Oct 20, 2023

Sandzén paintings across Kansas — SPL was not first to sell famous works of art

Posted Oct 20, 2023 1:45 PM

By OLIVIA BERGMEIER
Salina Post

Salina Public Library wasn't the first to auction a Sandzén painting in Central Kansas — multiple school districts did it before them.

The Salina Public Library owned two Birger Sandzén paintings for most of the last century, but on Saturday, they auctioned them to private sellers through the auctioneer Dirk Soulis.

The paintings included two of Sandzén's earlier works, "Scene Along the Smoky," 1921, and "Golden Aspens," 1929.

"Scene Along the Smoky" by Birger Sandzén, 1921.
"Scene Along the Smoky" by Birger Sandzén, 1921.

According to SPL head of marketing Katie Zey, the library received both paintings through donations. The Salina Art Association donated "Golden Aspens" to the library in 1963 when they dispanded, and a community-led fundraiser helped land "Scene Along the Smoky" in the library's halls in 1926.

The facilitator of the fundraiser, J. L. Brady, editor of the Salina Daily Union in the 1920s, gained community support to purchase the painting over time, with a past library board member finishing the payments on July 8, 1926.

SPL was not the first nor the last to acquire a collection of Sandzén paintings — according to Ron Michael, the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery director in Lindsborg, multiple schools picked up Sandzén's work early in the 19th century.

"The first major exhibition was at the McPherson public schools in 1911," Michael said. "That kind of precipitated a lot more exhibitions, and hence, starting art collections throughout the state."

Two examples include Hoisington Public Schools USD 431 and Lyons Public Schools USD 405.

According to Hoisington USD 431 superintendent Patrick Crowdis, the school district acquired some of Sandzén's in the late 1950s or early 1960s donated to the school by the classes of 1946 and 1953.

As the years went on, the paintings sat in the well-lit district office of USD 431, and over time, the district began to question if keeping the illustrations would be best for the works of fine art.

The district appraised the three works of Sandzén's in 2007 and auctioned them in 2010 for more than $170,000. The school district ordered replicas of the auctioned paintings, and the proceeds then went to fund student scholarships.

"At least 26 scholarships that we've given out since then, so I mean, I feel like it was a worthy cause," Crowdis said. "We still display the replicas of the paintings that we had, and I feel like the paintings can be better-taken care of by whomever ended up purchasing them."

Lyons USD 405 sold one Sandzén painting in their collection in 2016, "Between Showers in Lindsborg," 1935, accruing more than $60,000 to begin an endowment scholarship for art students.

"Between Showers in Lindsborg" by Birger Sandzén, 1935.
"Between Showers in Lindsborg" by Birger Sandzén, 1935.

"The school board thought, 'Hey, we can have what appears to be an original Sandzén hanging up in our office, but at the same time, we could have an endowed scholarship fund that will last forever,'" said Lyons USD 405 superintendent Bill Day. "So now that's a perpetual scholarship for up to two graduates each year going into some art field, and we and the art field can be music, music, education, graphic arts, graphic design."

Other schools in central Kansas have sold Sandzén paintings in the last two decades to fund various scholarships and put the fine art pieces into better-equipped hands.

SPL's decision to sell the paintings mirrored these fellow public entities, aiming to find better care for the pieces alongside funding some possible future projects.

"Our board felt as though we were not equipped to properly care for and house the Sandzén paintings," Zey said. "The decision was made with what they felt was best for both the paintings and the library."

Zey said that until the library secures the funds from the auction, the board will not decide how to utilize the cash for future projects.

The Salina Public Library board holds open meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 a.m. in the Prescott Room. Zey said the board welcomes public involvement in the library's actions.