesses. They have made a fudge buffalo and a Maltese falcon, they were even asked to make women’s shoes for a wedding—all crafted from their chocolate.

One of their unique products is the Raju, or Indian curry spice, truffle.

“We can do things a little different than a factory and are only limited by our imagination,” Nick says.

Hazel Hill Chocolates are shipped all over the world. hazelhillchocolate.com

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April 22-23

Summer 2017, date TBA

May 27, July 1,2, & 4, Sept. 2-4

Aug. 7-11 Sept. 29

May 30

when staffing permits

June 1-3

Dec. 1-2

35 20 Great Art Destinations

PHOTOGRAPH Courtesy Zak Barnes

A renowned Kansas artist shares her picks for must-see galleries and museums across the state

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52 |

Flint Hills as Muse One of the state’s great natural wonders continues to inspire artists

Arty Party Must-see art attractions across Kansas

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FEATURES

By Barbara Waterman-Peters

G R E AT

ART

D E S T I N AT I O N S A renowned Kansas artist shares her picks for must-see galleries and museums across the state

OPPOSITE Montage with details from Edward Hopper, Conference at Night (1949), oil on canvas.

ABOVE CLOCKWISE Exterior of Baker Arts Center; detail of Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child (about 1890), oil on canvas; interior of Wichita Art Museum.

WICHITA ART MUSEUM 1400 West Museum Boulevard (316) 268-4921 wichitaartmuseum.org Located close to the Arkansas River, this institution houses more than 8,000 objects and focuses on American art. Works by wellknown artists such as Mary Cassatt, Thomas Eakins, Edward Hopper, John Singleton Copley and Charles Russell span several centuries of American painting. Works on paper include artists Red Grooms and Faith Ringgold. An extensive collection of glass and Pre-Columbian art adds variety to the museum’s offerings.

CITYARTS 334 North Mead | (316) 350-3245 wichita-cityarts.squarespace.com Found in the heart of Old Town and supported by the city of Wichita, CityArts plays a unique role in providing arts education and exhibit opportunities for all. Through both on-site and outreach classes and through its four gallery spaces, the center serves an important role as a focal point for the visual arts in the state’s largest town.

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A private home converted into a public art gallery upon its opening in 1986, the center has exhibited the work of artists whose expression tends to be in traditional media. It houses a permanent collection of art and a library of thousands of books and art portfolios. School tours, art and music workshops and artist-in-residency programs for schools are among its educational offerings. Expansion plans include live performances and theater productions.

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BAKER ARTS CENTER 624 North Pershing Avenue (620) 624-2810 bakerartscenter.org

W I C H I T A

PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) Courtesy Wichita Art Museum, Roland P. Murdock Collection; Courtesy Jessica Strickland, Baker Arts Center; Courtesy Wichita Art Museum, Roland P. Murdock Collection; Courtesy Wichita Art Museum

P

lentiful and scattered over the state, art museums, university art galleries, art centers and commercial art galleries are accessible to everyone. They can be found in our larger cities. They are tucked away in our smaller towns. Some were started with the dream to bring culture to an area, some to celebrate the work of local talent, others to be a repository for a wonderful collection, but all of them offer something of tremendous value to each of us and to all of our families. These institutions should be a source of great pride for every Kansan.

The galleries and museums in this list represent very different approaches to art. The venues in Lincoln and Greensburg provide a rich art experience by any standard but just happen to be in very small towns. Others, such as The Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, champion delightful folk art and the outsider artist.

Many of the centers benefit from a relationship with one of our state’s fine universities that have both major art museums and art galleries in the art departments themselves. The University of Kansas hosts the Spencer Museum of Art; Kansas State University holds the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art; Wichita State University houses the Ulrich Museum; and Washburn University has the Mulvane Art Museum.

Stand-alone institutions such as the Wichita Art Museum and the Coutts Museum of Art in El Dorado are funded by public and private sources.

Libraries traditionally have art exhibits, but the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library contains the separate Alice C. Sabatini Gallery that boasts a permanent collection and mounts national exhibits. And the old Carnegie Library in Dodge City has become The Carnegie Arts Center.

Some cities such as Lawrence, Salina and Hays have arts centers that not only feature interesting exhibits but also have programming for other arts events.

Educational programs, tours, docent positions, film showings, panel discussions, artist talks, outreach programs, performances, and other opportunities make our art venues vibrant and engaged with communities. In times of reduced funding, these determined entities continue to thrive.

My list of 20 galleries presents only a sample of what is available.

Experienced owners and young artists alike curate venues across the state and share their vision and enthusiasm for the power of art. Two entities, the Hutchinson Art Center and Mark Arts, which was formerly the Wichita Center for the Arts, are currently being constructed or renovated. These are upcoming openings you definitely will not want to miss.

Whatever your taste in art, I would urge you to include an hour or two at a museum, gallery or art center whenever you visit a town in Kansas. Most have websites or Facebook pages, so checking open hours or finding their contact information is simple. Admission is usually free, but a small donation or purchase from the gift shop or sales gallery would be appreciated.

As a practicing artist, of course I believe in the power of art to transform us, to give us a new perspective, to help us understand our situation in life.

Art gives us so much and asks in return only that we value and interact with it. Visiting any of these venues, and the many others in our state, affords a chance to do that.

Originally housed in a Carnegie library, this anchor of Lawrence is now in a new building with five beautiful exhibition spaces, a 300-seat theater, studios and classrooms. Specializing in the visual and performing arts, the Lawrence Arts Center has 120 teachers who share their knowledge in various art forms, including ballet and modern dance, with as many as 10,000 students each year.

SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART 1301 Mississippi Street | (785) 864-4710 spencerart.ku.edu

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H A Y S

In its splendid and newly renovated building, this museum has a huge collection of more than 40,000 works from many genres.

Because of its location on the University of Kansas campus, the museum focuses on research and teaching, but its exhibitions and events enable it to accommodate, educate and engage its 100,000 annual visitors.

G R E E N S B U R G

L A W R E N C E

LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER 940 New Hampshire Street | (785) 843-2787 lawrenceartscenter.org

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5.4.7.

204 West Wisconsin Avenue | (620) 723-2600 547artscenter.org This gallery is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum building in Kansas. That alone makes it worth a visit, but it also hosts exhibits, classes and performances.

HAYS ARTS CENTER 112 East 11th Street | (785) 625-7522 haysartscouncil.org Something is always happening at this venue.

Whether it is a prestigious exhibition, such as the 5 State Photography Competition or the annual Smoky Hill Art Exhibition or an invitational show, wonderful art is always on the walls. The venue is part of the Hays Arts Council, which contributes to regional creativity by hosting programs such as its long-running writing contest open to kindergarten through 12th grade students across Ellis County.

MOSS-THORNS GALLERY AT FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY 600 Park Street, Rarick Hall 115 (785) 628-4247 | fhsu.edu Known by its present name since 1987, this beautiful gallery is home to student and faculty exhibits as well as traveling shows. It is named after two former chairs of the art department, one of whom had envisioned the art building many years before. Very interesting art comes out of this department, so it’s sure to be worth a visit.

A must-see for anyone who loves the work of Birger Sandzén, this institution has the largest collection of works by its namesake Kansas master. However, its permanent collection, building on donations of other collections since 1957, is an impressive gathering of works by 720 other artists. The museum hosts exhibits of contemporary artists from the region and beyond, including an intriguing theme show that attracts artists from across the state.

RED BARN STUDIO 212 South Main | (785) 227-2217 lesterraymer.org​

A collection of more than 1,500 works of art originally consisting of European, Russian, Chinese and South American pieces that were acquired by Warren Hall Coutts, Jr, but recent acquisitions include art from the American West and Midwest.

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DEINES CULTURAL CENTER 820 North Main Street (785) 483-3742 deinesculturalcenter.org In 1989, the Deines family donated a substantial body of work by one of its members, a huge building and a large monetary gift to the city of Russell. These gifts have become a cultural center that features monthly exhibits of regional artists, traveling exhibits, recitals, readings and an education component, such as ceramics workshops. Always on exhibit are the wonderful wood engravings by E. Hubert Deines.

Art gives us so much and asks in return only that we value and interact with it.

–Barbara Waterman-Peters OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT Interior of Spencer Museum of Art, Exterior and interior of 5.4.7 ABOVE Interior of Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, Birger Sandzén, Old Homestead (1921), oil on canvas.

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COUTTS MUSEUM OF ART 110 North Main Street (316) 321-1212 couttsmuseum.org

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Once the home and workplace of the versatile artist Lester Raymer (who designed and built this studio almost entirely out of wooden architectural salvage), this gallery is now run by a volunteer society that has opened the gallery to the public since 1997 and hosts visiting artists. The core attraction remains the work left by Raymer, who had a seemingly unending set of skills in wood, paint, metal, clay and fiber. His fabulous magic realism paintings hang next to wooden sculptures.

Not to miss are the toys he created each Christmas for his wife.

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT) Michael C. Snell, Courtesy 5.4.7 (2), Courtesy Ron Michael/Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, Courtesy Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery

BIRGER SANDZÉN MEMORIAL GALLERY AT BETHANY COLLEGE 401 North First Street | (785) 227-2220 sandzen.org

Inside the beautiful Michael Graves-designed Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library sits this rare gallery with a permanent collection of more than 3,000 objects. It is the oldest public art collection in the capital city.

Ranging from paintings to paperweights and contemporary ceramics, it also includes southwest reliquary woodcarvings and 19th-century Chinese decorative arts. Exhibits showcasing this permanent collection are mounted alongside juried national shows such as the Topeka Competition and Printed Image.

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ALICE C. SABATINI GALLERY 1515 Southwest 10th Avenue | (785) 580-4515 tscpl.org/gallery

HUTCHINSON ART CENTER 405 North Washington Street (620) 663-1081 hutchinsonartcenter.net

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Named for its first benefactor, Joab Mulvane, this museum opened to the public in 1924 and continues as one of the oldest art museums west of the Mississippi. More than 4,000 objects are included in the collection that features not only exquisite international pieces but also a large part of the holdings from the work of Kansas and Mountain Plains region artists. The museum also houses another jewel, the Judith Lennox Sabatini ArtLab, which provides hands-on and creative art experiences for children of all ages.

SHAFER GALLERY AT BARTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE 245 Northeast 30 Road (620) 792-9342 bartonccc.edu

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MULVANE ART MUSEUM 1700 Southwest Jewell Avenue (785) 670-1124 washburn.edu

Even though it is closed for renovation at the moment, this art center believes in strength in numbers. It has pulled together individual arts organizations with the common goal of encouraging community participation in the arts. Gallery exhibits of local and regional artists as well as recognition of literary achievements in the area are included in the program.

Hoping to reopen later in 2017, this great space will continue its mission.

This marvelous gallery, also known as the L.W. “Gus� and Eva Shafer Memorial Art Gallery, is home to exhibits of local, regional and national artists as well as a permanent collection that includes pieces by one of its namesakes, Kansas sculptor Gus Shafer.

Nationally known for its novel programming, this nonprofit contemporary art and education organization has three distinct venues: exhibition, education and administration; a theater; and a warehouse for visiting artists to live in and create work. Excellent programming, including an artist mentoring opportunity and cinema for independent films, keeps this center at the forefront of new art in Kansas.

GALLERY AT KANSAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY Sams Hall of Fine Arts (785) 833-4383 kwu.edu

LINCOLN ART CENTER 126 East Lincoln Avenue (785) 524-3241 lincolnartcenter.org With a relaxed atmosphere and interesting art always on view, this venue is well worth driving the few miles off I-70. Every other month, the center opens a new exhibition with a gallery talk and reception. Artists are invited to apply for an exhibition slot. Maintaining a large gift gallery, it offers a wide selection of artist-created works that are a delight to choose from. A small permanent collection is an added attraction.

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This intimate space is almost a stage set with its low lighting and warm, gray walls. While most art department galleries focus on students’ work, this one expands that mission to give students and the community an opportunity to view and interact with the thought-provoking output of Kansas artists.

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT) Courtesy Alice. C. Sabatini Gallery, Courtesy Hutchinson Art Center, Courtesy Salina Art Center (2), Courtesy Kansas Wesleyan University (2), Courtesy Alice. C. Sabatini Gallery (2)

SALINA ART CENTER 242 South Santa Fe (785) 827-1431 salinaartcenter.org

OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT Christopher Brennan, Intersection Thoughts (2002), oil on canvas; exterior of Hutchinson Art Center; interior of Alice C. Sabatini Gallery; Rodney Troth, Coming Rain (2003), oil on canvas, oil pastel ABOVE Interiors of Salina Art Center; interiors of Gallery at Kansas Wesleyan University

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MARIANNA KISTLER BEACH MUSEUM OF ART 14th Street & Anderson Avenue (785) 532-7718 beach.k-state.edu Celebrating its 20th year in 2016, this museum has already undergone its first expansion. An extensive collection of more than 7,000 works features Kansas and regional art, including many works on paper, and enables staff and visitors to explore the rich history of the visual arts in Kansas. The Prairie Print Makers, including such names as John Steuart Curry and Birger Sandzén, are well-represented; painters include Lester Raymer and Robert Sudlow. Glass artist Dale Chihuly’s huge orange chandelier hangs over the staircase.

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STRECKER-NELSON GALLERY 406½ Poyntz Avenue | (785) 537-2099 strecker-nelsongallery.com

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Opened in 1999 and continuing the tradition of the Strecker Gallery, this wonderful art venue moved to its second location upstairs in a larger building downtown.

From its beginning, this gallery has shown the very best of contemporary Kansas and regional artists. Eventually, the First Floor Gallery annex welcomed visitors directly off the street. Besides the impeccably displayed art, the nicest attractions have always been the welcoming smiles and great atmosphere.

ABOVE Interiors of Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art; interiors of Strecker-Nelson Gallery; detail of Kristin Goering, Tallgrass (2016), acrylic on canvas OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Saralyn Reece Hardy; Lisa Grossman, 86 Bends of the Kaw (2004), relief-roll woodcut, silk tissue, mulberry paper, wood panel, rice paste, PVA glue and chine collé; Roger Shimomura, American Citizen #1 (2006), color lithograph; Wendell Castle, Hanging in the Balance (2002), bronze, jelutong wood

Born and raised in Scandia, Spencer Museum of Art Director Saralyn Reece Hardy is proud of her deep Kansas roots that helped launch her career. She was director of the Salina Arts Center for many years and held the position of director of museums and visual arts at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C., before she joined the Spencer in 2005. Newly renovated and recently reopened, the Spencer is part of the University of Kansas and serves both faculty, students and the public. It houses a collection that reflects what Reece Hardy describes as one of an art museum’s most important objectives: to be an open and integral part of the community.

We sat down recently with Reece Hardy to discuss the role of public galleries and art venues in Kansas.

SARALYN REECE HARDY (SRH): I think the definition of “premier” has changed somewhat. It still means that there is a rigorous process at work in thinking about what comes into the museum, an intellectual and aesthetic standard, but I now think also it has to be relevant to people. It is part of the job of the museum to be sure that when people come in they can find something that speaks to their own lives. The importance of the museum is not only that it is a treasure house, I think it’s a place for experience, too.

When significant important objects come together with a dedication to the importance of the audience, that can be “premier.” We have to care very much about audiences.

KS: WHAT IS THE ART MUSEUM’S PURPOSE IN THE DIGITAL AGE? SRH: We were very early pioneers in digitizing our collections.

You can look online and see an enormous database of all of our objects. You can see a photo of it, when we acquired it and what it’s made of. Our baseline level is making our collections available to people. What we’ve all learned in museums is that this does not in any way replace the real object. It actually develops an appetite for the real object, and then you go and appreciate it more fully.

KS: HOW DO YOU ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE TO MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES? SRH: I think the word “relevant” is an especially apt one because when you’re on a college campus you have to be thinking about young people all the time. And “freshness”—the art museum has to remain fresh.

I think the way to do that is to be a much more responsive place, not a place that is always delivering a message of one kind or another that is crafted in isolation, but having the idea of

co-creating with our students and talking with young people that come in about what they like to see and what interests them. I think that the mission of commissioning new work helps keep an art museum relevant.

KS: WHAT COMMITMENT DO YOU HAVE TO KANSAS ARTISTS? SRH: We have a lot of Kansas artists represented in our museum. Even though we’re comprehensive—we cross all places and all times in our collection—that doesn’t mean you can ignore the place you are in. A museum like the Spencer can showcase a Kansas artist in the context of an international perspective.

That’s not only great for our audiences, it’s also useful to others who are looking at our collection to see how an artist who’s working in Kansas may be looking at the world through eyes similar to someone who lives in a very different part of the world.

KS: WHAT ARE THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE WORKS BY KANSAS ARTISTS AT THE SPENCER? SRH: Wendell Castle, Hanging in the Balance. This is one of my favorites because it’s very eloquent about the fragility of life and the tenuousness that you feel. Roger Shimomura, American Citizen #1. Roger is one of those artists who always brings social questions very strongly into his work. Lisa Grossman, 86 Bends of the Kaw. This is a favorite because it communicates the beauty of the natural world and the artist’s concern about the environment.

—Interview conducted, transcribed and condensed

by Mary R. Gage.

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KANSAS! (KS): WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A PREMIER ART MUSEUM IN KANSAS?

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Courtesy Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art (2), Michael C. Snell, Courtesy Spencer Art Museum (3), Courtesy Strecker-Nelson Gallery (3)

A CONVERSATION WITH SPENCER MUSEUM OF ART DIRECTOR SARALYN REECE HARDY ABOUT THE ROLE OF GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS IN SETTING UP GREAT MEETINGS BETWEEN FINE ART AND FINE KANSANS.

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Beverly Dodge Radefeld, Rolling Hills (2016), oil on canvas, (courtesy artist).

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Michelle Leivan

By KANSAS! MAGAZINE

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Traveling into the Flint Hills can be a meditative and restorative journey, an escape from the pressure of daily life. The region has been described as magical, mystical and majestic, but even these words may not articulate the essence of the Flint Hills. Where words fail us, art helps us understand the experience, the life, history and, most importantly, the sense of wonder the region evokes.

Venturing into the prairie grass-covered overlooks, easels packed, canvases in hand and wind-carried whispers from their muse in their ears, generations of artists have brought us their own visual poetry inspired solely from the Flint Hills.

Painting or drawing this landscape takes time. It takes noticing the subtle and the sublime, it takes a soul-stirring connection with the subject for an artist to be able to convey all that the land must say. There are many artists who have dedicated themselves to such a mission in the Flint Hills, and who have created stirring, beautiful responses.

They’ve connected with the Flint Hills Muse.

Though, some say it is a Muse that is rather hard to ignore.

It doesn’t matter what “I’ll tell you about the Muse,” offers Gary Blitsch, the season, the Flint Hills will absorb longtime owner of SouthWind Art Gallery in Topeka. “All they must do is be present in the Flint you and bring you home to a Hills and they have a paintable, comfortable, pleasant place collectable subject. It doesn’t matter what season, the Flint that we all can identify with.

Hills will absorb you and bring you home to a comfortable, pleasant place that we all can identify with.”

Not far from our Kansas homes, the Flint Hills is a place of beauty and universal appeal.

And here, in the following pages, a few Kansas artists have responded to the Muse of the Flint Hills, each in their own style and each with their own experience of the rolling, seemingly limitless land.

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-Gary Blitsch owner, SouthWind Art Gallery

from Cottonwood Falls

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Judith Mackey

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No collection of art inspired by the Flint Hills would be complete without the work of Judith Mackey, the Flint Hills painter who bases many of her works on the view from her back porch. Mackey also ventures farther into the hills for plein air adventure and has spent a lifetime documenting the region and filling her own spiritual pitcher. “I experience the presence of God in everything while I am out there,” says Mackey. “It is something I am obligated to share.”

Judith Mackey, Land of Milk and Honey (2016), oil on canvas (courtesy of the artist).

from Lawrence

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Louis Copt

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Perhaps more than any single artist, Louis Copt has popularized the image of the Flint Hills prairie fire burns. For 30 years, Copt has been returning to the annual events to receive inspiration for his canvas. “A lot of people see fire as destructive and to be avoided. Where on the prairie it is a rejuvenation and preparation for the next season,” explains Copt. “It is a symbol of hope and renewal.”

Louis Copt, Prairie Heat (2015), oil on canvas (courtesy of the artist).

from Topeka

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Beverly dodge radefeld

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Beverly Dodge Radefeld represents the Flint Hills through blocks of spirited color and riches within flowing brush strokes she applies on location. “You feel it clear down to your soul—it’s overpowering, and that is what I am trying to capture. That is the reason I use so much color to get that intensity into the painting,” says Radefeld. “Being there, experiencing it is a whole lot different than trying to recall it in your studio.” Working in the Flint Hills has also enriched her sense of how nature can trifle with our sense of distance and perspective. She describes how the vastness of the rolling prairie creates surreal perspectives. The Flint Hills are a place where you can see for miles and miles, where landmarks might appear to be just blocks away from one another, but are, in fact, miles apart.

Beverly Dodge Radefeld, The Fields in the Flint Hills II (2016), oil on canvas (courtesy of the artist).

from Overland Park

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Michael Duane

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Michael Duane describes his first experience of the Flint Hills as an instant hook: “I was driving, I was mesmerized by these rolling hills—Kansas isn’t flat,” recalls Duane. “I stopped and started sketching, getting lost in the image, and my imagination exploded as I watched a thunderstorm rolling toward me begin to light up the sky.” That was 10 years ago, and since then the artist has continued to return to the region, capturing the sense of fantasy that it inspires through images of bold color and simplified landscapes in pastel.

Michael Duane, Sunset Reflection Flint Hills (2016), pastel (courtesy of the artist).

from rural Douglas County

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Zak Barnes

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For Zak Barnes, the Flint Hills landscape is reflected in the spirit it can inspire. It is an ethos reflected in the lives of people who work on it, reside around it, or simply take time to appreciate it. His series of works “Bazaar, Kansas” celebrate that Ad Aspera attitude. “When you are out there in the hills, you have a sense of ownership and belonging with a profound realization of being away from civilization,” says Barnes. “I paint relaxed people enjoying an imaginative, unplugged life without all the commotion of technology stimulus you find today.”

Zak Barnes, Bazaar Race Day (2016), oil on canvas (courtesy of the artist).

P A R T Y must-see art attractions across Kansas

By Fally Afani Ruzik

Lawrence’s annual busker festival welcomes street performers to share their talents on stages throughout downtown.

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Yes, Kansas is as big as you think—which suggests there is no end to beautiful, engaging, fun and unique art attractions across our state. This year, add these to your road-trip list, or make an art pilgrimage to see what event KANSAS! magazine wouldn’t miss.

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers—Goodland Kansas likes to go big, which is why you’ll find a few of the world’s largest items here. In Cawker City, you’ll find the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, but in Goodland, you’ll find the World’s Largest Easel. Near the Colorado state line, you’ll see the enormous replica of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, perched high in the sky. visitgoodland.com

Stan Herd earthwork of Amelia Earhart—Atchison

When considering art destinations in Kansas, the first place that should come to mind is Lucas. Specifically, the entire community. Even the greeting sign to this Kansas community is an art piece. Most visitors will come for the Garden of Eden or the Grassroots Art Center but end up finding hidden gems like the Plaza Art Bowl—a creative take on the public restroom. lucaskansas.com

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) Courtesy eXplore Lawrence, KDWPT (3)

Lucas

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On the green hillside near Warnock Lake in Atchison, you’ll find one of the most striking murals in Kansas. Artist Stan Herd created the Amelia Earhart portrait from plants and other all-natural materials—trading his paintbrushes for tractors and plows.

The permanent earthwork of the famous Kansas pilot can best be seen, appropriately, from the sky. visitatchison.com

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John Steuart Curry Murals—Topeka The Kansas Statehouse is where you could get an entire history lesson on the state strictly in visual form. Stretching across the walls is the story of man’s struggle with nature. Anything from plagues and soil erosion to homesteads and harvest are depicted in John Steuart Curry’s murals. Though the murals were controversial when Curry unveiled them, they remain on the walls today as a reminder of Kansas’ history. kshs.org/capitol

Topeka Civic Theatre—Topeka The oldest continuously running community dinner theater in the country is right here in Kansas.

Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy and the nearby Helen Hocker Theater have been home to hundreds of productions near beautiful and historic Gage Park. Classic masterpieces such as To Kill a Mockingbird can be found here, along with senior improv and unconventional comedy. topekacivictheatre.com

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CW Parker Carousel Museum— Leavenworth

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If you want to know all there is to know about carousels, Leavenworth’s CW Parker Carousel Museum is your destination.

The museum is home to several types of brightly painted carousel horses and three historic carousels. Though CW Parker was raised in Abilene, he developed his love for carousels in Leavenworth, where they reside today. firstcitymuseums.org/carousel_main.html

Lawrence Busker Fest—Lawrence Every summer, Downtown Lawrence turns into one wild show. Running more than 10 years, the Lawrence Busker Festival takes over the streets and sidewalks with sword swallowers, fire eaters, and strong women. Fans young and old marvel at the dozens of stunts and performances spread across five stages (and several street corners). lawrencebuskerfest.com

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Wichita Art Museum Art Garden—Wichita The next time you stop by the Wichita Art Museum, you’re in for an environmental treat. The art garden, which opened in September 2015, features an array of stunning sculptures from nationally renowned artists. Some stand staggeringly tall while others play and experiment with light. But all will take your breath away when set against the natural Kansas landscape. wichitaartmuseum.org

Every year on the third weekend of September, flat-pickers and folk fanatics head to Winfield for some of the best bluegrass in the state. The week-long event features national greats alongside local experts competing in a variety of contests and performances. Revelers may come for the big names, but they stay for the strong community that remains tight long after festival campers have packed up and headed out. The 2017 festival marks 46 years of this beloved Kansas event. wvfest.com

They say it’s easy to dream big in Kansas when half of what you see is sky. Local artists Phil Epp, Terry Corbett and Conrad Snider took that to heart when they created the Blue Sky Sculpture in Newton’s Centennial Park. Passersby can marvel at the stunning work of art from afar or stop by the viewing pad near the parking lot. You can also use the path to walk up to the sculpture and touch the cobalt-glazed tiles while wondering where the sky ends and the sculpture begins. tonewton.com

Rosedale World War I Memorial Arch— Kansas City Sometimes a little piece of history pops up in the Midwest. Perched above the Kansas City skyline is a mini-replica of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.

The Memorial Arch is dedicated to Rosedale residents who served in the 42nd Rainbow Division during World War I. With restaurants nearby and a stunning view of Downtown Kansas City, it’s a sight that can’t be missed. visitkansascityks.com

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Blue Sky Sculpture—Newton

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) KDWPT (2), Harland Schuster (3), Courtesy Visit Kansas City Kansas, Courtesy eXplore Lawrence (2) , Larry Everett, Pauline Graeber

Walnut Valley Festival—Winfield

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It’s time to dive into the Wild West, courtesy of sculptor Charlie Norton. The artist focuses on historical works of art, and his Buffalo Bill sculpture is becoming a legend in itself. The 16-foothigh bronze sculpture is on a hill outside the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center in Oakley and attracts visitors to marvel at its depiction of the 1868 contest between William F. Cody and William Comstock (the winner earned the name “Buffalo Bill”). buffalobilloakley.org

Felten Stone Sculptures—Hays Pete Felten is a busy man. Even when constantly working on art projects, he found time to construct the Stone Gallery in Hays, Kansas.

The home is filled with stone sculptures depicting a variety of people and bits of nature, and the 8-foot sculptures of famous Kansans on display in the Kansas Capitol rotunda are other examples of his artistry. haysusa.net

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Cloud Anthologies brick mural— Concordia Over in North Central Kansas, you’ll find the longest sculpted brick mural in the nation. The brick mural in Concordia, created by Catharine Magel and titled Cloud Anthologies, is also the largest piece of public art in Kansas, measuring 140 feet long with sections from 15’ to 20’ high.

Over 90,000 pounds of clay were used to depict elements of architecture, commerce, customs, geography and history. concordiaks.org/visitors

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PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) KDWPT (2), Mark and Tree Mangan (2), KDWPT

Buffalo Bill Sculpture—Oakley

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