The Lucas Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC) will be hosting the Sunflower Visual Arts Festival. The festival will be held Saturday September 28th from 9am – 4pm in downtown Lucas. The festival is one of only three visual arts festivals in the Midwest. Governor Brownback recently proclaimed Lucas to be the site of the Official State Visual Arts Festival.
LACC Co-Director Von Rothenberger told Hays Post that the visual arts include photography, which is the focus of this year’s festival, as well as fine arts, moving images, 3-D imagery and even the printed word. Rothenberger said that eventually the goal is to build the festival up to be able to celebrate all facets of visual arts to change it up and keep it fresh each year.
The awards for the different categories are being created by local artists, Set in Stone and Lynn’s Glassworks. This will allow for any prizes to be unique and memorable, which is in line with the intent of the festival.
Rothenberger also said that the festival is going to be missing Eric Abraham who passed away on September 7th. Abraham owned the Flying Pig Studio in Lucas, and the Visual Arts Festival was something he was very passionate about according to Rothenberger.
“We’re going to be missing Eric Abraham. He was going to be an integral part of this festival. He loved this idea and he was going to jump into it. With his passing, we’re having to rethink a few things we’re going to do.”
He added that the festival will find some way to honor Eric’s memory and show how influential he was through his many accomplishments in life.
Below is a schedule of events for the festival’s inaugural year
9 AM: Festival Grand Opening, Lucas Golden Age Center (210 South Main)
9 AM-3:30 PM: Photography Contest Exhibit Viewing, Lucas Golden Age Center (210 South Main) & Backstreet Bakery (208 South Main)
9 AM–3:30 PM: Halbe Photography Exhibit open at Lucas Area Community Theater stage (116 South Main).
9 AM–4 PM: Brant’s Meat Market Photography & Czechoslovakian Murals Exhibit (125 S. Main)
9 AM–4 PM: Lucas/Sylvan News Vintage Zinc Photo Printing Blocks Exhibit, Leach & Naegele Hardware (206 S. Main)
9:30 AM: Presentation by Von Rothenberger: “Leslie Winfield Halbe & His Photography”, Lucas Area Community Theater stage (116 South Main).
10 AM–5 PM: John Noltner “A Peace of My Mind” Photo & Exhibit, Grassroots Art Center (213 S. Main)
10 AM-11:30 AM: Workshop with John Ellert, “Basic Photography”, Lucas Area Community Theater Community Room (116 South Main)
1 PM – Photography Contest Judging commences
Harland Schuster, Judge
1:30 PM – Photo & Music Presentation by John Noltner, Grassroots Art Center (213 S. Main)
2 PM-3:30 PM: Workshop with John Ellert, “Advanced Photography”, Lucas Area Community Theater Community Room (116 South Main)
3:45 PM: Presentation of Photography Contest Judging Awards, Lucas Area Community Theater (116 South Main)