Abilene Spring Break Challenge
by
Cecilia Harris
In a quandary about what to do with your kids over Spring
Break? Why not plan a scavenger hunt for artwork right here in Abilene as a
fun, family activity to help children notice the sculptures and paintings in
their hometown while enjoying fresh air and exercise. The 10 sites listed below
can be found by touring the downtown area and taking a few jaunts through other
parts of the city for an educational art adventure.
“We are an artsy community, there’s always something going
on such as musical entertainment or performing arts and we have the new Five
Star Arts Festival coming in September,” says Glenda Purkis, director of the
Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We need to continue to create an
awareness of the arts in our young people. Being a visual arts tourist in the community
is one fun way to accomplish that.”
While exploring, we encourage you to take selfies (outdoor
sites only please) and post on the Abilene Kansas App Facebook page or comment
at the end of this article.
1.
Eisenhower Statue in Little Ike Park, Northwest Third
and Spruce Streets
This bronze statue may be the only sculpture depicting former President
Dwight D. Eisenhower as a boy growing up in Abilene. The Abilene Kids Advisory
Council, comprised of students suggesting city planning projects, conceived the
idea for the statue and spent a year raising funding for the sculpture unveiled
in 1999. The statue was created by John Forsythe of Reading, Kan., who looked through
the few photographs of Eisenhower as a child and based his sculpture on one he
favored. “There was one shot of him camping with all his friends and in that
one I saw a sense of freedom in Ike (Eisenhower) that I hadn’t seen before,”
Forsythe said in a 1999 article in the Topeka
Capital Journal newspaper.
2.
Digitized
IKE Mural, Buckeye Avenue and Fourth Street
Chapman, Kan. resident William Counter created this unique 11x18-foot
digital art mural of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower which was painted by
local residents on the side of a building in 2007 to mark the 25th
anniversary of the Arts Council of Dickinson County. Counter conceptualized the
portrait through a digital process that is a computer rendering of gray tone
pixels on a large scale.
3.
Abilene Public Library, 209 Northwest Fourth Street
In front of the Carnegie Library are two statues, one of Benjamin
Franklin seated on a bench reading a paper and another of a boy and girl
reading on a bench.
Added bonus: The work of local artist Karen Cooper is exhibited in the
Library’s Jordan Room.
Double added bonus: A sculpture of a seated woman is displayed in the original
Carnegie Library, where the dome has been refurbished to its original artistic
splendor.
4.
World’s Largest Spur, Eisenhower Park (main park
entrance at Northwest Fourth and Pine Streets)
Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, the spur is nearly 28
feet tall, over 20 feet wide, and weighs about 2,000 pounds. Created in correct
proportion to a cowboy’s spur by Larry Houston, it has fittingly served since
2002 as an entrance to the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo Arena. “This piece of art
reflects our cowboy heritage and the fact Abilene was the first American cow town
of the West,” Purkis says. “In fact, the Spur will most likely be a part of the
Chisholm Trail’s 150th anniversary in 2017.”
5.
Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and
Boyhood Home, 200 Southeast Fourth Street
The bronze statue of General Dwight D. Eisenhower wearing what was dubbed
the “Eisenhower Jacket” as part of his World War II military uniform was sculpted
by Robert L. Dean of Oklahoma.
Added bonus: Paintings created by Eisenhower can be found in the museum’s
Presidential Gallery.
6.
Arts Council of Dickinson County Photography
Contest Reception, Eisenhower Library, 200 Southeast Fourth Street
The reception
opening this year’s exhibit will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 20 at the
Eisenhower Library, at which time the contest judge will comment on the work of
the county’s amateur photographers and prizes will be awarded in three
divisions, youth, intermediate and adult. A Best in Show and a Judge’s Choice
also will be distinguished. The theme of the contest is “Helping Hands,” and
the photographs will be displayed through April 3.
7.
Jeffcoat Photography Studio Museum, 321 North
Broadway
Past Abilene Police and Fire Departments are the topic of historic
photographs on temporary exhibit here through March 24th. Included
are artifacts on loan from the Dickinson County Historical Society including a
fire department hose cart and the badge that belonged to Chief Henry G. Engle,
who served as a police officer from 1907 to 1933. The photographs were taken by
members of the Jeffcoat family who began operating the studio in 1921. The historic
camera shop and studio now comprise the museum that also features permanent displays.
8.
Cowperthwaite Gallery, Greyhound Hall of Fame,
407 South Buckeye Avenue
Works of art featuring greyhounds are showcased in this gallery, created
in 1990. “There are greyhound paintings on the walls, ceramic artifacts in
display cases, old magazine covers featuring greyhounds, and bronze
sculptures,” says Kathy Lounsbury, the Hall’s general manager. “There are also
bronze statues in the museum gallery.”
Added Bonus: Bronze busts of some of the most instrumental individuals in
the greyhound industry are found in the lobby.
Double Bonus: Outdoors, greyhound statues in front of the building greet
visitors. “A gold statue from the same mold as those in the front stands in the
park (west of the parking lot) as a monument to the four greyhound greeters who
are buried there,” Lounsbury adds.
9.
Ida Stover Eisenhower Quilt Show, Arch Davis
paintings and Hand-carved Carousel, Heritage Center, 412 South Campbell Street
The quilt show, from March 16-28, typically displays over 80 hand-made
quilts, from small wall hangings to full size. “It’s a mixture of old and new
quilts from area cultures,” says Jeff Sheets, director of the Dickinson County
Historical Society. Vote for your favorite to win the People’s Choice Award.
Added bonus: Paintings by well-known regional artist Arch Davis include one
of a threshing machine, hanging in the museum, and another of ducks flying from
a pond, found in the foyer.
Double bonus: The turn-of-the-century carousel features wooden horses
elaborately hand-carved by skilled German artists.
10. Quilt
Block Trail, Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, 201 Northwest Second
Street
More than 20 painted, wooden quilt blocks of all sizes are located on
various structures within Abilene. A list can be picked up at the Abilene
Convention and Visitors Bureau or by visiting the Trails and Tours link on the
Visiting Abilene tab at www.abilenecityhall.com.
Added
bonus: The same list/website marks wooden quilt blocks located on rural
Dickinson County structures.
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Good job, Cecilia!
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