 "Photo: Matt Binter")
People from all over Kansas came to visit the Beach Museum of Art Saturday for an open house titled “Blown Away.” The event featured two exhibits, “Destruction Framed: Photographs of the Chapman/Manhattan Tornado, June 11, 2008” and “Larry Schwarm: Greensburg after the Storm.”
Adults and children were able to play a giant game of Twister, eat funnel cakes and enjoy a glass of tropical “tornado” punch. Along with refreshments were art supplies and a craft table to decorate pictures, build paper pinwheels or just draw.
Art therapist Nanette Stark assisted children and even adults in making art and decorating pictures. People could bring in pictures they had taken of the devastation of recent tornados.
“We wanted to open this up to the community; the museum likes to get the children involved,” said Stark, who has spent time in hospitals helping sick children and their families express their experience through art and crafts.
“This open house gives people a chance to process the traumatic experience,” she said. “Children can come in and talk about what they’ve gone through and hopefully alleviate some of the trauma.”
Also walking through the halls of the “Blown Away” open house was Tom Leopold, photographer of “Destruction Framed: Photographs of the Chapman/Manhattan Tornado, June 11, 2008.” He has been a photographer for more than 40 years and said he captured more than 1,000 photos of the 2008 tornado destruction.
A “Wizard of Oz” stand was set up with the Wizard performing card tricks and riding around on a unicycle.
“These pictures are amazing and this is a great way to get kids in here to share their experience,” said Maggie Michaelis, gallery attendant. “It’s fun to watch the Wizard of Oz interact with the kids.”
Business marketing manager Martha Scott supervised and took photos during the event.
“This is an opportunity for the people who didn’t go out to Stampede to bring their families in and enjoy the art,” Scott said. “People have different responses to the photographs, just the awe of the destruction that a tornado can have.
“It is good to see people here having fun, but also remembering the destruction of the recent tornados.”
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