By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
In a world that often seems filled with hatred and divisiveness, a group from the heartland is proof that good, caring people still exist.
People from throughout central and northcentral Kansas have come together to help Ukranian refugees via the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Poland.
Artists from throughout the area have been busy these last several weeks creating works that feature sunflowers, which are both the Kansas state flower and the Ukrainian national flower.
The art will be featured during the June 3 First Friday event at The Flower Nook, 208 E. Iron Avenue.
"Our June 3 First Friday is going to feature our most dynamic project ever," said Peggy DeBey, co-owner of The Flower Nook.
All of the sunflower artwork - approximately 100 pieces - will be for sale, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go to Ukrainian refugee assistance efforts at the Warsaw Museum of Modern Art.
Sowing the seeds of an international project
Linda Foster, of Miltonvale, said the idea of painting sunflowers came to her shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"I was going to do just a simple project in my hometown of Miltonvale. Paint and draw sunflowers. Put them in the window. Price them to sell. Donate the money," Foster said.
At that point, however, Foster didn't follow through on her idea. Then, in April, Foster read an article in Hyperallergic, an online arts magazine, about the Warsaw Museum of Modern Art opening its doors to help Ukrainian refugees.
"They totally changed their focus to help refugees that are coming to Poland. So they were doing things like making sandwiches and helping people fill out paperwork, and connecting them with medical services," Foster said.
"They were also doing what we would think of as an art museum program," Foster continued. "They were having poetry readings. They were opening up space for people to make things. But there was this whole other turn that they had made just because there was a humanitarian need."
Foster said she found the article to be inspiring, but the real aha moment came when she read that museum personnel had named their new community room "The Sunflower."
"So there it was again. So I thought, 'well, you shouldn't sit on this idea any longer,'" Foster said.
Gathering participants
Foster reached out to artist Debbie Wagner who heads the Kansas Figure Drawing Group and owns the Three Rivers Gallery in Bennington. Wagner was on board immediately.
"We reached out to our group and there was just immediate buy-in from our group," Foster said.
Foster and Wagner also contacted Peggy and Wayne DeBey at The Flower Nook to see whether their shop could be a venue for showing and selling the sunflower art.
"The Flower Nook has been so supportive of us as a group. It just has an open door to the arts. Many of us have shown here individually. We've come to this space and drawn and then Peggy puts it up on the walls," Foster said. "It's just an incredible support."
Peggy DeBey did not hesitate to say "yes" to showing the project. She also told the artists that The Flower Nook would not charge a commission for this show.
"That means that 100 percent of what we raise will go to this cause," Foster said.
Additionally, Lexi Kirn, who owns the Crooked Nail in Minneapolis told the artists that she would donate her time and materials to mat the artwork. She also proposed the sunflower project to the Ottawa County Arts & Humanities Council, and members of that group also plan to contribute sunflower art to the fundraiser, Foster said.
Foster has maintained contact with Józefina Bartyzel from the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, and has verified that the museum is a legitimate place to send contributions to help Ukrainian refugees.
The Sunflower exhibition
While The Flower Nook's First Friday event on June 3 will feature the sunflower art, the exhibition will be in place by Monday. Not only will the sunflower art be available for purchase, but collection jars will be available for persons who wish to contribute but don't want to purchase the art.