Sunday, October 28, 2007

World's Largest Cap Gun!

Also in Kansas City, in the West Bottoms area.  WooHoo!  Spotted while scouting out a gallery that may be the Very Last Appearance of the old Mobile Museum as exhibits are moved into the NEW Gerstenslager, 2009. 


Cap Gun located at 1219 Union St.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

TWA Icon Restored

From downtown Kansas City, in the Gallery district... The designers who own the building have re-created an historic part of their building, a rocket sporting the TWA logo.  The original sits in a field outside of Columbia Missouri, but the owner was kind enough to let them measure it to rebuild.

One of the creators of Maxie!

From the weekend events, during the BBQ at the Dolphin Gallery in Kansas City.  This is one of the ladies responsible for building Maxie, the World's Largest Goose, in Sumner Missouri!  She recognized her work depicted on the mural side of Scout.

Four Days On the Road

Heading out for a fun-filled weekend, and upcoming speaking engagements! Keep your eyes peeled:

Sat. October 27th: Scout and Erika will be at the Dolphin Gallery in Kansas City, partaking in a Kansas City BBQ and Art tradition...

Mon. October 29th: Erika talks about Public Art, World's Largest Things, and Outsider Art Environments to University of Kansas students in Lawrence. Look for Scout in Lawrence afterwards!

Tues. October 30th: Life Enrichment Program, Kansas Humanities Council W.L.Things lecture
10:45 a.m., Kansas Room, Butler Community College, El Dorado Kansas

Friday, October 26, 2007

Foul Play Suspected In Destruction Of World's Second-Largest Ball Of Twine

From the Onion, June 6 2001.
 
(If your not familiar with this journalistic source, I suggest you visit their site: www.theonion.com)
 

World's Largest Eagle icon development

Just got a call from a WLThing Board Member, who is working with a community in Minnesota developing a World's Largest Thing as community icon - they're looking into a W.L. Eagle, and we compared notes as to what may already exist...

Here's to another community icon! Go, Cass Lake!

-EN

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Supplemental Project!



Just took measurement of the support structure of the WL Travel Plate - it's been discussed that the plate needs an appropriate holder, and a local mason has volunteered his services. Should bring the project closer to being a worthy World's largest!

RW, girl with tapemeasure

Upcoming Appearances and Lectures, World's Largest Things, Inc.

Th. October 25th: ArtLand USA, Season Two Episode Four airs, featuring the Garden of Eden and World's Largest Things!Available on the Gallery HD Channel on Dish network, 8 p.m. EST., but check your local listings for confirmation...

Sat. October 27th: Scout and Erika will be at the Dolphin Gallery in Kansas City, partaking in a Kansas City BBQ and Art tradition...

Mon. October 29th: Erika talks about Public Art, World's Largest Things, and Outsider Art Environments to University of Kansas students in Lawrence. Look for Scout in Lawrence afterwards!

Tues. October 30th: Life Enrichment Program, Kansas Humanities Council W.L.Things lecture
10:45 a.m., Kansas Room, Butler Community College, El Dorado Kansas

Th. November 8th: World's Largest Things Lecture. Another lecture scheduled through the Kansas Humanities Council's Speakers Bureau
7:30 PM, Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library, 406 N. Monroe, St. John Kansas


Booking through the Humanities Council makes lectures affordable for smaller communites - Please, if you know of any speaking opportunities, let me know!

This is the perfect time to book WLT Lectures for your end-of-year banquet, Beginning-of-Year brainstorming session, or Winter indoor activities.

-Erika Nelson, Director WLT Inc.

Guide to the World's Largest Souvenir Travel Plate



Here's the online guide to the W.L. Souvenir Travel Plate, explained image-by-image in narrative format... Enjoy!
Handy Dandy Guide to the World's Largest Souvenir Travel Plate

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Media Relations Workshop

Attended a very informative (albeit short) workshop put on by the National Scenic Byways committee regarding Media Relations.

Major discovery: If you only have 5 seconds for a radio spot, you have to be quick with excellent annunciation to fit in "The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things" and a message... Try it with a stopwatch and see how you do!

Best resource: passed along by our workshop facilitator Peggy Bendel, Development Councellors International, a great book that fits right in line with the mission of World's Largest Things: "Destination Branding for Samll Cities: The Essentials for Successful Place Branding" by Bill Baker.

Thank you, Peggy!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Methodists Mens and Womens Fish Fry

Yay! Return visit to the Cawker City and Glen Elder annual fish fry. They put on a great spread, with homemade fish caught in the past 36 hours and deep fried, lots of salad variations, and my favorite, pink cake. Then, while they digested, I gove a slide presentation of recent doin's with World's Largest Things in a Slide Show Extravaganza.

Best of all, a few in the crowd are ringers - the caretaker of the World's Largest Ball of Twine, Linda Clover, was there, as well as a regional artist responsible for creating the Twine Walk in Cawker City - an installation of reproductions of masterworks of art, with a twine ball hidden in each one. Cher Heller Olson is the mastermind behind the Twine Paintings, which serves a dual purpose of getting people to explore downtown Cawker City, as well as giving the population a lesson in Art History, too!

Images of both Linda and some of the Twine Paintings are on the 50th Birthday Party Page from 2003...

Great evening...
-EN

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Glowing Horses

Yes, the horses do glow...
 

Downs Art Walk

Had a great time at the Down's Art Walk this evening - lotsa artists set up in local businesses, and an unseasonably warm day at 84 degrees...

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Kansas Arts Commission - Workshop

Yet another reason to base your business in Kansas...

The Kansas Arts Commission has started a series of workshops to spread information pertinant to the survival of the Arts in Kansas. Today, they held the fourth workshop in different locations across the state focused on Grantwriting, updates to the guidelines, and resources.

Held at the Hays Arts Council, it was a great fast-paced session, with a lot of familiar faces in the audience, including Joan Nothern whose organization will be hosting one of the Ks Humanities Council "World's Largest Things" lectures in January.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Upcoming weekend appearances

Just got off the phone and internet, making sure things are a 'go' for the upcoming weekend events:

Saturday, the Scout Vehicle will be participating in the Downs Art Walk, downtown Downs KS. See what's up in Downs!

Sunday, the Methodist Men's (and this year, women too!) Fish Fry will once again be treated to a slide presentation of World's Largest across the state...

Now, to make sure the projectors are working, notes are notated, and replace a few Astroturf panels damaged by recent weather on the Scout vehicle...

Monday, October 15, 2007

Rural Women Leaders

Phone interview today with Eldonna Sylvia from the University of Kansas School of Nursing, who is conducting a study of rural women leaders in
Kansas. They are in the process of interviewing 30-50 women about their leadership
background with an ultimate goal to create a curriculum on leadership
for rural girls. Good conversation, and a reminder that your actions today affect outcomes tomorrow, both in your own business or personal life as well as the lives of others.

Thanks for the inclusion, Eldonna, and thanks for suggesting me as a leader, Marci Penner of the Kansas Sampler Foundation!

Historic Postcard - giant typewriter

...another in the list of World's Largest produced for a World's Fair - 1939 N.Y.

Gerstenslager Committee Report

Just got exterior schematics from the Gerstenslager Development Committee, so we can start with some design schemes for the NEW Mobile Museum! Projected date for inaugural tour is 2009...

This will be a major upgrade from the Mobile Museum Beta Version, which served us well for the first five years. The Gerstenslager features two full-sized doors for through traffic, on-board generator for heating, cooling, and display power, interior 7 1/2 foot ceilings, upper transem lighting, and the extra added bonus of being designed by the same company responsible for one of the major innovations in Weinermobile design history.

You can help make this happen with a tax-deductable contribution to the World's Largest Things, Inc., Greenbacks for Gerstenslager campaign...

Sunday, October 14, 2007

New Kansas World's Largest Things...

Info from the last few days about regional World's Largest:

Abeline KS has an entrance arch shaped like a spur (from Randy Mason, Rare Visions R. R. Etc.)

The Library in Liberal KS has an entranceway shaped like a book (from Kansas Traveler Newspaper)

Thanks for the tips! That's how the List of What's Large Where grows!

-Erika

From the WLT In-Box

 

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Shrines and Homemade Holy Places

The folks from Markham Street Films, Toronto, are here for an intensive 4 days of filming. They produce an eight episode series focusing on Shrines and Homemade Holy Places, like the Garden of Eden. After filming the SP Dinsmoor performance last night, we did a followup interview at the WLT Home Base, at the Mobile Museum, out at the WL Souvenir Travel Plate, through the Garden, and a bit in front of the green screen set up at the Civic Center. Great bunch of guys, looking in-depth at the community that supports and houses the Garden of Eden, and the surrounding creativity that has been drawn in as a result. We'll let you know when the second series is on the air!

Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations



The guys from Rare Visions stopped by this morning for a follow-up to last night's festivities, and for a super special photo opp...

Knowing that I don't make a World's Smallest Version until I've seen the World's Largest Thing for myself, they knew time was ripe for a Meta Photo! I'd first encountered the World's Largest Ball of Video Tape in 2004, and produced a replica within the year. Today, they brought the big ball, and sitting atop would be the World's Smallest Version of the World's Largest Ball of Video Tape - Meta Photo Heaven! I made a very high-pitched squeeling noise (to be used as the beginning-of-tape tone) when I realized what was about to happen...

Whoop! You should be able to see the glee in the upcoming season of Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations from KCPT Kansas City Public Television...

Friday, October 12, 2007

From the WLT Email In-Box

I love fielding questions regarding World's Largest Things:

Sent: Friday, October 12, 2007 3:18 PM
Subject: Regarding the worlds largest Frypan

Hello, My name is A.B. with Robin/Tani Media Factory. Currently I am working on a project about worlds largest for which we may film about the largest frying pan in the world. According to my research the worlds largest fry pan is in Rose Hill, North Carolina, its diameter is 15'.

Have you heard of this frypan? The reason I would like to know is if there is any reason this should be disqualified as the worlds largest fry pan.

Thank you very much for you time. Regards, AB


It looks like you have the winner pegged - the other three I know about are in Delaware, Washington, and a rumored one in Iowa. Delaware is a mere 10',Washington's is "14.6 from end of the handle, 9.6 feet across pan portion". Brandon, Iowa's claims to be 10' also, so you've got 'em all beat! I'll do some more checking, but I don't see anything in your way.

Please, keep me posted on your event!
-Erika www.WorldsLargestThings.com


Dear Erika, Thank you for getting back to me on the worlds largest fry-pan. I am now in contact with the public offices of Rose Hill, North Carolina about this
giant fry-pan.

Please let me know if you have any other questions, I will also keep you updated.

Thank you very much. Regards, AB


Delaware Frying Pan


Washington Frying Pan

SP Dinsmoor, 100th Anniversary of the Garden of Eden

This is it! The 100th Anniversary shin-dig at the Garden of Eden, Lucas Kansas (right next door to the WLT Home Base). There were approx. 80 people, 2 film crews, 11 kids, unknown number of artists, locals and preservationists, beer, tents, tables, music, and brats to be had, tours to give, and a night full of fun celebrating this Visionary Art Environment. Oh, and two newspaper reporters, so we'll keep ya' posted on media results...

-RW

Thursday, October 11, 2007

LA Trip Photos in!


Prints from the LA trip arrived today - Aaaah, memories! And, a reminder that I have some more pages to build... Until then, I've posted some on the WLT Flickr page.

Uh, Rachel, time to get snappin!

-Erika

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Prep Work

Been a busy day, getting ready for Friday's festivities. As it turns out, not only will there be a Canadian film crew, but the guys from Rare Visions will be making an appearance, too! Received phone calls from both today, setting up shooting schedule for me as Dinsmoor, and follow-up shots with the W.L. Souvenir Travel Plate, the WLCoWSVoWLT, and World's Largest Things, Inc., home base. Bring 'em on! Lucas is Ready for you!

-Erika, World's Largest Things, Inc.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

WWLW to Members

Members of World's Largest Things got Weekly What's Large Where in their email in-boxes today - always a good recounting of whats going on in the world of World's Largest! Current question is always posted on the World's Largest Things website, HERE, while members get it emailed directly to them at home. Members also have access to the blogged column archives!

Become a Member, Get Neat Stuff.

-RW

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Weekly What's Large Where feedback

While downtown this morning, I had someone comment on the WWLW column... They enjoy reading it, and am glad to have World's Largest Things, Inc. as a part of the community. Great external validation for the day!

-Erika

Friday, October 5, 2007

Kansas Humanities Council Speaking Engagement

Solidified another booking today with the Solomon Valley organization, promoting communities along Highway 24. We're scheduled for January 19th, 5:30 or so, in Hill City.

Book a Speaking Engagement with World's Largest Things through the Kansas Humanities Council! Instructions are on their website, and it's a great program to bring speakers to underserved communities.

Also, had a couple of follow-up calls for interviews, one with Markham Street Films and Shrines TV for Saturday, Oct. 13th, following the Dinsmoor 100th anniversary, and another interview for Rural Women Leaders the following Monday (15th).

Salina Journal Encore! feature

In the print version of today's Salina Journal, the 100th anniversary of the Garden of Eden is featured. Erika plays the part of Dinsmoor next week, Oct. 12th, with an evening celebration of this visionary art environment. While not completely connected to World's Largest Things, everything in Lucas feeds off of each other, in a mutually beneficial celebration of the arts in the everday experience.

Come join the fun! More info online on a special Dinsmoor 100th Anniversary page on the WLT site.

-RW

Updates

Updating MySpace profile, hoping to get the theme song on there but that would have to be added by the performer, Bruce Humphries of the Big One Man Band... SO, opted for an equally appropriate song from the Ditty Bops, "Moon over the Freeway".

Check out the new song profile, and become a World's Largest Things friend!

-Rachel, Webbed Foot Frolicker

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Media Day

Evidently, this was the day to talk to the media...

First, during the morning email slog, I wrote a little blurb for Budget Travel magazine, responding to a Call for Entries from people who have a specialized collection. As the World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things is completely unique, it seemed like a perfect fit.

Then, fielded a phone call from one of the producers of Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations about the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Garden of Eden, and other World's Largest things to see on the way out to Lucas. Travel Plate promo time!

Finally, while in Salina at their First Thursday Art Walk, I talked to the folks from Salina Community Access television about World's Largest Things, as a direct result of driving an Art Car that promotes what we do here at World's Largest Things, Inc.

All in all, lotsa talking about great stuff!

-Erika

Monday, October 1, 2007