Phone-in Audio Tour of Topeka’s Civil Rights Sites

Topeka has so much history that it’s hard to know it all. I’m certainly no local history expert. I do consider myself a lifelong learner, and as such I’m excited about a recently launched Audio Tour about the people and landmarks that were central to city’s role in the civil rights movement.

Important figures and historical places, including Brown v. Board, are featured in the Audio Tour. Just dial (785) 338-4041. (Mom! Dad! Now’s the time to encourage those kids to play on your phone.) The messages are short and interesting. Some sites have additional automated phone prompts – more facts to feast on! Get in the car (or on your bike) and roll through the city on a historical fact-finding mission. The weather is great for it!

Capital Storm and Sunflowers by Michael Duane

While you’re out and about, take in some Topeka art. It's not an official stop on the tour, but there's always something to see at SouthWind Art Gallery, especially right no. The current exhibit pairs particularly well with local history. “Paint Topeka” showcases works from a plein air competition that sent about 50 artists into the streets to paint scenes of the capital city. See how artists depicted the Statehouse, which I learned was constructed in 1866. (Thanks Audio Tour!) Pick up a coffee table-style book to commemorate your trip and continue your learning at home.

Oh, I almost forgot. This post would not be complete without mentioning the awesomeness the of John Steuart Curry murals on the second floor of the Statehouse. "Tragic Prelude" is the centerpiece of the mural. It depicts John Brown, Bible in one hand and rifle in the other. The tour says it's one of the most recognized depictions of the abolitionist in the world. Definitely a must-see.

People like John Brown and Mamie Williams, whose story is also featured in the Audio Tour, sound like ancient history to young kids growing up today. (Just made myself sound old, didn’t I? Ooops.)  Even for adults, with all the modern day distractions, it’s easy to forget the city is home to some pretty substantial historical milestones. We shouldn’t, be forgetting that though. Now there’s a cool new way to learn or further understand some of the city’s ties to the fight for civil rights.

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.   

First Friday Nosh

I love First Fridays in Topeka, and many others have just as much fun as I do while out ArtWalking. We enjoy it for a variety of reasons. We love art (obviously) as well as hanging out with friends and by chance meeting an artist or two. One common agreement among First Friday-goers is the FOOD at the galleries is a must –almost as much as the free wine is. Have a nibble and maybe a little more while the ArtWalk takes you somewhere.

Hopefully it takes you to SouthWind Art Gallery, 29th and Oakley, to see the "Paint Topeka" exhibit before it's too late. The show will have you seeing Topeka in a whole new light. It features regional painters and works created from last April's plein air competition. It comes down at the end of October.

Also if you frequent SouthWind Oct. 5 and most First Fridays, you may remember the hummus that's part of the spread. MMMmmmm. A couple of people have asked me for the recipe now so I figured I would share it here.

So, enjoy. I hope it turns out as good as mine, and I hope you turn out for First Friday at SouthWind.

Hummus
Blend ingredients together in a food processor until at desired level of creaminess.
1 T garlic (or 4 garlic cloves)
3 T lemon juice
13-19 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 T. tahini
3 T. olive oil
2 T h20
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayanne
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 roasted red pepper


 

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.   

Paint Topeka Gives Student Artist Taste of

Isabella Reed didn't think waking up before dawn on a Saturday morning sounded like fun. Yet some how Isabella's art teacher convinced her to scout out a spot in the capital city one brisk spring morning to paint. She was among 70 artists participating in SouthWind Art Gallery's "Paint Topeka" plein air competition.



The teen began painting her freshmen year when she took art class to improve her grade point average. Her art teacher Tiffany Pryor soon saw potential in Isabella's artistic talent. (The Highland Park teacher also has a painting in the exhibit.) She taught Isabella to see her own potential and helped her gain confidence in herself as an artist.

Her watercolor in the "Paint Topeka" exhibit has sold, but you can still see it at SouthWind Art Gallery now through Oct. 28, along with dozens of paintings that show a slice of life in Topeka. The exhibit features a range of artistry and features some of the best names in the region, like Debra Joy Groesser, Michael Duane, Cally Krallman, David Vollbract, Barbara Waterman-Peters and Becky Drager – mighty fine company for 17-year-old Isabella Reed to be in.

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.   

A Capitol Wren: "We Just Had to Have It!"

This here is a story of opportunities you just can’t pass up and how a series of those opportunities created meaning for a couple of Topeka citizens.

 First there's Naomi Cashman, a Topeka watercolor artist in SouthWind Art Gallery’s current “Paint Topeka” exhibit. If you’re in Topeka or have ever been, you’ve probably seen Cashman’s work: one of Topeka's landmarks, the wren at Huntoon Park.

The wren was constructed in 1932 for WREN radio. It was perched outside WREN in Tonganoxie, Lawrence, and then finally moved to Topeka. The radio station closed, so the bird had been in storage and needed repainted; Cashman and a friend were just the crew for the job. “He asked me if I would help paint it with him, and I jumped at the chance,” said Cashman, who used to sculpt and paint waterfowl. That was in October 2002.

When she heard about SouthWind Art Gallery’s “Topeka Paint-out” plein air competition, it was only natural to return to Huntoon and Topeka Boulevard to paint the wren, this time as a watercolor cityscape with the Capitol in the background. It had been 10 years since she painted the wren with her friend, now deceased.

While beautiful and bright, her work, titled "A Capitol Wren," an 18”X22” watercolor, didn’t earn a judge’s award; it did, however, win over Frank Chaffin, and as it turns out, that is more meaningful.

“We just had to have it. It will go in the studio,” he said. “I’m absolutely thrilled. I’m in disbelief I got to buy it, especially being painted by the woman who painted the wren.”

Chaffin had just re-launched WREN radio station, an oldies station housed in the Lazy Toad at Fairlawn Plaza Mall. "A Capitol Wren" had the nostalgic factor the general manager was looking for.

Cashmen is one of 70 local and regional artists represented in the “Paint Topeka” competition. Come in to SouthWind Art Gallery, 29th and Oakley, and see the show now through October.



Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.   

Our New House: Bare Walls to Beautifully Adorn

My new house came with a lot of bare walls. It is a much bigger space than my husband, Mike, and I had before. (“Buy larger than you need.” Ever hear that advice? Well, we took it.) Two walls in our living room remained bare as the furniture delivery men positioned the new couch. Now the living room, decorated eclectically with two Zac Barnes paintings, are signature stops on el tour de la casa de los Krings.

The fact that guests linger in our living room can be credited to the inspiring staff at SouthWind Art Gallery and the even-more inspiring artists the gallery represents. One such artist Zac Barnes is known for both his paintings of Kansas landscapes and his works featuring women and trucks, the latter of which style I prefer.

We own two Zac Barnes paintings, “Bazaar Winter II” and “Redline Decoupage.” Friends and relatives linger because the paintings are well-done and make a person think.

“Bazaar Winter” (46.5X59) depicts a winter-turned-spring scene of women bathers in a stream. The landscape spans from St. Louis to Bazaar, Kanas. “Redline Decoupage,” well, I don’t know how to explain. There’s a bull, a cat, a windmill, a serpent, woman (of course) serving up a pan of fried eggs, a woman with money on her lap, champagne and two devil cupids floating around – and somehow the subjects all tie in together for a very surreal yet cohesive experience.

It’s fun to show off the artwork, but really Mike and I sometimes just sit on our new couch and look together, converse. These paintings in our home have created moments of bonding and stimulated intellectual conversation.

While it’s cost prohibitive to move too fast too soon again, I’m ready and looking for my next purchase. Art collecting fascinates me more than it ever has. (Did you know that some art is looked at as an investment purchase?) Thanks to SouthWind’s owner Gary Blitsch for exposing me to the art gallery business, and more importantly to fine art representing the best of Kansas found in his gallery.

I’m proud to buy art in Topeka and my experience at SouthWind Art Gallery has changed my life and spurred on a love of art and art ownership in me and my husband. Plus, we just have a much more fun living room to hang out in.

Thanks for reading. Please come by the gallery to find out what's happening or check back here for online updates. What types of posts/topics would you like to see on this art gallery's blog?



Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.   

20th Anniversary Special: Get 20% off Framing

Come in for 20% off on Tuesdays through the month of August as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of Framewoods in Topeka.

Have your art framed your way by our expert staff and receive 20% off the total order. Take advantage of this money-saving offer and spiffy up your home or office!

Owner Gary Blitsch purchased Framewoods in 1992 (he's the business' third owner). Gary recalls framing up art in view for passersby on 29th Street. When he spotted people looking, he would gladly respond by lifting up projects to show them through the storefront window. The "fishbowl" experience ended when Gary expanded the floor space and the business in 1997 to include SouthWind Art Gallery. Two lines of business + one location = a convenient experience for art patrons.

Framewoods stays open until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, giving those who work during the day an opportunity to take advantage of the special.

Make sure you never miss out on specials and gallery exhibit changes. Subscribers to our e-newsletter receive periodic updates conveniently in their inbox. If you're not getting these money-saving updates, sign up here.

Framewoods, where excellence is an everyday experience.


 

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100. 

Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Open late on during Topeka's First Friday ArtWalk. Online at SouthWindArtGallery.com

 

What a Great Time To Be an Art Enthusiast in Topeka

My name is Lisa Coble-Krings. Off-and-on you can find me hanging out at Southwind Art Gallery, where I like learning about art & artists from Kansas. I’m a writer by profession, but I’ve not blogged much from my perspective, using my own voice. You see, I’m a multimedia communicator, and you may have watched videos I’ve edited and uploaded to this here website or photos I’ve shot for SouthWind’s Facebook page. I prefer to be behind the camera. Writing, like painting, is about putting yourself out there. I’ll try to provide some interesting tidbits about myself while I blog about being – for lack of better word – an understudy in the art business. I hope you read my blog posts. Here’s some extra motivation (a promise from Gary, the owner of SouthWind): Intermingled with my thoughts will be special deals for framing.

A little background on me: I’m a supporter of the arts, always have been. However, most recently my passion for and interest in art has been reignited thanks in large part to encouragement from and friendship with staff at SouthWind Art Gallery. Thanks for letting me use your site to contribute to the dialogue about art in Topeka. My passion for the arts is also fueled by recent cuts to state art funding. I dabbled in art throughout high school, and people who knew me growing up always knew I’d be surrounded by art - and cats, as a random matter of fact. (I own 1.) I love spending time in galleries and museums. Being around art is like an oasis and always takes my mind off of any trouble or stress in my life.

Why do I hang out at SouthWind? SouthWind Gallery is quintessentially Kansas. It’s an amazing space, so open and airy. There’s an unexpectedness here. I can look on the wall, see a wonderful painting and it could be gone the next time I come in. This is one cool business. I’ve never been that fond of sales, but the staff at SouthWind don’t come off as pushy salespeople. Gary’s in the business of building relationships, and he knows almost everyone who comes in. (If he doesn’t know you, he or his staff will get to know you.) It’s intriguing what propels people to come in the door - a painting for the new house, redecorating after a divorce, a rare print to get framed, heck, I’ve even been to a poetry reading at SouthWind. What will bring you in?

Maybe you’ll come in just to tell me you’ve read this here blog. Hint: I’m usually around during Topeka’s First Friday Artwalk and some Saturdays. Another hint: It’s a great time to visit SouthWind right now because the latest exhibit features Masters of the Midwest, including a new work by one of my favorite artists, Stan Herd. I’m also impressed by a painting of Anthony Benton Gude’s, the grandson of Thomas Hart Benton. There’s a Jim Cook and Debra Clemente that I’m fond of – so many good artists to talk about. That will have to wait for another day. Come into SouthWind and see the best of Kansas and Topeka reflected through paintings

I’m proud to be a patron of the arts in Topeka. It is a great arts town.
~ lck

Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. SouthWindArtGallery.com

Framewoods of Topeka Gift Certificate Cards make the perfect gift for any occasion!  Gift certificates are good as cash for anything in the store — custom framing, gifts and even artwork at SouthWind Gallery Gift cards may be purchased online or at the store in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.