More than 1,000 local and area third graders participated in the Smoky Hill Museum’s recent celebration of Kansas’ 158th birthday.

According to an administrative brief from Salina Arts and Humanities (SAH) Executive Director Brad Anderson, the school children participated in “special activities like pioneer games, corn shelling, and butter churning as they learned about Kansas history.”

The brief was included in the Salina City Commission’s packet for Monday’s commission meeting.

In addition to the school children, more than 350 community members participated in the museum’s Kansas Day celebration on February 2, Anderson noted. The event included crafts, demonstrations, and birthday cupcakes, he wrote.

Anderson also wrote that the museum staff also was “busy putting the finishing touches on the new Central Gallery Exhibit, The Creative Spirit, opening in March. As the name implies, this exhibit will explore the unique and creative spirit of the people from this region.”

Anderson also announced that a majority of the bands for the 2019 Smoky Hill River Festival have been selected and will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Additionally, he noted that nearly 300 exhibit applications had been received from artists all over the country. Those exhibitors will be selected in the coming weeks, Anderson wrote.

Other SAH highlights provided by Anderson include the following.

• The Friends of the Smoky Hill Museum had their most successful Poinsettia sale ever. Proceeds help support museum operations, the acquisition of special equipment, and professional development of the staff.
• Six museum staff were able to attend the Kansas Museums Association annual meeting in Independence, Kan. Four staff presented sessions at the conference. A special thank-you to the Friends of the Museum who help underwrite some of the cost.
• An education consultant will be meeting with local teachers, SAH staff and cultural arts education providers to do an assessment of the Arts Infusion Program. Results will be reported in early summer.
• Salina Arts & Humanities has a new program assistant. Susan Eberwein started her duties on Feb. 4 and will be providing customer service in the front office and assisting with visual arts programs of the River Festival and overseeing Artyopolis during the event as well.
• The SAH Foundation received a $16,000 anonymous gift for use in reaching underserved segments of our community. This funding will be used to assist with busing economically disadvantaged kids to cultural programs in the community, help underwrite Festival admission buttons to needy families, and provide additional Arts Infusion programming to Salina schools with the greatest need.
• The second year of ASK (Artists Sharing Knowledge), a professional development program for artists, will begin its second year this spring. The program provides information about goal setting, marketing, networking, and the business of being a creator. There were more than 200 attendees at ASK programs in 2018.
• As always, the Smoky Hill River Festival and the Smoky Hill Museum are in need of volunteers to help support programs and events.