Celebrating Kansas Day

Kansas celebrates its 160th anniversary on Friday, a day known as Kansas Day. 

On Friday, elementary school students from the University of Newton participated in a virtual field trip for $373 to watch live lectures across the state. 

In the local area, there are two kinds of celebrations-one at the Carriage Factory Gallery and the other at the Kaufman Museum, which will be held on Saturday.

To celebrate Kansas State Day, the Carriage Factory Art Gallery will hold its fourth annual review exhibition, "Kansas Through the Artist's Eyes". 

On January 23, Judge Wayne A. Conyers, a retired art teacher at McPherson University, announced the winners on the gallery’s Facebook page instead of the opening reception.

"I have lived in Kansas all my life... I think Kansas is a beautiful state," Conyers said. "Kansas has beautiful people, hardworking people, and hardworking people. People who know how to get things done. People who take on tasks and see them, even if it means exhaustion."

The champion will receive $300, the second place will receive $200, the third place will receive $100, and the third place will receive an honor award of $50.

"When I judge a performance, what I have to do is (ask)'Did the artist do anything that I care about?'" Conyers said.

Conyers chose Victor Blakey's "Tender Moments" as the winning work, which received a $300 prize. This picture is a picture of a bearded cowboy and his horse. 

Conyers said: "There are too many topics to talk about here." "The Han people are hardworking people. We are people who have to work hard every day, and then we will be ready the next day... This guy, he is very good. Tired. Interestingly, horses are too. Look at the connection between nature and people."

The second place and the $200 prize were awarded by Bob Neace for "race north like an orange ribbon". 

The third contestant won a prize of $100, "Somewhere Not Over" by Pam Hayes. Honorable mention recipients received $50 awards, including Marilyn Friesen's "Winding Road" (Winding Road), Jean Cook's "Bucking" Bulls and Karen Robben's "Hibernation"

Artists in the exhibition include Velera Adams, Kayann Ausherman, Victor Blakey, Aaron Jackson Bowman, Tara Clark, Jean Cook, Betty Eller, Marilyn Friesen, Constance Gehring, Mary Goering, Diane Goldschmidt, Pam Hayes, Diane L. Lawrence, Gail Lutsch, John D. Morrison

Exhibits include pastels, oils, watercolors, acrylics, colored pencils, photography and mixed media. The works on display in the exhibition cost between US$100 and US$3,900 and are available for purchase. The gallery website will also provide videos and digital catalogs detailing the exhibited works.

The Kauffman Museum's annual Kansas Day celebration this year (scheduled to be held on Saturday) provides some opportunities for personal participation and virtual selection.

Kansas Day is celebrated every year on or near the anniversary of the founding of Kansas! The celebration is a highlight of the Kaufman Museum at Bethel College. Usually, it attracts hundreds of visitors to celebrate the state, relive old-fashioned games and traditions, and enjoy museum fun indoors and outdoors.

With some exceptions, most indoor events and demonstrations will not be held this year.

A new item provided by the museum in 2021 is the "Kansas One Box One Day" event-games, handicrafts, recipes, food, maps, activities and some surprise items to help people enjoy Kansas' history and culture.

Although most boxes are pre-ordered, starting at 11 am on Saturday, the museum will provide limited Kansas Memorial Day boxes on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note that some small pieces in the "Kansas One Day Box" may not be safe for young children, so it is recommended to use between 4-12 years old, and the box contains items containing gluten, sunflower seeds and corn .

This year's Kansas State Celebration Day! The theme "Cultural Crossroads: Our Story, Our Food" emphasizes healthy food and healthy habits.

From 11 am to 4 pm, there will be food trucks and local food producers in the Kauffman Museum parking lot.

Inside the museum, museum grounds, and all Bethel College properties (including Sand Creek Trail), facial masks must be worn and physical distance requirements must be observed.

The food suppliers identified are Le J's Bar BQ from Brenda and Newton and Kansas Cookies from Tacos Ana's.

There will be two virtual demos. At 11 o'clock in the morning, Glen Ediger of North Newton will have a project entitled "Mennonite-Food-Tradition".

Ediger is a retired inventor and designer of Vornado Air in Wichita. He is known for his weekly Facebook blog post on "Mennonite Farmers", which introduces the history of Mennonite farmers (and their food) from all over the world, with more than 5,000 followers in 45 countries By.

After the PowerPoint presentation, he will be able to comment and answer questions on Zoom.

At 2 pm, Jenny Masias of Newton, Bethel's assistant Spanish lecturer, will describe "the immigrants who built Newton: a crucifixion."

Regarding her plan, Marcias said: “Whether it’s Newton, Wichita, Topeka, Emporia or larger cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, the proximity of the Hispanic neighborhoods to the train tracks is no coincidence.

"Newton has always been a key geographic location. Railway traffic is not only from east to west, from north to south, but also from Canada to Mexico on the international bridge, forming a bullseye in the middle of the country.

After the speech, Masias can also ask questions.

You can register at kauffmanmuseum.org (Visit/Events/Celebrate Kansas Day!) or through the Kauffman Museum Facebook page to register for the link.

The museum will be open for free and in a controlled manner for visitors to watch the special exhibition "Land and People: Our Community at the Crossroads in Transformation" (companion of Smithsonian Travel's "Crossroads" exhibition) until January 17 Day) and permanent exhibitions, or visit museum shops.

"Land and People" tells the local cultural story of the fusion of the Newton and North Newton communities.

On the museum grounds, there will be some demonstrations and simple Kansas Festival crafts to take home.

Grazing Plains Farm LLC in the suburbs of Newton will sell limited batches of cheese, and Adam Akers of Wichita will display his vintage washing machine.

The historic farmhouse and barn north of the main museum building will be open with controlled entrance numbers.

Long rope skipping will be performed in the farm area.

Andi Schmidt Andres, Director of the Kaufman Museum, said: "We will celebrate the official release of the first book walk in cooperation with the Newton Public Library. "The Other Side" by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrations by EB Lewis are featured."

"Stops" on the North Newton Trail System will also have the opportunity to take self-guided hikes or bike trips.

Seven of the eight kiosks will be staffed with volunteers (weather permitting) who can introduce exhibits in detail and answer questions. Visitors can collect different stamps at each kiosk, and if they collect all seven stamps, they are eligible for prizes.

To get a map and start the trail, guests can park their car in the parking lot near the museum or Centennial Dog Park, just north of the "Blue Sky" sculpture on Kansas Avenue in Newton.

The Kansas Festival’s community partners include North Newton, Graber’s Ace Hardware, Ardent Mills and Prairy Market and Deli, all in Newton, Hutchinson’s Toy Box, Bethel College and Newton Public Library.

The regular opening hours of the Kaufman Museum are: Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission to "Land and People: Our Community is at the Crossroads of Change", as well as permanent exhibitions "Land and People", "Mirror of Martyrs" and "Mennonite Immigrant Furniture", $4 for adults and $2 for children Between the ages of 6 and 16, members of the Kaufman Museum and children under 6 are free (free for everyone in Kansas). For more information, please call 316-283-1612, or visit its website kauffmanmuseum.org or Facebook page.