This story first appeared in the Sept. 8 edition of the Kansan.
As a way to promote the public to explore Kansas, The Kansas Sampler Foundation, headquartered in Inman, has worked to put together several categories for the 8 Wonders of Kansas.
The Blue Sky sculpture by Phil Epp near Centennial Park in Newton has been listed as a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Art.
Though it was the updating of the 7 Wonders of the World that started this modern-day craze of choosing 7 Wonders from a multitude of different regions, the decision to find the 8 Wonders of Kansas was recognition of the 8 rural culture elements used since 1993 by the Kansas Sampler Foundation to identify tourism assets of a community.
The Kansas Sampler Foundation has identified architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history and people as something every town has or has a story to tell about and everything in a town fits into one of these categories, the foundation's Web site said.
Criteria stipulate finalists must have a high degree of uniqueness to Kansas or the United States, have special value in Kansas, and elicit a “wow” factor. The finalist must be a place that can be seen and must be open regularly or easily by appointment. When people see the place or study it, a reaction would be “I can see why this structure is a Wonder.”
One of the criteria was the art had to be accessible to the public. Artists whose work is not on permanent public display were not eligible.
“The diversity of these finalists is tremendous,” said Marci Penner, foundation director. “From the exterior of a school to the contemporary art of a military dog tag sculpture, the public is going to see Kansas art with new eyes.”
Public vote will determine the top eight. People are encouraged to vote online at 8wonders.org, call (620) 585-2374 for a ballot, or pick up a ballot at finalists that have an office. Voting began August 28 and will end October 15 at midnight. The top eight will be announced October 31.
The project is designed to educate the public about the state and to encourage travel.
The 8 Wonders of Kansas series is a project of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, a non-profit based near Inman. The Foundation has long used the eight elements of rural culture (architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people) to help see Kansas with new eyes.
