Sidebar: K-State bust, garden memorializing Martin Luther King Jr. capitalize on the artistic talents of K-State faculty, students and alum

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Source: La Barbara James Wigfall, 785-532-5961
News release prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415, ebarcomb@k-state.edu

Thursday, January 4, 2007

SIDEBAR: K-STATE BUST, GARDEN MEMORIALIZING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CAPITALIZE ON THE ARTISTIC TALENTS OF K-STATE FACULTY, STUDENTS AND ALUM

MANHATTAN -- The effort to honor Martin Luther King Jr. at the site of his speech at Kansas State University is using the cooperation and artistic talents of K-State students, faculty and an alumnus.

Dick Bergen, a Salina artist who earned a master 's in education from K-State, designed and created the bronze bust of King that will be dedicated at noon, Friday, Jan. 19, outside the southeast corner of K-State's Ahearn Field House. Ahearn is where King gave a speech on Jan. 19, 1968, before his death in April 1968.

Bergen said that to create the bust he and his son, Rich, a fellow artist, gathered many images of King.

"So I'm surrounded with images of Martin at different stages of his life -- fat, thin, younger, older -- plus other artists' interpretations of what they thought he looked like," Bergen said. "I wanted to make him look powerful. I tried to give him a peaceful expression but with a feeling of determination and being forward-looking."

Members of K-State's National Organization of Minority Architecture Students are working on a design for the Coretta Scott King Garden of Engagement, which eventually will envelop the bust. The design calls for three overlapping circular areas representing education, reflection and action, with the bust at the intersection of the circles. The education area will serve as an outdoor classroom, the reflection area will offer quiet spots for contemplation, and the action area will include names of donors who are making the project possible.

A drawing of the design will be revealed during the bust's installation ceremony. It is hoped that the garden can be dedicated during next year's Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week at K-State.

A core group of students is working on the design under the guidance of La Barbara James Wigfall, the group's adviser and associate professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning, along with Shani Chambers, assistant professor of architecture and a member of the group's advisory committee. The core group of students was joined by other members of K-State's National Organization of Minority Architecture Students in a design charrette in the beginning stages of the project.

Participating students include:

Clemente Jaquez-Herrera, senior in architecture, Garden City, design charrette team.

From Greater Kansas City: David Hildebrandt, fifth-year senior in architecture, Kansas City, Kan., core design group member; Shalece Charles, fifth-year senior in architecture, core design group member, Colette Hamilton, fifth-year senior in architecture, core design group member, and LeCretia Morrison, junior in architecture, design charrette team, all of Kansas City, Mo.; and Dwain South, fifth-year senior in interior architecture, Olathe, design charrette team.

Andrew Bryant, junior in architecture, Haysville, design charrette team; Karina Perez-Fajardo, junior in architecture, Manhattan, design charrette team; and Carmen Simon, fifth-year senior in architecture, design charrette team, Wichita.

From Missouri: LaQuita Jackson, sophomore in environmental design, Grandview, design charrette team; John Schnure, fifth-year senior in landscape architecture, Kirkwood, design charrette team and facilities liaison; Jeremy Anterola, senior in landscape architecture, Liberty, core design group member; Clarence Oxendine, senior in landscape architecture, Springfield, core design group member; John Anderson, senior in architecture, St. Louis, design charrette team; and Jonathan Corbett, senior in landscape architecture, Valley Park, design charrette team and facilities liaison.

Other faculty assisting with the design process for the engagement garden include Lee Skabelund, assistant professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning; Tony Barnes, professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning; Sheri Smith, assistant professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning; Richard Hoag, professor of architecture; and Chip Winslow, professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning.