Re-construction Started

The Kansas Collection of WSVs had been living happily on the front porch of the WLT Home Base, until a major wind eddy did some major damage.  We're now half-way to getting back to this point, and doing maintenance work on the background for re-installation. 

 

Hoping to have all of this done before leaving for Kansas City next week, but reconstruction takes more time than initial construction... No World's Smallest Versions were hurt in the damage, just the wooden cases themselves, and the glass and plexiglass. 

Another Book from a WLT Board Member

You may have already seen Brian and Sarah Butko's books on roadside attractions (titled "Roadside Attractions", and "Roadside Giants" - go figure!), and Brian is at it again - he's putting the finishing touches on a look at the recently destroyed Grandview Ship Hotel, formerly of Pennsylvania.

 

We'll keep you posted on publications dates!

 

Blog Posts of the Day, from Unusual Life

We love to be included!

 

http://unusuallife.com/2009/02/22/bill-gates-livin-large/

New and Renewing Members

Packets going out tomorrow to Renewing Members in:  Salina, Downs, Wichita, Inman, Lucas, Humboldt, and Kansas City Kansas, as well as New Members in Brooklyn NY and the Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Association.  Thank to everyone for your continued support!

 

WLT on TV!

Just got our copy of the DVD in the mail yesterday, and the Driven By Vision episode featuring Lucas KS and all of our eccentricities airs in Canada on April Fools Day (Whoops - pre-empted by Easter.  April 15th).  The Ovation network has picked up the series, so the episode should air shortly after our Great White Northern Neighbors see the piece.  Find out more at their site:

 

http://www.visiontv.ca/Media/Releases/DrivenByVision.html

 

"Are We Still in Kansas?" - Wednesday, April 15, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
"Expect the Unexpected" is the official town motto of Lucas, Kansas – population 436. This tiny community is home to S.P. Dinsmoor's famed Garden of Eden: a collection of enormous cement sculptures depicting the ravages of big business, along with – incongruously – some of his favourite Bible stories. Lucas is also known for such curiosities as a museum of visionary art, a shrine of repurposed mutant Barbie dolls, and the ever-popular "Worlds' Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things."

WLT Biz Humming Along

Working on interpretive signage for the Mobile Museum, coming out of mothballs briefly for the Belger Art Center show opening March 6th, Kansas City

 

Re-insured said de-mothballed museum

 

Caught up on posting Weekly What's Large Where for members, and welcoming a new batch

 

Notice received from Kansas Arts Commission that last month's grant is in order, and organizational fingers are crossed for funding from the Legislature.  TBA.

 

Now, back to the endless Big Little Big list!

 

Good Weekend for World's Largest Things

The WLT Board met to hash out short-term and long-term strategy, as well as logistics for the upcoming Kansas City Belger Art Center Rare Visions/Detour Art Show. We're all in a wait-and-see by necessity, but support from members (we have 3 new since January!) is still strong, and we're known for doing a lot with a little.

Advice request: Is there an easy online calendar/scheduling system? Fans want to know about upcoming lectures and shows, so we're looking for an intuitive, social-network-friendly way of posting events.

Today's Project: Interpretive signage for the formerly Mobile Museum, and investigating insurance and licensing as a parade vehicle

Tonight's Project: New and renewing Member Packets, and Mailing List updates.

Tomorrow's Project: Completing above list, and remembering to enjoy the Big World out there in all of its Small Wonders.

Coffeyville Lecture today!

Join us at the Coffeyville Center for the Arts today for a Roadside Attractions lecture and dinner. Dinner at 6:30, lecture 7:30, call for tickets:

Cultural Arts Cabaret, "World's Largest Things, Roadside Attractions, 620-251-0088

Coffeyville Center for the Arts

Member packets off today

We welcome five new members and one renewing member, with packets in the mail today. All new and renewing members include a Genuine WLCoWSVoWLT Wooden Nickel, along with the normal premiuums. Your support helps us tell the story of World's Largest Things across the US.

Become a Member, get neat stuff, and help preserve Roadside Vernacular Architecture.

World's Largest Pencil now at City Museum, St. Louis MO

City Museum is now the proud owner of the World's Largest Pencil. This mother-of-all writing utensil stretches 76 feet long and weighs 21,500 lbs. It writes--and erases. It's a No. 2, so it's accepted for standardized testing.

From the City Museum website, via WLT fan email:

When World's Largest Pencil creator, Ashrita Furman, needed a place to keep his Giant Pencil, he had one choice: City Museum. As current holder of the World's Largest Underwear, the World's Largest Pencil fit right in. City Museum and many St. Louis citizens welcomed the arrival of the World's Largest Pencil on January 18, 2007.

Though the pencil arrived at City Museum in two pieces, City Museum plans to re-assemble this 76-foot, 21,500-pound bad boy. And, when City Museum is finished weatherproofing, sharpening, and writing with the World's Largest Pencil, we plan to add it to City Museum's outdoor MonstroCity. Where, exactly, hasn't been decided quite yet.

http://www.citymuseum.org/pencil.html

Wally's Eccentric Creations, Mt. Horeb Wisconsin

Wallace Keller from Mt. Horeb Wisconsin (home of the Mustard Museum) phoned this morning, to make sure we'd gotten his images of the amazing things dotting his property along Hwy. 78.  Giant clothespins, pirates, slinking beasts, and an amazingly put together hand drill are just the tip of the iceburg. 

 

He's had a colorful life, dabbling in antiquing and real estate along the way, and when he retired he just couldn't help but start something new.  He started making sculptures.  Lots and lots of sculptures.  He'd grown up on a farm, where, by necessity, he learned to weld and fix and tinker until things worked, and was a machinist in the Navy.  That, combined with his fabricating shop past (yes, another carrer path - when you're curious, they add up!) informed his current creations.

 

They're mostly old metal, combining bits and pieces to make what looks 'right', and there are more than a few Big Things hidden in the menagerie.  He said that the clothespin is one of the few 'new metal' pieces, but the hand drill is an amazing amalgamation of pre-used parts.  He's not sure what part of his brain generated the Big Stuff, he just likes 'em, and makes things that will stand out.

 

His work can be seen along Highway 78, only an hour from the Wisconsin Dells, and an hour from House on the Rock.  In the realm of metal sculpture, he's also well aquainted with Dr. Evermore (Tom Avery) and his giant Forevertron - they met in the 70s, and the friendship has been a source of inspiration (and scrap metal!) for Wally ever since.

 

You can also see his work in numerous books, including "Weird Wisconsin", and "Miracles of the Spirit".  Stop on by - he'd be glad to show you around!

They have ARRIVED! WLCoWSVoWLT Wooden Nickels

We put off fufilling new and renewing Membership Packets, in hopes that these lil' beauties would arrive for inclusion, and they just did!  A whole big(ish) box of Americana, going out to WLT Fans.  These are exclusive items, for New and Renewing Members or through the Belger Art Center Rare Visions show, coming up in March, Kansas City MO.

 

Whoop!

Kansas Arts Commission, We Love You.

And hope you feel the same about our newest grant proposal/request, in the mail today.

KIND Radio Friday Morning Show

Just recorded an interview with KIND Radio, Independence KS, about the upcoming Kansas Humanities Council lecture on World's Laregest Things and Roadside Attractions.  Event will be in Coffeyville, at the Coffeyville Center for the Arts, with dinner and a presentation.  Dinner starts at 6:30, lecture 7:30, contact the Center for details.

 

http://www.coffeyville.com/Culture.htm

 

You can listen to the interview online, which should air Friday morning:

 

https://radiotime.com/station/s_33169/KIND-FM_1029.aspx

 

We'll also post audio on our Blog, Facebook, MySpace, and Press section of the WLT online network.

 

Thanks for Living Large, in Kansas: As Big As You Think.

Wooden Nickels, Whats Large Where, and Members

All coming in, going out, and in the mail!  Member packets for the newest three will be slightly delayed, as our San Antonio Shipment of Wonderfullness just left Friday, and we wouldn't want to make a packet without the Newest Super-Special Limited Edition Premium!

 

Thanks for your patience, and welcome to 2009!

Writers Block, Unblocked.

...amazing what a deadline can do.

World's Largest Things is now caught up to the submission deadlines for the upcoming Think Big! articles for American Road magazine.

The first column should come out in the Spring 09 issue of the quarterly publication from Mock Turtle Press. One WLT Member has already subscribed (with some of the loot from his Christmas stocking), bringing stories of the American Road in glossy form to his mailbox.

American Road Magazine, now with World's Largest Things.

Driven by Vision - coming in March

...if you're in Canada...

 

Great series looking at sites and environments driven by vision - check out images and excerpts from their first season:  http://www.shrines.tv/index.html

 

In the second season, they came to Lucas and visited many many sites, including the Garden of Eden.  Ask your northern relatives to keep an eye out for Kansas Quirky!  Season II begins on Wednesday March 11, 2009 at 10:00pm EST

 

Vision TV (Eastern Time) Wednesdays - 10:00pm, Thursdays - 7:00am and 3:00pm

 

http://visiontv.com/

 

 

Big Idea Vol 2 #2

...now on its way to your eager lil' mailboxes!  The Winter Edition includes some regional Kansas highlights, details about the Fall SCA Conference, and upcoming lectures and events.  Enjoy!

 

-EN

From the Email Inbox: WL Pistachio, Alamogardo NM

as seen on Flickr, a new giant found at McGinn's Pistachio Tree Ranch, 7320 US Hwy. 54/70 North, Alamogordo NM

 

http://flickr.com/photos/thehorror/3183989987/in/photostream/

Exploring Winchester

Spent another great three days at the Retreat for Rural Leaders, put on by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.  This year's hands-on day included team exploration of an assigned town, and presentation of our research.  The Divine Team, which also Crossed the Delaware, went to Winchester, with a resulting Flickr and Blog that we will gift to the community.  Check 'em out:

 

http://winchesterkansas.blogspot.com/

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34586369@N05/

Welcome President Obama!

I was honored and thrilled to be able to watch the inauguration while on the road... After the Monday WLT Kansas Humanities lecture, I overnighted in Topeka KS.  The Brown vs. Board of Education site hosted an inauguration viewing in their main presentation room, so that's where we gathered. 

 

This photo is from the Topeka Capitol-Journal, of some of the crowd gathered. 

Presses are rolling!

... the Winter Newsletter is due out soon!  We've had to change publichers, so there's been a bit of a delay, but things are finally rolling.

 

Thank you for your patience...

Grant Wrapups

... just finalized the FY09 Kansas Arts Commission Final Report.  Thanks, KAC, for funding projects that help World's Largest Things, Inc., expand and enhance programming!

 

-EN

-RW

Belger Art Center Show March 6 - May 1, Kansas City MO

KANSAS CITY, MO – On March 6, 2009, the Belger Arts Center will launch "Rare Visions – Detour Art," a tribute to outsider art curated by two Kansas Citians with extensive knowledge in the field. Curators Mike Murphy and Kelly Ludwig will bring more than 150 pieces of art to the ground floor and third floor galleries of the Belger building. The exhibit will run through May 1, 2009.

Ms. Ludwig is the author ofDetour Art: Outsider, Folk Art,and Visionary Environments Coast to Coast. This 160-page hardback book was recently published by Kansas City Star Books. Ms. Ludwig says her obsession with outsider art has roots in her family: "I grew up with an outsider artist of sorts, my mother. Like so many of these artists who are products of the Depression-era, mom was thrifty and resourceful, and resourcefulness inevitably spawns creativity – using common objects in uncommon ways." Ms. Ludwig is a graphic designer and holds a BFA from the University of Kansas in Lawrence.

Mr. Murphy is co-host of "Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations," a PBS television show that can be seen on stations across the United States. The show is produced by KCPT of Kansas City. Mr. Murphy, with his co-host Randy Mason and "Don the Camera Guy," has traveled to more than 40 states over the last twelve years and filmed hundreds of artists in their homes, studios, and workshops (sometimes all at once). Mr. Murphy once said he knew the show was taking a special place in the field of folk art when he found out her appearance on RVRR was mentioned in the obituary of one of his interviewees.

Ms. Ludwig and Mr. Murphy plan to exhibit work from their personal collections, plus borrow works from artists and organizations such as The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things. The Grassroots Arts Council of Lucas, KS, also will lend some of their collection for this exhibit.

The Belger Arts Center is located at 2100 Walnut Street, one block east of Main Street, in the Belger Cartage Service building. The gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 am – 4 pm, Saturday from noon – 4 pm, non-holiday First Fridays from 10 am – 9 pm, and by appointment. The office for the Belger Arts Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 am – 4:30 pm. For more information please visitwww.belgerartscenter.orgor contact Gallery Assistant Mo Dickens at 816-474-3250, email:mdickens@belgerartscenter.org.Since March of 2000 the Belger Arts Center has hosted more than 35 exhibitions featuring a variety of media including fiber, ceramics, painting, sculpture, digital projections, and innovative design. More than 50,000 visitors have attended exhibits and other events at the Belger Arts Center.

Originally posted on the Detour Art blog

Bid Idea Volume 2 Issue 1: Summer 2008

Get your own - Open publication

Big Idea Volume 1 Issue 2: Winter 2007

Get your own - Open publication

Big Idea Volume 1 Issue 1: Summer 2007

2008 Governors Tourism Award: Community of Lucas

 

Writing writing writing

... but things are getting marked off the list!

 

We got the first batch of Weekly Whats Large Where posted, added a little to an article on Five Favorite Kansas Quirky, located a missing Illustrator file for an American Road column, and can now get back to the next Big Idea. 

 

Oh, and some draft reviews of another Kansas Humanities Council lecture proposal...

 

For fun, we've ordered wooden nickels from the site of the World's Largest Wooden Nickel - they'll debut at the Belger Art Center show in Kansas City Missouri in March.