January 13, 2012
Beach Museum of Art hosts day-on event Jan. 16
In conjunction with “Tallgrass TV,”a video installation by artist Sam Easterson, spend the morning learning about and supporting the preservation of the Tallgrass Prairie and its inhabitants. The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University is hosting a free open house from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Jan. 16.
Taking the lead from Martin Luther King who said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” this year’s activities will focus on the natural environment surrounding Manhattan and its preservation.
Be the first to view “Tallgrass TV: Sam Easteron’s Tribute to the Konza Prairie” exhibition which features video footage of animals on the prairie including bison, burrowing owls, and prairie dogs. Boy Scout Troop 75 and representatives from the Konza Prairie will have stations where visitors can learn more about these animals, the Tallgrass Prairie, and preservation and conservation efforts in Kansas.
“The scout troop will have a game on 'Leave No Trace' guidelines for using the outdoors responsibly,” said Kathrine Schlageck, senior educator at the museum. “Boy Scouts follow an outdoor code of ethics based on the work of conservationist Aldo Leopold.”
HandsOn K-State volunteers will help younger visitors with an animal masks activity. Visitors will be able to view prairie-themed works of art from the museum’s permanent collection.
Schlageck said, “Many Kansas artists like John Steuart Curry, Robert Sudlow and Oscar Larmer have an ongoing relationship with the prairie, and their art reflects a strong sense of place.
“The spirit of Martin Luther King is alive in everyone who cares about a cause and making a difference in our world. This will be a great chance to learn about and be proactive about our local environment.”
Proceeds from the museum’s donation boxes for the week of Jan. 16-22 will be donated to the Kansas chapter of the Nature Conservancy, the organization that supports the Konza Prairie, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the Flint Hills Tallgrass Preserve, as well as Flint Hills Initiative, which helps ranchers use grasslands wisely.
For more information on the Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie projects in Kansas visit the organization's website.
For more information, contact Martha Scott at the Beach Museum of Art, 785-532-7718, or drop by the museum on the southeast corner of the K-State campus at 14th Street and Anderson Avenue. Free visitor parking is available next to the building. Museum admission is free; hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed on Mondays.