(Story #1 in the Russell County series)

Posted by Wynn Ponder

Economic Development Director Cindy Wallace recently hosted our crew’s first visit to Russell County, which is filled with great stories; so many, in fact, that I’m going to break them up into a series, of which this is the first installment.

Let’s start with Lucas. The place sneaks up on you. When you drive in from the east and see the giant, hand-painted, dinner-plate sign, you can’t help but think, “Wow, I wonder if they know how home-made that sign looks.”

Yes, they know. Lucas is the official, national headquarters of an emerging art movement called “Grassroots.” Just drive on into town, and you’ll see why this unusual community received the 2008 Governor’s Award for Tourism. As author Richard E. Wood puts it in his book, Survival of Rural America, Lucas has the all-important “Purple Cow” quality that can turn a small town into a big attraction.

First stop: the Garden of Eden, a limestone log cabin surrounded by a strange collection of concrete sculptures depicting Biblical and pseudo-religious stories. This one-of-a-kind something-or-other was created early in the 20th century by an eccentric, retired farmer named S.P. Dinsmoor. Once again, you’ll look at the art and think, “unschooled,” but by now, you’ll be wondering if that’s a bad thing. Gauguin, after all, made an enduring statement with the raw power and simplicity of a folkish style called “primitive.”

But Mr. Dinsmoor wasn’t just a peculiar artist; he was also a shrewd marketer. He knew that, if he created something truly unusual in Lucas, people would have a reason to visit the town in the years to come, so Lucas would have a “brand” and therefore a better chance of thriving.

His plan is working.

Now that you have the mood of the place, let’s visit Erika Nelson, creator and curator of The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things. This traveling roadside attraction and museum filled me with a romantic sense of longing for the open highway. Erika also drives a pickup named Scout, which is artistically every bit as eccentric as the Garden of Eden, if more schooled.

Erika holds a master’s degree in fine art and has the option at any time of teaching at the university level, but chooses to do her work here, in the town of Lucas. She volunteers at the Garden of Eden and the Grassroots Art Center, owns a Chair-E Tree, has a theme song, and thinks hard about the town’s future.

You’ll also want to check out the American Fork Art and other eclectic sculptures of Mri-Pilar.

And the amazing limestone sculptures of Inez Marshall.

And the concrete sculptures of Florence Deeble, who pursued her craft in direct tribute to S.P. Dinsmoor.

And the Flying Pig Studio & Gallery, the sprawling lair of Eric Abraham, whose world-renowned porcelain art seems to emerge from another universe. When you visit, be sure to check out his new works, which combine pencil drawings, old photos and porcelain elements.

The Grassroots Art Center on Main Street is putting Lucas on the national map—and boosting the local economy—thanks to the efforts of Director Rosslyn Schultz, among others. The Center is part museum, part gallery and home to the national Grassroots Art Registry, a database of roadside, grassroots art located along highways and byways across the Midwest. This is an important stop on any cultural road trip.

But we cannot live by art alone, so let’s get down to brass tacks …

We had a delicious lunch at Linda’s Café; old-fashioned, high-quality food served with old-fashioned courtesy and care. I continue to be amazed at how cheap it is to dine out in small towns, yet what a consistently memorable experience it is.

Brant’s Meat Market: Holy Cow, forget everything you know about bologna. And Colby cheese. And beef jerky. This list goes on. And Proprietor Doug Brant is one of the funniest people you’ll ever meet.

Once again, we didn’t get around to all the people on our list because conversation is good in rural Kansas, and the pace is slow. Suffice it to say that Lucas, Kansas, is worth the drive, wherever you’re coming from.

Next in the Russell County Series: “Alive & well in Russell, Kansas.”