Kansas Technical Arts Juried Exhibition

The L. E. “Gus” and Eva Shafer Memorial Art Gallery is considered as the Gem of the Campus at the Barton County Community College. Mrs. Eva Shafter had a grand opening for the gallery last November 1, 1992. The gallery is committed in the preservation of our culture and art.

On January 23, 1907 Leonard E. Gus Shafer was born in Hoisington Kansas. On his growing up years he was greatly influenced by Old Ben and his grandfather. Old Ben was one of their farm hand that taught him how to hunt, trap and ride. These two were a great influence in Gus liking the old west.

Gus learned how to draw when he attended his first school. He then went on to graduate in college at Grinnell College in Iowa and Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kan., where he met his future wife. Gus Married on 1930 and moved back to Kansas. When he moved back to Kansas he worked as a commercial artist for 38 years.

Gus had his first sculpted model casting in 1966 when he was 59. He started his first sculpting bronze on 1968 from then on he concentrated on it full time. Then after a few years his art became famous. In honor of L. E. “Gus” and Eva Shafer the art gallery was created.

There was an art donation by Mrs. Faerie Denman of Great Bend and her husband Cedric on 1981 that help started or created the art gallery. There were about 507 pieces of art worth $200,000. This work of art needed a good storage and a place where it can be shared with the community. The art collection has grown to 700 piece of art composed of 100 pieces from Mrs. Denman, 25 pieces from Gus and a lot of other work of art from different well known artist like Chagall, Matisse, Picasso and Audubon.

The Shafer Gallery will have a Technical Arts Juried Exhibition on March 29 to April 9, 2009. There will be no admission and parking space fee and there are enough parking spaces for everyone. The exhibition will open from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday- Fridays and for Sunday the gallery will open from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.