By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Female imagery will fill the Hays Arts Center for the 38th annual Fall Art Walk in Hays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 25.
The opening of the invitational exhibition "She Is…" will anchor the evening that will see businesses and organizations downtown and beyond open their doors to the community to partake in artistic expressions of all types.
“I’ve just seen so many of the wonderful artists, not only in our area, but other artists I was aware of that I'd never even worked with before, but admired their work and had the idea for the show called 'She Is…,'” said Hays Arts Council executive director Brenda Meder.
“And so, the idea of, she is old, she is young, she is somber, she is joyful, she is contemplative, she is bold, just all those different aspects of female imagery in art.”
The exhibition includes paintings, photography, etchings, silkscreens, caustic ceramic sculpture and stone sculpture. It features both local artists and others from across the state whose work will be exhibited at the center for the first time, she said
“It's a whole variety of different styles, expressions, and just wonderful images, painting styles out of female imagery through a variety of ages and creative media,” Meder said.
The arts center is only one stop of many scheduled for the evening.
“We've got a lot of wonderful features and opportunities for people to just enjoy in our community,” Meder said.
In conjunction with the Art Walk, the Hays Symphony Pops concert is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. in Union Pacific Park, 10th and Main.
The K-State Research and Extension Cottonwood District Master Gardeners will be showcasing their four gardens at the extension district office 601 Main; Historic Fort Hays, 1472 U.S. Highway 183 Alt.; and at the K-Stae Ag Research Center, 1232 240th Ave.
The evening also will mark the opening of Toby Ironworks, 708 Main, the new workspace of local artist Toby Flores.
“Everybody will want to get to Toby’s,” Meder said. “He bought the building, and it's going to be a studio/gallery workspace. It's just another cool, exciting space in downtown Hays.”
Fort Hays State University’s Moss-Thorns and Taylor galleries will be open from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
“Come out and enjoy your visit whatever places you want, staying for however long you want, in whatever order you want,” Meder said.
“It's your evening to design however you want, but we're providing it and a whole lot of other great people in this community. [We are] making sure it happens to the highest level of fun, entertainment and artistic expression.”
