Meadowlark
MANHATTAN —Capitalizing on an extensive art collection featuring well-known local and Kansas artists, Meadowlark staff have joined with several Manhattan community members to plan an inaugural event, Art Mingle: Manhattan Memories, to benefit the Meadowlark Memory Program.
Guests at a Friday evening reception, March 9, are invited to mingle with; friends among the colorful galleries in the Community Center. Food for thought, lively libations, treasured tunes, and art appreciation are part of the night’s plan.
Meadowlark chef John Gasser and his talented team will tempt three of the five senses with an array of eye-catching appetizers, several of which will be as pleasing to the brain as they are to the palate. Craft beers, wine, and a specialty cocktail are on the beverage menu, and two local guitarists are pairing up to deliver jazz and classic pop/rock hits. There’s plenty to see, taste and hear, but Minglers won’t want to miss an Artists’ Showcase, featuring local art legend Oscar Larmer and his former student, Ralph Fontenot. They’ll be greeting fans and making new friends while among examples of their work.
In addition, large paintings by the late Elfreda Johnson Peterson will be on display. These paintings, now hidden gems of Meadowlark’s collection, previously hung at Scheu’s Café, which operated in Manhattan from the 1930s to the 1970s on the southwest corner of 5th and Poyntz (currently the location of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce). Even if you don’t remember Scheu’s, you’ll want to see these big beauties.
Silent and live auctions, featuring art-related items and experiences, as well as party favors for all attendees also are planned.
The theme, Manhattan Memories, reflects some of the subject matter of our honored guests and offers a nod to the event’s beneficiary. The memory program, now in its third year, provides education and engagement opportunities for persons affected by memory loss. All program services are FREE and are open to anyone in the Flint Hills region.
A VIP (very important paintings) Experience begins at 6 p.m., with a general Mingle following at 7 p.m. Mingle tickets are $50 per person. A limited number of VIP tickets are available at $75 per person and include select food and beverages, a docent-led tour, reserved parking, and a souvenir drinking glass. For more information or to make reservations, call 785-537-4610 or purchase online below.
Live Auction Items for Art Mingle:
- Beach Museum of Art’s Behind the Scenes Tour for 10 – also includes wine, appetizers, a catered meal & a copy of the book “To Build Up a Rich Collection: Selected Works from the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art”
- Cocktails & Collection – an evening for eight at the home of Wayne & Cindy Sloan with Jay & Barbara Nelson serving as docents for the Sloans’ art collection
- Ralph Fontenot original, framed watercolor of Manhattan’s renovated train depot
- “A Sun Dog Barks in Pott County,” – an original framed watercolor by the late Gene Ernst (17” x 21”)
- “All the Right Ingredients,” – an original collage and acrylic by Ginny Young (38” x 38”)
- 1930 hand-pieced, hand-quilted Fan Quilt (72” x 88”, never used or displayed, initialed & dated by quilter)
- “St. Francis Restores the Neglected Church – #X – Scrubbing Floors – Homage to Stanley Spencer,” – James Munce framed print, 1/60, signed & dated by the artist (26” x 25”)
In addition, bidders will have the chance to support Meadowlark Memory Program opportunities: Memories in the Making, Music & Memory, and the Memory Matters Symposium.