Sculpture Tour - "Tess" Update

On Memorial Day, Tess finally made her long awaited appearance.  Notice the wheat stalks in her hand.  Check her out here . . .

Tess   Susan Geissler

Sculpture Tour Salina-2012

SculptureTour Salina

©Lydia Lowe 5/19/2012

"Welcome to SculptureTour Salina!  The Lee District in downtown Salina will once again became home to 24 unique and inviting sculptures. This year the walking tour will be the three blocks down Santa Fe and will also include Iron Street, featuring creations from artists across the United States.

SculptureTour Salina is an exciting exhibit of outdoor sculptures displayed in downtown Salina, Kansas (Voted the 2009 Kansas Arts Community of the Year). Artists place their sculptures in the program for one year, May through April. All sculptures are for sale to the public. Artists are eligible to win awards for Best of Show, as selected by a jury, and a People's Choice Award, as voted by the community.  This sculpture will be purchased with an award not to exceed $15,000 from the City of Salina. The winning sculpture for 2011 was "Watch Dog" by Louise Peterson, it will be relocated to a permanent home in Salina's newly created Sculpture Garden at Oakdale Park.

Enjoy the SculptureTour!!!

Start Paddling   Nathan Pierce

Ho-Hum   Conrad Snider

Breaking Waves   Felix Velez

Thought of Giza   Fredrico Aguirre

Blood Brother   Tom Ford

Zebra Bust   Lawrence Starck

Metal Skeleton Pirate   Fred Conlon

A minion at the base of the Metal Skeleton Pirate

A second minion at the base of the Metal Skeleton Pirate

Everything   Nathan Pierce

Sunflower   Julie Jones

Origins Wedge   Glenn Zweygardt

Sweet Kisses     Marianne Caroselli

Cabin Fever   Gregory Johnson

The Gift     Julie Jones

Wisdom Quest   Glenn Zweygardt

Time to Smell the Roses   Marianne Caroselli

Butterfly Girl   Gregory johnson

Buckaroo and Buddy   Marianne Caroselli

High 5     Louise Peterson

Welcome Wagon     Greg Todd

Broken Promises   Felix Velez

Leo     Pokey Park

Far From Home    Sandra Messina

Basalt Man     Glenn Zweygardt

One of the sculpture's is missing.  Where did "Tess" go?  I'll keep you posted on the mysterious disappearance of Tess.

Sculpture Symposium

During the week prior to Sculpture Tour 2012, beginning on Wednesday, May 16 through Friday, May 18, a number of artist's created additional sculpture's at Spilman Plaza, and the public was invited to watch.  The artist's explained their techniques and discussed how a sculpture comes into being.  Here are the sculpture's that were created. 

Sculpture I

Sculpture II - From the front

Sculpture II - From the back

Sculpture III

Sculpture IV - Side view-metal plate with etching

Sculpture IV - Side view with limestone cut out

Sculpture IV - Side view with limestone jutting out

The limestone was donated by US Stone Industries in Herington, KS.  And the artists involved with the symposium were: Glenn Zweygardt, Rich Bergen, Dee Warren, and Christine Ehnman. 

  

Anthony Patek and the Fa-Boos

ANTHONY PATEK AND THE FA-BOOS

Metro Coffee

Hutchinson, KS

© Lydia Lowe  5/26/2012

Anthony Patek and the Fa-Boos . . . What do you get when you combine a couple of music teachers, five of their former students, and a variety of instruments?  You get Anthony Patek and the Fa-Boos.  What a great jazz group!

I love jazz and this band played all the classics.  The tunes were timeless and well-executed.  Combine an electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, a trumpet, a sax and two trombones and you get, a classic jazz group.  What a sound!  I could hear it flowing out of the doorway as people entered the venue and the sound just drew me in.  It was like being on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

The Metro is a small place and you'd think with this large variety of instruments that the sound, once inside, would be overpowering.  But it was smooth and mellow.  Everyone played at the same level, so no one over powered the other.  The harmonies blended perfectly.  I didn't want the evening to end.

If you get a chance to see this group, make sure that you do.  Riki Eto, the electric guitarist will be leaving for New York this summer.  I hope they have someone lined up to fill the gap his leaving will cause.  I can't imagine the group without him.  With or without him, though, this group will endure, the music is just too good.

Riki Eto

RIKI ETO

@ Metro Coffee

Hutchinson, KS

© Lydia Lowe 5/25/2012

Riki Eto . . .Even though Riki Eto has only been playing guitar for a short time, since high school, he has big dreams.  Riki just recently graduated from Friends University and will be traveling to New York City to pursue his music career this summer.  

I got a chance to hear Riki play at The Metro on Friday night.  Riki played a variety of his original music and he is not to be missed.  Not only does Riki compose and play his own original compositions, but he also plays jazz and this is where he shines.  On Saturday night, Riki sat in with Anthony Patek and the Fa-Boos jazz band at The Metro.

Jazz guitar has never been one of my favorite instruments when listening to jazz.  I prefer the saxaphone.  But Riki playing jazz on electric guitar was quite a hit.  He had the whole place dancing in their seats or swaying to the beat when he'd break away from the band and play his guitar solo's. 

Riki can do it all, from his own original music to classical jazz.  Riki Eto is going places.

Art a la Carte



Bluecat (AKA Jimmie Lewin and the KingTones)
This is the official kick-off for the Smoky Hill River Festival
which is June 7, 8, 9, 10, 2012

Gotta dance!

Additional Sculpture Purchases from the 2011 Sculpture Tour

Stone's Eye Passage   Glenn Zweygardt   Collier Leasing

Bringing on the HEAT?   Gregory Johnson   Bennington State Bank    

"Fish Tale"   Gregory Johnson   The Bank of Tescott

Sculpture Tour-Salina Has Voted

In May of 2011, Salina had it's first ever Sculpture Tour, downtown, along Santa Fe Avenue.  There were 20 different sculptures by a variety of different artists.  The votes have finally been counted and the results are in.  The winning sculpture that the City of Salina purchased is:

"Watchdog"

By Louise Peterson

The Ad Astra Sculpture can be seen from across the street.

 It's May, time for the city to host another sculpture tour.  This time there will be 24 sculptures to choose from and once again, there will be a vote.  The city will then purchase the winner, and then begin, again.  I can't wait to see what this new set of sculptures will look like.

Gary Morris

GARY MORRIS

@ The McPherson Opera House

McPherson, KS

© Lydia Lowe 5/18/2012

GARY MORRIS . . .Sometimes in life you come across someone who however unassuming, opens their mouth to sing and this pure, on-key, in-tune music comes out with what appears to be absolutely no effort.  When you come across someone like this, you suddenly realize what true talent is really all about.  Don't know who Gary Morris is?  Do you remember his hit: ""Wind Beneath My Wings"?

I attend a lot of music concerts and I've heard a lot of people sing.  Some are terrific and I'm hooked right away, and others aren't that great and I start looking at the clock.  But until I heard Gary sing, I had never heard anyone who had this kind of a God-given talent before.  He opens his mouth and hits every note of  whatever song he sings, every time.  It's almost like he can't sing a wrong note, off-key, or out-of-tune.  It's a winner every time.  I really don't know how to describe the range he has or his ability.  It defies description.  If you get a chance to see Gary in concert, you are in for a rare treat.  He sings so effortlessly.

Gary has a new CD coming out in November, or rather one song from the CD.  He is releasing the new CD one song at a time.  "If You Were Mine"  will be released in November and I can't wait.  What a great song.  I got chills when he was singing it and when I get chills when someone is singing, I know I'm in the midst of something special.  

But then into every musical performance a little out of the ordinary must fall of course, case in point the song he sang with the opening lyrics, "my toes need a clippin', my dog needs a dippin'". . .  Also, award winning, and if not, it was good for a laugh.  This from a vocalist who has also performed and sang in "La Boheme" and "Les Miserables" on Broadway.  An incredible range in a variety of musical styles and yet, it's good to know that he doesn't take himself to seriously.

Gary is taking a tour around the country and stopping at all of these little out of the way small local venues, like the McPherson Opera House, so if he comes to your town be sure and check him out.  You won't be sorry  Check out his website in the links section to learn more about Gary or simply refresh your memory about who Gary Morris is.

Curtis & Luckey

CURTIS & LUCKEY

@ The McPherson Opera House

McPherson, KS

© Lydia Lowe 5/18/2012

CURTIS AND LUCKEY . . .If you've never heard of Curtis and Luckey, I feel sorry for you.  Go to their website and check them out.  Download their newest CD, Hard Way and check out their music.  This was the opening act for Gary Morris.

This group was a joy to listen too.  They did an acoustic set before the Gary Morris show and it was 45 minutes of sheer heaven.  "Sound of a Memory", "The Other Half of Me" and "I Left a Part of Me With You" were some of the standouts of this concert.  Although, truly, every song was magic.  Add into this Luckey's ever present smile and southern drawl, along with Curtis' soulful eyes and straight forward attitude; and you have a winning combination of skill, charisma and song lyrics that touch your heart.

There sound was big, bold and intimate all at the same time.  I wonder what they'd sound like in The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.  One of these days, they're going to play there, Curtis and Luckey are just that good.

The Sara Chronicles Part 3 The Return- A Book Review

THE SARA CHRONICLES
Part Three: THE RETURN

L. Hughes

© Lydia Lowe 5/13/2012

The Sara Chronicles; Book Three  "The Return" . . . I really enjoyed this installment of the series.  I was afraid when I started reading it that I would have trouble following the story but that was not the case.  The cover art drew me in and I was off on an adventure. 

Sara awakens from a four year sleep and faces a world that has changed a great deal, but with one constant, Braccus.  Sara and pals must do battle with the light and the dark; with good and evil, while faced with doubts about their abilities.  Questions arise about why they have been chosen for this battle and if they are up to the challenge.  Sara battles the external forces around her while also battling her own mind, a mind which has been invaded by Braccus.

This is a great read.  All ages will enjoy this book.  I was thrilled to find out that there is a fourth and fifth installment.  Truly, I think the reader could start with any book in the series and move forward from there.  If you're looking for an escape, read this book!

Art a la Carte

Teresa Hernandez plays the cello
Next Week: Bluecat in Oakdale Park

Lois Jung

UNTITLED

Lois Jung
McPherson Public Library
McPherson, KS
© Lydia Lowe  5/12/2012

I happened across this show by accident.  Here I was, in McPherson again, I had an hour to fill and stopped by the library to see if there was anything going on, and came across this art show.  Pastels that look like photographs from a distance.  Up close, you can appreciate that all the detail is done with pastels and the work takes on a totally different quality.

 

Water From the Rock is What I Need

Earth to Sky: Let's Bloom!

Spring Beauty: Irises

Docked & Daisied

Old House Nesting Rights   (can you see the bluebirds?)