We would like to thank the Lucas Chamber of Commerce and all of the local businesses for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

First Impressions of Lucas, Kansas

Lucas is about 3 hours west of Kansas City, so it is well within day-trip distance. We wanted to get a full day of exploring in, which meant heading out on a Friday evening. Being the weekend before Halloween meant that the sun had already set by the time we arrived. We decided to just head straight to our lodging at Horseshoe Lodge. Having stayed in many repurposed buildings, this is the first one that began life as a nursing home. These days it serves as a hunting lodge for the many hunters who travel to the Post Rock area.

Everyone was Fueling Up

We were greeted on Saturday with sunshine and a chilly October morning. This town of around 400 residents doesn’t have tons of dining options, but we were about to discover they believe in hearty starts. A short drive from our lodging, and we landed at K-18 Cafe. Like most small town diners, it was filled with locals who obviously frequent the place. Friendly chatter and hot coffee helped warm us from the morning chill. After ordering our meals, we quickly learned that “short stack” only refers to height, as these things were massive. Next door to the cafe is an airfield, which is frequented by small plane enthusiasts. We were surprised to see a plane pull up to the pumps at the local filling station. Our server pointed out that it is a common sight for those who live in Lucas, but it offered some breakfast entertainment for us.

Art on Every Corner

Driving through town, we quickly realized that the Grassroots Art was quite abundant. Some refer to this art style as “Folk Art”, but no matter what you call it, we love seeing the variety and ingenuity displayed all over the town. When you make your visit to Lucas, you will want to check out some of the pieces that are displayed in many of the yards of residents.

Kansas’ Garden of Eden

The tourism market in Lucas began long ago, with one man’s dream. S.P. Dinsmoor believed that creating his masterpiece would be a long term money maker. He began constructing his vision at the age of 62, and would continue adding to it for 22 years. The Garden of Eden was a finalist to be one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas”, and stands as a Grassroots Art spectacle. While Dinsmoor struggled to earn enough from his creation during his life, these days the site survives off of monies from admission and souvenir sales. (You can read more about the Garden here.)

Miller’s Park Gets a Second Life

Around the same time that Dinsmoor was building his Garden, there was another couple in Lucas who wished to share their art with travelers. Roy and Clara Miller started their park as a rest stop and would eventually add lodging cabins, picnic tables, and even playground equipment. Having traveled extensively themselves, they used their artistic abilities to create a series of miniature buildings. These diminutive structures were fashioned with rocks and shells they picked up on their journeys.  After falling into decay and being moved to Hays, the site was resurrected and returned by the Kohler Foundation in 2013. Today visitors can view these amazing creations for themselves, at the park next door to the Garden.

Heading Downtown

One of the fun things about visiting new destinations is interacting with the locals. Lucas may not have a string of boutique shops along their Main Street, but they are not bereft of business. One that certainly drew our attention, was Brant’s Meat Market. Opened in 1922, this family owned shop served not just Lucas, but the surrounding region. When the family decided to sell the business recently, the locals were obviously concerned. Fortunately, the new owners are dedicated to continuing the tradition of only offering house made and fresh cut meats. You may want to bring a cooler when you visit, so you can bring home some of their creations.

Making New Friends During Our Lunch Break

Being travel bloggers means that we will usually work with the local tourism bureaus. Lucas may not be a sprawling metropolis, but they are still an important tourist destination. Our contact, Connie, had arranged our lodging and attraction visits, as well as offering important tips to make the most of our trip. We even met up for a lunch at Backstreet Bakery, which offered some needed fuel for our afternoon explorations. As you can see, tourism bureaus are a key partner that offer a variety of services. Always remember them when doing your research on a new destination.

Let’s Get Small

During our lunch, we were introduced to Erika Nelson, who founded  The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum. She invited us to check out the home base for her traveling exhibit. While growing up, I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time exploring Route 66 sights. Many of these are the exact kind of places that Erika loves to showcase during her travels. We are sure you’ve seen them during your drives, as well. Things like giant muffler men or many of those other “tourist traps” that were designed to get travelers to pull off the road.  (Read more about World’s Largest here.)

Grassroots Art Headquarters

Our timing was great that day. We had just left the World’s Largest and headed across the street towards our next stop. While catching up on some social media, a tour was heading out from the Grassroots Art Center. We joined in and it ended up being quite an experience. For those unfamiliar with folk art, this is the perfect place to get a better understanding of some of the untrained artists that hail from Kansas. (Read more about Grassroots Art here.)

An Unexpected Addition

As we were finishing up at Grassroots Art, the curator noted another possible stop just up the street. She pointed to a car parked a couple blocks away, and told us that it signaled the artist was still there. We hurried up the sidewalk to the DA DA Muse’Um Art Gallery to meet up with Alan Vopat. This Salina based artist has doodled his way to fame, with his unique style. It requires a close inspection to see that his pieces are composed with an element of himself in each. He has thousands of sketches that cover an amazing number of topics. We hope you get to meet this interesting Kansan when you visit Lucas.

Break Time

How does a town of 400 handle the needs of thousands of tourists per year? Obviously, having a few restaurants, gas stations, and other sundries are required. This still leaves the need to satisfy the call of nature, and Lucas came up with an interesting solution. The artists of the town came up with a plan to construct a public restroom that has no rival in the state. After winning the support of the locals, Bowl Plaza was designed and built with unique qualities. A visit to the #2 ranked public restroom in America is more than just a bathroom break. (Read more about Bowl Plaza here.)

A Special Invitation

Visiting on the weekend before Halloween happened to coincide with the town’s annual Halloween Pageant. Connie asked us if we would have time to attend this event. Since we didn’t have a deadline to be back home, we were happy to oblige. A large portion of the town shows up to watch the kids of all ages display their best costumes. We were honored to not only be invited, but to feel welcomed into the community.

Getting Off The Interstate

Traveling has opened up a wide range of experiences for us. Many times, we have read how travel is an excellent form of continued education. It gives the traveler a chance to hear the stories of those who came before. Potential new friends can be found in every stop along the way. We love the idea of exploring new destinations. While we use the interstates to get us to our stops, we know they are only a means of increasing the time we will have to spend at our final destination. The real fun begins when we arrive in the cities and towns. Places like Lucas, Kansas are a prime example of the unique experiences that can be found once you get off the interstate. So where will the road take you next?

The post Lucas, Kansas – Journey To Grassroots Art Central appeared first on Our Changing Life.

We would like to thank the Lucas Chamber of Commerce and Garden of Eden for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

S.P. Dinsmoor’s Unsettling Background

Born in the mid-1800’s, Dinsmoor’s eclectic background fueled the inspiration for the Garden of Eden. While serving as a nurse in the Civil War, he was exposed to the horrors of warfare, as he witnessed the sight of the slaughter. This forced him to seek understanding of the driving forces behind humankind. He joined the Masons, which was listed among the free-thought organizations that investigated a variety of scientific theories. After retiring from teaching in Kansas, he began a second career as a sculptor. By now he was in his 60’s, but age would not slow down his drive and desire to create. Using hand tools and limestone quarried nearby, he constructed his twelve room “log” cabin.

The notion behind his build, was for it to be more than just a residence. Located near the town’s train station, Dinsmoor envisioned the home to be a money making attraction funded by travelers. It would be almost impossible to miss the garden and its 40-foot tall concrete sculptures.  The quarried stones, some up to 20-feet long, were transported from nearby Wilson Lake by wagon. He dovetailed the corners to resemble a log cabin, and used concrete to sandwich the layers.

Unique Building Design

Once you pass inside, the uniqueness continues. Our tour of the home was given by a descendant from his second wife. Dinsmoor married her grandmother when he was 81 years old, and she was his 20 year old housekeeper. As the story of Dinsmoor continued to unfold, we began to realize just how amazing the accomplishments of this untrained builder were. On the main floor of the home, Dinsmoor used redwood, walnut, and oak to create elaborate moulding. No two windows or doors in the house are the same size. This meant that every one of them had to be custom built.

The home was the first in the town of Lucas to have electricity and running water. It would later be discovered that he had tapped into the city’s water main. When you consider Dinsmoor’s lack of formal training, it makes his construction even more impressive.

The monies raised from tours helped supplement the ongoing construction of the “garden”. Dinsmoor lived a fairly frugal lifestyle, which allowed him to pour as much as he could into his plans. All of the quirkiness in his design helped add intrigue, which he used to feed his tourism demand. Always a bit of a showman, Dinsmoor would nag those who gathered to view from afar. After all, he hadn’t worked this hard to miss out on potential revenue.

Building His Garden of Eden

With his house complete, Dinsmoor turned his focus on creating his “garden”. He assembled concrete “trees”, up to 40 feet tall, to support his creations. All of the structures were made by Dinsmoor, who only employed an assistant to help mix the 113 tons of concrete. His first sculptures focused on biblical subjects. His depiction of Cain and Abel is overseen by a fiery eyed devil, as well as an open armed angel. Incorporating light into his pieces helped add an additional layer of intrigue, as well as helping to draw visitors after sunset.

A Shift In Focus

Over time, he would shift his direction to focus more on the the political atmosphere of those days. Some believe it was the Ludlow Massacre, in Colorado, that sparked Dinsmoor’s change in direction. Across the front of the home is a series of pieces that show the “chain of destruction”. A soldier draws a bead on a native Indian, who is in the process of aiming himself. We followed the chain as it moved to smaller and smaller targets. Eventually it ends with a bird preparing to feed on a caterpillar eating a leaf.

Dinsmoor’s political commentary continues with pieces focused on highlighting the struggles of the common man. With the Depression looming on the horizon, big business was seen by many to be a threat to modern civilization. One piece depicts the fight between Liberty and Trusts, while another shows Rights being split by a handsaw, labeled ballot. His campaign against Trust continues with a piece showing it as an octopus bent on destroying the world.

His final piece was designed to depict the crucifiction of Labor. Unfortunately, time caught up with Dinsmoor and the pieces were unfinished at the time of his death, at 89 years of age. Over the years after his death, the site fell into disrepair. In 2012, the Kohler Foundation chose this important collection of grassroots art for a restoration project. Months of labor, involved clearing trees, removing mold, and restoring the pigment tint to the concrete pieces helped bring these works back to life.

Defiant In Death

Our tour finished at the 40-foot mausoleum Dinsmoor erected prior to his death. His body rests above his first wife’s , which he removed from the city cemetery without permission. He encased her casket in concrete to prevent city officials from removing it. Inside the crypt, we found Dinsmoor laid out in a concrete casket with a glass cover. While some may not want to visit this last sight, it was Dinsmoor himself who left instructions in his Will that he be part of the tour. Always a showman, he was confident that visitors would want to see the person behind the construction of this version of the Garden of Eden. With our tour complete, we thanked our guide for the wonderful stories of this unique individual. As we moved about town, we would catch sight of some of the pieces above the rooftops. It was a clear reminder that age does not have to be a restriction of creativity. Do you think you would want to visit this uniquely Kansas site?

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The post Garden Of Eden – The Vision of S.P. Dinsmoor appeared first on Our Changing Life.

We would like to thank the Lucas Chamber of Commerce for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

Art On Another Level

Lucas, Kansas is not your run-of-the-mill Midwestern town. Travelers will quickly see that folk art seems to spring from every space, in this city of around 400 residents. Each year, 15,000 visitors come to Lucas to check out the sights. One of the biggest attractions is S.P. Dinsmoor’s “Garden of Eden”, which includes his post-Civil War cabin. On this property, he created a variety of statues and sculptures. To say that it is an amazing testament to one man’s mission would be an understatement. (We will have more on this subject next week.) With so many tourists passing through, the local businesses became flooded with requests for bathroom breaks. The solution was the addition of a public restroom.

The suggestion was made to add it to an open lot on Main Street. As you may expect, there were some in the town who were cold to this idea. I mean, who wants a giant toilet right on the main drag through town? Fortunately, the idea had enough merit to stay afloat until renderings could be shown to residents. Once the overall project design had been seen, many more warmed up to the idea. The actual building didn’t require the use of the entire lot, so space remained for additional artwork. On display we found an assortment of sculptures that showcased the eclectic nature of Grassroots Art.

Plunging Into the Bowl

Keep in mind that the overall appearance of the site is that of a huge toilet, complete with tank, lid, and bowl. The bowl section is split in two and offers benches for seating. All around the perimeter are mosaics created by the artists of Lucas. In the center of the bowl is a circle of artwork that represents the swirling water. It is filled with all manner of artifacts that would potentially wind up heading toward a watery grave. A miniature dog, named Beauregard Flushmeister, stands watch over the swirling vortex.

A small pathway leads off from the bowl and ends at a large roll of toilet paper. This artistic creation seemed to be very popular with the kids who visited during our stay in town. Even Crystal felt the urge to investigate it in greater detail .

Onward and Inward

As decorative as the outside is, it barely holds a candle to the interior. With the help of donations from residents, the mosaics cover an amazing amount of the space. The women’s room is filled with colorful pieces created from a wide range of objects. We saw masks, tea cups, birds, pottery, shells, and even of glass flowers. The longer you inspect the space, the more details you discover.

Stepping into the men’s room, we find the decorations to be just as vivid, although the pieces are different. After viewing the Women’s room, we were more prepared to explore the various items that make up the decorations. In this room they used toy cars, dominoes, wine bottle corks, Avon cologne decanters, and a variety of toys. While the materials are different, the overall appearance is just as complete. The women’s and men’s rooms are designed to be available for viewing from all, just be sure they aren’t in use.

Bowl Plaza Bathroom Selfie

There are so many puns and jokes that could go with this article, but we will just leave those to your imaginations. Bowl Plaza brought a national focus to Lucas, Kansas in 2014, when it was highlighted in the “America’s Best Restroom Contest”. Competing with public bathrooms across the nation, Bowl Plaza ended up being selected as number two. We are guessing that the residents were pleased with this showing. These days Lucas has added the restroom to its list of tourist attractions to check out when you visit. It’s pretty obvious that most travelers will be happy to know there is a place they can go, and check out the art while there. Now when the kids say those scary seven words, you’ll be ready to tell them a little background on their pit stop. So have you ever taken a bathroom selfie?

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We are betting that many of you have heard of the TV show Rare Visions & Roadside Revelations, which airs on public television. The dynamic trio searches out unique sights across the nation, but in Lucas, Kansas we found a collection that was the subject of one of their stops. At The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum we would enjoy a most unusual visit. Having started our morning with an oversize meal, we were certainly on the path to a record setting day. (More on that later in the article!)

We would like to thank the Lucas Chamber of Commerce and the World’s Largest Collection for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own.

More Than a Mouthful

The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction and Museum will hereafter be noted as World’s Largest, if for no other reason than to save my typing time. We had the pleasure of meeting up with Erika Nelson, who is the brains behind this traveling collection. Yes, I said traveling, since much of her team’s time is spent taking their fascinating collection to the masses.

World’s Largest Recognizable Collection

Anyone who watches Roadside Revelations has certainly seen many of the over-sized items they have uncovered. It is a testament to the human race that we create memorials to things like the largest Superman statue or the biggest Blue Ox. Crystal and I have had the pleasure of witnessing a few World’s Largest firsthand, but many are just images we have beheld on postcards or TV shows. A trip across Nebraska did offer us a visit to Carhenge, which is an automobile version of Stonehenge. (Yeah, it really exists.) Erika was far more knowledgeable about these tributes than either of us, and showed us images from many of her journeys. (She has racked up way more miles than we have.)

World’s Largest Souvenir Travel Plate

It quickly became apparent that Erika was a formidable fanatic for the education about the World’s Largest items. Not only has she seen many, she even worked on the creation of the signature item for the town of Lucas. On our way into town, we passed this massive plate, which memorializes many of the top attractions found around the area. Erika used an old satellite dish for the base, and it is mounted in a prominent position for those arriving in town.

A Peek Behind The Scenes

Since theirs is a traveling exhibit, the space they occupy in Lucas is used more for storage and behind the scenes work. We walked through their shop and saw many of the pieces that would be more challenging to haul in a vehicle. Over the years, they have amassed a collection of oddities that each have their own story. Photos taken from across the nation are mementos of wondrous sights they have seen. Taking me through this was like setting a kid free in a candy store. There was so much to explore and with each new piece a new discovery. Why, even this diminutive miniature golf course can actually be played.

A Different Record Being Set

As I alluded to earlier, our morning had started out as a record setter for us. Breakfast had taken place at the K-18 Cafe, on the eastern edge of town. What seemed like a simple order of a short stack of pancakes turned out to be an unexpectedly large meal. We quickly determined that “short” stack only described the height. Oh well, it would prove to be some much needed fuel for our morning of scurrying around town. We will certainly remember our massive meal, which was accompanied by a conversation with some locals, including the owner of the restaurant. Like many of you probably realize, the central part of the country is filled with welcoming people. That’s an added bonus for explorers like us. What are some of the largest discoveries you have made? We’d love to hear about them!

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We would like to thank the Lucas Chamber of Commerce and the Grassroots Art Center for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Unexpected Bonus

During a whirlwind day of artistic pursuit, we found our way to the main drag in Lucas. One of our stops was the Grassroots Art Center, but first I needed to do a little social media sharing. It can sometimes be an endeavor to find a strong enough signal to move large photo files, but they have a good spot on a bench outside of the library. While sitting there, we noticed a small group assembling outside of the art center next door. Soon, they started heading down the sidewalk toward us, and when they got to us, the leader asked if we would like to join their excursion. Of course we would. We have learned that if time allows, you should always join in. You just never know what treasures may await.

Florence Deeble

A short march to a home just about a block away brought us to the home of Florence Deeble. This homegrown artist spent the years, after retiring, creating unique sculptures in her backyard. Our guide walked us through a timeline of Florence’s work, showcasing each piece as she went. It’s amazing the creations she made with concrete and assorted found items. It was like a walk through some of the most memorable sites in America, except in miniature.

After the yard tour, we were invited inside to see the artwork of another Kansas artist. As we passed up the porch steps, an interesting display of Barbie dolls were assembled on spindles. Little did we know, but these spoke a little of what we were about to behold.

Mri-Pilar

Once we stepped across the threshold we found ourselves in what can be described as a space-age exhibit space. All of the walls are covered with silver material, so that the artwork stands out as the focal point. It became apparent that Mri-Pilar is a prolific artist, since almost every space was filled with one of her pieces. Statues, sculptures, mosaics, and masks filled the house. Our guide informed us that everything we saw was for sale, and they have plenty of other pieces to replace any we purchased. After wandering from room to room, we found a nice piece to add to our growing art collection at home.

Back at the Grassroots Art Center

When everyone had finished looking around the house, we started back to the Grassroots Art Center. As we walked, our guide pointed out some of the pieces that had been created to adorn the light posts along Main Street. Once back in the art center, we began the second half of the tour. Moving into one of the galleries, we were introduced to a variety of grassroots artist’s works. What we discovered was some amazing pieces that had been assembled out of ordinary materials, but in an extraordinary way. These untrained men and women, many of retirement age, drew from their life experiences to create some unusual art, like the Name Game pictured above. This piece has a large number of pictographs that represent different names. By touching the picture with a pointer, it lights up the appropriate name on the board below. It was fun trying to see how many we could interpret on our own.

Star of the Show

Our group made a short excursion outside to see the pieces of artwork displayed behind the art center. Back inside, we moved to the Marshall Gallery, which holds pieces created by Inez Marshall. Born in 1907, Inez carved pieces of Kansas limestone into detailed works of art. For many of her pieces, she drew from her small town life in Burr Oak, Kansas. Inez would carve for over 50 years, amassing an amazing number of pieces. The Grassroots Art Center has almost 100 of her sculptures in their permanent gallery.

To think about the difficult task of carving so many details from a piece of native stone is awe inspiring. Once completed, Inez would then paint her pieces to better replicate her vision. A sculpture of a small hospital building becomes even more enchanting when you peek in the windows. Small dioramas fill each space, telling another chapter of the story.

So Many Scales

While many of her pieces were small enough to easily transport, some were created on a larger scale. A wagon scene seems impossibly detailed to have come from stones, yet there it is to see first hand. Her passion fueled her desire to recreate a wide variety of animals, politicians, still life, and even a one-fifth scale Model T Ford.

Doren Spillman

As we continued through the galleries, we were introduced to the works of more artists. One that certainly caught our attention was this mechanical farm created by Doren Spillman. This self-taught wood carver worked for over 40 years and created hundreds of pieces. He carved many animals and human figures in sizes from around 10″ to full size. The mechanical farm, in the video above, was his only known motorized piece.

Rotating Gallery

We had almost made a full circuit, through the Grassroots Art Center, when we came upon the Visitor’s Gallery. Here they feature a folk artist who’s works are not kept on permanent display. When we visited, it was a Kansas City artist named Tony Sanchez. His paintings had wonderful color and reminded us so much of home. It’s an inspiration to think about him still enjoying this activity at almost 100 years of age. We hope we are still that active when we get there.

Artsy, Not Fartsy

When we first heard of Lucas, Kansas, it was described as an artsy-fartsy community halfway across the state of Kansas. Armed with an itinerary and anticipation, we made our way to this grassroots art mecca. What we found was a community filled with inspired people who see the world around them with unique perspective. This resonates through their art. We also discovered a town filled with warmth and caring individuals who welcomed us with open arms. I wasn’t sure if this trip would yield much in the way of articles, but soon realized that there are a slew of stories in Lucas that have to be told. We are looking forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks. So what do you think about this unique Kansas town?

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