What Do The Irises Say To You?

Art speaks…really it does.  It calls to you, especially if you spend time with it.  According to museum researchers, the average visitor spends 15 to 30 seconds viewing a single work of art in a museum.  That’s a quick interaction!  It has been suggested to take your allotted visit time and divide it in half. Then spend half doing a run-through noting which pieces call to you, and use the other half really looking at 1 to 3 works that really speak to you.  In our Instagram age, we have become accustomed to deleting life’s pauses.  We invite you to come pause with us.  Our exhibit, The Eclectic Collection of T.R. and Sandy, provides excellent works for you to practice communicating with art.

Iris, an oil painting by T.R. Mathews in our current exhibition, speaks a graceful, uplifting language.  Fluidly, T.R. has captured the beauty and delicacy of the flower using gentle hues varying in depth and smooth curving lines, replicating the elegance of this exquisite flower.  The delicacy of the flower is in sharp contrast to the sturdiness of the stem and leaves – although painted in soft colors, the stem’s straighter lines denote strength and substance.  For me, this painting speaks a warm, loving language; calling up distant memories of my grandmother tending the irises in her yard and my trip to The Getty where I had the privilege of viewing Van Gogh’s Irises.  It encourages me to cultivate relaxation, relationships, and new experiences.  Please come see what speaks to you in this eclectic collection. Iris

BQ5 – no it isn’t a new barbeque place in town, it is the pattern that Quilting Class instructor, Janie Lowry, will be teaching at this year’s 7-part class.  Beginners and advanced quilters are encouraged to join Janie as she teaches the art of quilting in the Hansen Museum Community Room Tuesdays, starting October 1st through November 12th from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. each evening.  The first session is an orientation wherein Janie helps students prepare for their projects (as students are not required to quilt the BQ5).  Janie welcomes each student to bring their own project and she will gladly help them during these sessions.  Registration fee is $60.00 per student with discounts available to Patron and Sustaining Hansen Museum Members.  For more information, please call 785-689-4846.

Gerald Thyfault, September’s Artist of the Month, has created the most interesting collection of walking sticks. Sturdy wood, naturally interesting due to their markings and knots, accompanied by Gerald’s carvings and leather embellishments, make for unique walking sticks.  They caught the eye of Kansas Congressman, Dr. Roger Marshall, when he journeyed to the Hansen Museum for the Phillips County Republican Picnic.  Dr. Marshall purchased a beautiful “Wood Wizard” to ease knee jarring when hiking.  This display is an awesome opportunity to purchase a one-of-a-kind gift for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life.  Gerald’s work will be on display and available for purchase through the month of September.

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