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Are you ready to tap into the market of short stories? Register for the Free Seminar: “Writing Short Stories for Profit” Sept. 10, 2023 – 2:00 pm 624 N. Jefferson St. Junction City, KS 
Short stories have been all the rage for years, and the demand is only growing stronger. But with the ever-increasing flood of competition, how can you ensure that your short stories stand out from the rest?
Even established novelists understand the power of short stories in boosting their exposure. They serve as captivating literary nuggets that entice readers and leave a lasting impact. Are you ready to unleash your creativity and learn the secrets to crafting short stories that captivate, entertain, and sell like hotcakes? Published author, Matthew Olson, has honed his skills in the competitive writing industry, and will share his invaluable short story writing knowledge, tips, and techniques with you at this seminar. At the free seminar . . .
Whether you're interested in mystery, romance, science fiction, or any other genre that sparks your imagination, we have you covered. Join us in this free seminar and unlock your potential as a short story writer. Don't let your stories get lost in the crowd; let them soar above the competition and captivate readers worldwide. P.S. There is nothing to buy. No sales pitch will come at the end of the seminar. This information is offered completely free of charge to you! Seminar location: 624 N. Jefferson St. Junction City, KS. Corner of 7th and Jefferson. Complete the registration form below. Now is your chance to shine in a sea of literary brilliance! 
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 WHEN: Saturday, July 15, 2023 from 11:00am - 12:00pm WHERE: 624 N. Jefferson St., JC KS This free mixed media class is for kids ages 3-4. Kids will use recyled and mixed media materials to explore textures such as soft, hard, smooth, rough, etc.! They can then bring their masterpieces to life using a variety of art supplies such as paint, markers, color pencils, etc. Registration is closed for this class. The Junction City Arts Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing arts programs to the Junction City Kansas area. Although classes like this are offered free of charge, donations of any amount are always appreciated. Thank you in advance for your generosity. CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY!  ALL SPACES ARE FILLED FOR THIS CLASS. THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING. WHEN: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 from 11:00am - 12:00pm WHERE: 624 N. Jefferson St., JC KS This free drawing class is for kids grades K-2. Learn how to draw this awesome Galaxy in Space, step-by-step! When your drawing is just the way you want it, you can then bring it to life using a variety of art supplies such as paint, markers, color pencils, etc. Registration is required. Number of students is limited to 12 per class. The Junction City Arts Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing arts programs to the Junction City Kansas area. Although classes like this are offered free of charge, donations of any amount are always appreciated. Thank you in advance for your generosity. 
WHEN: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 from 11:00am - 12:00pm
WHERE: 624 N. Jefferson St., JC KS This free drawing class is for kids grades 3-5. Learn how to draw this majestic lion, step-by-step! When your drawing is just the way you want it, you can then bring it to life using a variety of art supplies such as paint, markers, color pencils, etc. Registration is required. Number of students is limited to 12 per class. The Junction City Arts Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts and providing arts programs to the Junction City and Geary County Kansas area. Although classes like this are offered free of charge, donations of any amount are always appreciated. Thank you in advance for your generosity. In November 2022, I started an article series to promote local artists and crafters. This article features Junction City artist Gail Dye and the model train layout that she and her late husband Jerry Dye diligently crafted over several years. Read on below to discover in the artist's own words what it takes to create a large layout. The video below highlights some of the many elements that have been included in "Dye's Station." A Renewed Interest for Young and OldModel railroading is still a popular pastime. With the abundance of available time on their hands during the pandemic quarantine, both young and old alike found themselves looking for a new interest, and guess what came rolling in like a steam engine - model railroading. Although the Dye's interest in model railroading began long before the pandemic, as you'll learn shortly, a renewed interest has sparked for the long-time hobby. According to Gordy Robinson, president of the National Model Railroad Association in a Saturday Evening Post article from October 19, 2022: "Since the pandemic began, participation in the NMRA’s Master Model Railroader program — an elite training course for the most dedicated hobbyists — has exploded." Read on to learn from Gail Dye what it took to create the model train layout in their home basement. In the Artist's Own WordsThe following was written by Gail Dye for this blog post. About 7 years ago my husband Jerry and I decided to make a model train layout. He had started his Lionel train collection when he was a 10th grader and he never had them on a layout. We kept all his trains in boxes for approximately 50 years and never felt as if we had the time or room to set them up in a layout. They are the large O scale size that take up a lot of room.  Dye's Station - Model Train Layout in Junction City Kansas We finally decided, after Jerry was semi-retired, that we needed to do something with them. So, Jerry and our son began building a table that is 8’ X 18’ and we set it up in a room in our basement. Then it was up to me to begin the landscaping. So, I put my artistic abilities to work. I did a lot of research on the internet getting ideas. I built all the buildings except for the train depot. It took several years for it to be completed. The layout kind of tells the story of our life. It has our house, Jerry’s mechanic shop, our church and a cemetery, my upholstery shop, the grain elevators and office from down on Perry Street, a playground park, a garden, a barn and shed similar to one where Jerry grew up and it is also similar to one where we lived for 8 years, and Stacy’s restaurant where Jerry ate lunch every weekday for 40 years. The Junction City water tower stands in the middle of the table. There is a tunnel, a lake and a pond with fishermen.  Stacy's Restaurant - Part of the model train layout created by Jerry and Gail Dye of Junction City Kansas Meant for VisitorsOur plan was to complete the layout and then invite people to come see it, especially people with children. Just as we got it finished, Covid happened, so we didn’t get to do that. Then, Jerry passed away in 2021. Recently I contacted people I know from Lincoln Elementary school to see if they could bring some children on a field trip to see the trains. So, the student council got to come see it. It was really fun to see their reactions to it all. Sharing it with others is what makes it fun. It is very detailed, so to make them look for all the details we played a scavenger hunt. They had a list of items that they had to search for on the layout and see who could complete their list the fastest.  Some Student Council members from Lincoln Elementary school in Junction City Kansas Recycle and Reuse!The landscaping is built with all sorts of things such as a small cardboard box, a pringles can, an oatmeal container, corrugated cardboard, sedum plants for trees, center rolls from newspaper print, chicken wire, sand paper, cereal boxes, plumbers end caps, a lid from a cool whip container, a plastic straw, and many other things. It was so much fun to see what could be made from everyday items.
A Lifelong Flair for Artistic ThingsI have always had a flair for artistic things such as crafts of all sorts, and then doing upholstery. I had always wanted to try my hand at painting pictures but never felt I had the time or talent. But about 4 years ago I got the opportunity to take some lessons in oil painting. I absolutely love it. I began with landscape scenery, then I painted dogs and barns and flowers and a few people. I recently began trying to learn acrylic paintings and am currently teaching a class once a month at the Senior Center. We do simple paintings for beginners. I am enjoying using my artistic abilities. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment and joy. The paintings below are only a few of the many created by Gail Dye. A regular in the Junction City Arts Council's Art Walks, her work is frequently available for viewing. Make sure to always be informed and aware of our classes, programs and events by following us on Facebook, that's where a lot of info is share almost daily.
Thanks for your continued support of the arts and our organization. Sherry Frewerd - JCAC Director Happy 2023! At the end of 2022, I started making a list of programs, events and classes I'd love to see happen at JCAC. As I wrote, that list grew and grew; if only we had enough time, volunteers and funds available to do everything on my list. Regardless of our "limitations," we have always come through with interesting, informative and simply just fun activities for the community over the last 49 years.  A Screeching Halt, Yet Moving ForwardJust like practically everywhere else in the world, the Covid pandemic put a fast halt to most of our plans for 2020 and much of 2021. We did return to in person classes in the Fall of 2021 and have continued to offer both free and paid classes and workshops for kids and adults. The repsonse has been delightful and we plan to create new programs for 2023 and beyond, but possibly in a different format; more on that later.  Saturday kid's arts and crafts class, Fall 2022 New Opportunities and Continuing ProgamsWe love offering arts and crafts opportunities to kids and have done so for free since 2013. That's not going to change, but the frequency and format will. One of our plans is to provide a "Make and Take" crafting event where families can come, make a quick craft and take it with them. We feel that this type of event will allow more families the chance to create with their kids, yet not require an hour or more of their time. A new arts and crafts option that we are excited to get up and running soon is our "Arts and Crafts to Go" video series. These fun videos will include an instructor, (probably myself,) and a kiddo or two. I'm very excited to begin this, we've talked about it since the Fall of 2019, but you know, Covid happened. These videos will be free of course and available on our website and social media. Community Events and Contests!Junction City has proven itself to love community events. Perhaps that has something to do with our vast military population who are always looking for new things to do. That being said, we love supporting our military families and appreciate their support to no end. So, as we have in the past, we are planning some new community events for 2023; be looking for more information as plans evolve! As for our current, on-going activities, our free acrylic painting class held at the Geary County 4H Senior Center will continue with Gail Dye instructing. This class has become so popular we had to switch up the format a bit to accomodate more painters!  Christmas Door Hanger Sign Class 2022  Acrylic Painting Class at the Geary County 4H Senior Center More Coming, So Be Looking!There are a few plans that I'm not ready to divulge just yet, but be certain that they will be fun and different from what we've done in the recent past. I hope you are as eager to see the new year get moving with fun community events as we are! Make sure to always be informed and aware of our classes, programs and events by following us on Facebook, that's where a lot of info is share almost daily. Thanks for supporting JCAC over the last many, many years, we love you all and are very grateful. Sherry Frewerd - JCAC Director  Paint Party - Fall 2022
Artist Spotlight - Jacob SandersonPart of the mission of Junction City Arts Council is to support local artists. This article, with Jacob Sanderson, painter and metal sculptor, is the first in a series of interviews with artists living in Geary County and the surrounding area. Interview with Jacob Sanderson: Where are you from and where do you live now? I was born in San Jose, California and raised in Georgia. I now live in Manhattan, Kansas.  Acrylic painting by Jacob Sanderson When and how did you start creating art? I was a soldier and after I finished my contract, I was very optimistic about attending K-state and getting my degree in psychology. I had first experienced some mental health issues in the military and maybe that brought about an interest to learn more about it. After getting a scholarship for a long-term degree in research psychology my mental health issues started to return. I ended up being hospitalized. I had to switch my major to some thing that was more accommodating to what I was able to do, so I switched to creative nonfiction writing. I enjoyed it, but eventually I found it very painful to be around others. I honestly love people, so this development was unexpected. This turned into a diagnosis of agoraphobia, and I had to leave university. I always wanted to be a college student. I grew up in poverty with two parents who never graduated high school and the odds were statistically low I would ever attend.  Painting by Jacob Sanderson After a few months of darkness indoors, I decided to recreate my identity into something that I could do mostly alone that would hopefully nourish me. In a bout of mania, I purchased a $500 Mustang with the intent of chopping it into cubes. It took around 4 months, but not wanting to waste the experience I started to weld together the pieces to interpret what was going on inside me.  Metal sculpture by Jacob Sanderson What is your primary medium? Now it is acrylic. I started by making metal art, but it is no longer cost effective. How did you develop your artistic skills? I started creating at around 2018 with no prior experience or education in art. This perspective helped me develop the patience and self trust I needed to learn how to create. Additionally, I constantly use social media to help me refine how appealing my art is to others. I see it as helping me retain my unique style, but learning the right language to speak it in. Where do you find inspiration? What motivates you to create? At this time other people motivate me. Internally, I often feel like I’m a grumpy person, but when I do commissions, I feel compelled to gift people something uplifting and memorable.  Acrylic painting by Jacob Sanderson What does your work aim to say? I trust others to tell me what it says to them. I don’t feel very possessive over meaning. I think creation can be very therapeutic and I hope my future self can one day teach or inspire others to create. I’m aggressively anti rules when it comes to art sometimes. I make a massive chaotic mess every time I create.  Acrylic painting by Jacob Sanderson If I wanted to say anything maybe it would be that:
We all have to learn how to behave in order to be successful in most careers. We have to subtract ourselves so much that we stop trusting our impulses and feelings. Art can be an area where you learn to trust yourself again. Just let it out and overtime you will start to become more skilled at creating meaning through the mess, but first you need to make a mess. To learn about future artist spotlight interviews, follow the Junction City Arts Council on Facebook!
Match Day is Coming! Support Junction City Arts Council! Geary Community Match Day is Tuesday, October 13, 2020. The community supported JCAC last year and we are very thankful. Please consider helping support the arts once again. More info? Go here: https://www.gearymatchday.com/  |
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