Dons Place's blog

    It could not have been a more beautiful evening on the Kansas prairie. We attended the concert by Celtic guitarist, Jerry Barlow, at the 5.4.7 Arts Center in Greensburg Saturday evening.
    A standing-room-only crowd enjoyed every minute of Barlow's polished and entertaining performance.

A friend of mine paid me a really nice compliment yesterday. She said she enjoyed my stories in recent issues of the Globe. She said “It’s like reading NPR.”

      I consider NPR one of the few remaining bastions of careful language in modern media, so I especially appreciated her comment.

    So the Tourism Master Plan has been released, and National Tourism Week is coming up soon. Time to step back and look at the state of the tourism industry in Dodge City.
    The world in financial crisis, gas prices on the rise again, and now a potential pandemic that has health officials threatening to close the borders and outlaw travel — not the best time to hope for better business at local attractions.

    I think we missed the celebrations of May Day this year. No dancing around the May pole; no baskets of flowers and candy left anonymously at the front door; no military parades in Red Square.
    When I was really young, we celebrated May Day at school. The school year was drawing to a close and, looking back, I realize the teachers were looking for a good excuse to get everyone out doors and out of the classroom.

    Once again, the show must go on, despite snow and wind.

When I first took the job at Boot Hill and we formed the Boot Hill Repertory Company (which later became the Depot Theater Company) it seemed like a good thing to get involved with the state theater organization, the Association of Kansas Theatre.

Although the timing hardly ever worked out for me to go, the Association had yearly conventions and the three-day affairs were filled with performances, adjudications, workshops, exhibits, and parties. The times I was able to attend, I was impressed with the number of community theaters entered and impressed with their work.

Sure, times are tough and there’s no money to spare, but I’d like to suggest one worthy cause for your consideration.

Swing by the Carnegie Center for the Arts between now and April 11 and take in the Student Art Exhibit. I think you’ll be favorably impressed by the work of area students.

Athletes get the roar of the crowd. Actors and musicians get the curtain call. Academic achievers get the good grades. Making art is mostly solitary work with the resulting piece being the reward.

Interested in band? Here are some upcoming events for your perusal.

March 26 DCHS Band Booster meeting

April 2  DCHS Pre-Festival Concert

April 4  Regional Solo-Small Ensemble Festival

April 6  SHCS Spring Concert

April 15 State Large Group Festival

 The following is a list of contributing artists and event sponsors provided by the organizers of the Wine Tasting and Art Auction.

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Maryn Austin - tattoo

Gene Bunker – functional pottery

Brendan Carl – enamel on gesso board

Norma Clare – cowboy paintings

Murry Eckles – painting completed as a demonstration at the first Family Art Adventure, Feb. 14, 2009

Carolyn Johnson – jewelry

Rollin Karg – glass

Martha Kenton – jewelry