ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
In a little more than two months, Kansas will officially be celebrating its 164th anniversary of being a state, and Liberal’s Baker Arts Center is inviting artists to help celebrate that milestone.
Baker Arts Center is currently taking entries for its Kansas Birthday Art Contest. The contest will take place throughout the month of January, and all of the artwork will be on display in the main gallery to help celebrate Kansas Day, which is Jan. 29.
“In celebration of Kansas' birthday, we wanted to host this contest to see what Kansas looks like through the eyes of artists. You don't have to be from Kansas to enter, we'll take entries from anywhere in the U.S., the work just has to be inspired by something about Kansas that sticks out to you,” Baker Arts Center Director Brittyn Heronemus said. “The work can be a drawing, painting, sculpture or other type of 3D piece, and each artist can enter up to three pieces. The registration fee is $25 per artist. The exhibit itself will open Jan. 2 and run through the end of the month, and we will have a juror come in and judge the competition entries, and we'll announce the winners around the end of January. We also have a couple sponsors who have donated prize money, and it's a $500 prize pool between 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, and there will also be some honorable mentions. Our new art gallery director, Erica Nordling, actually came up with the idea for this competition – she's the one who primarily works with the artists and wanted to do something to bring more artists together as well as celebrate Kansas Day.”
Heronemus said the competition is open to anyone and everyone.
“This contest is open to anyone and everyone who wants to submit work. And for anyone wanting to submit, their pieces do not have to be brand new, we will accept work up to two years old, so you don't have to worry about painting something brand new in a hurry in order to be part of this competition,” Heronemus said. “Also, who doesn't appreciate a little extra money in their pocket around the new year? Everyone will be somewhat depleted after the holidays, so this is a great chance to possibly earn some money while also sharing your work with the community. For this competition, we'll only be accepting paintings, drawings, sculptures and other types of 3D pieces. We won't accept any photograph entries with this contest because in May 2025, we'll actually be having a photography contest honoring Irene Baker since she was known for being a gifted photographer throughout her life. If you work with pastels or watercolors or oils or any of that, we would love to have your work in this showcase.”
Heronemus said she is looking forward to seeing the various artists’ interpretation of the Sunflower State.
“I'm excited to see what kind of pieces we receive, I'm interested to see how artists perceive Kansas and what it looks like through their eyes. I'm interested to see how each artist will share their interpretation and idea of Kansas, and I can't wait to see what everyone turns in,” Heronemus said. “This is one of the first adult art competitions we've done in my two years here as director, so my expectation is to just see how many entries we receive. I know some of the other art competitions have some pretty rigid restrictions as far as size and things like that, but we're a little more flexible – however, the biggest a submission can be is 30x30 for a painting since we do want to fit everyone into the gallery spaces. For those wanting to enter, we do have a form, and people can get that by email or by calling us and asking us for it, and we also ask for a photo of the piece you're planning to submit. Pieces should be dropped off before mid-December so they can be hung properly before everything kicks off in January, and we'll keep everyone in the loop as far as the opening reception and whether they were one of the prize winners.”
Heronemus said she and the other Baker Arts Center staff members have been working hard to spread the word about the competition, and added encouragement for people to get their submissions in sooner rather than later.
“We've been talking this competition up on our social media pages, we've sent out information to artists and art galleries we know, and we've also talked about it on the radio. Our Southwest Kansas art community is very close knit and open with each other, so it's really easy to help spread the word quickly about what we're doing,” Heronemus said. “Life is going to get busier with the holiday season upon everyone, and I know a lot of artists are busy creating work for clients and trying to sell their pieces throughout the season, so if you're interested AT ALL in submitting something for this competition, go ahead and get at least this taken care of. Just get this taken care of so it's one less task on your to-do list, and it'll also be great to have your work displayed.”
Heronemus added the competition could become annual should this year’s event be successful.
“I definitely think this could be a competition we put into our regular rotation with our other big events for Pancake Day and other big Liberal events, so I could definitely see this being a new annual competition for Baker Arts Center,” Heronemus said. “I'm really excited to have a Kansas Day exhibit and see how artists perceive Kansas, and I'm also excited for the opening reception and seeing all the artists coming together and talking and learning about each other.”
Overall, Heronemus said, she is excited to help celebrate Kansas’ birthday.
“If anyone has any questions, they can reach out to us here at Baker Arts Center at (620) 624-2810, and we will be happy to answer any questions for anyone and everyone. We can't wait to see what we get for entries with this competition!” Heronemus said.
