Artistic experiences for every Kansas backyard
By Rafael Garcia
K-State News and Communications Services
One of the Layne McAfee’s favorite experiences growing up was seeing the art her grandma made be a cornerstone of the thriving art community in rural Jefferson County.
It’s one of the reasons why McAfee, as a Kansas State University student, leveraged her coursework in art, marketing and museum studies to continue to build that community as a volunteer with the Old Jefferson Town museum in Oskaloosa.
“Having that experience growing up really helped me understand that, in my mind, art is one of the core parts of being human,” McAfee said. “I wanted to be able to bring that back and show people in this area that they could access it and that it could be tailor-made for them. It didn’t have to be in some big, far-off museum or somewhere they’d never be able to visit or pay hundreds of dollars to see. It could be right in their own backyard.”
As a Chapman Center for Rural Studies scholar, McAfee has worked to build connections and understanding in the community through the museum.
One of her first big projects was curating an exhibit called “Retrospect,” which featured artwork from family, friends and other cornerstones of the local community.
“The exhibit gave people who might never have interacted with art before the opportunity to understand that there really is a place for rural communities — and every identity — in art,” McAfee said. “It showed that art has always been part of the community. It helped reinforce that it isn’t something far away: it can be right behind you.”
Long-term, McAfee — who graduated this past spring — is eyeing a career in event planning, particularly as a way to foster community among people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
“To me, that’s the most important part — letting people know this is part of their history and something they can be proud of.”
Layne McAfee
As Kansas communities reflect on the United States’ 250th anniversary, McAfee has been part of the museum’s efforts to create educational and communications content for a traveling Kansas Humanities exhibit celebrating the country’s history.
“I handpicked a lot of material that focused on personal stories and empathy from people and leaders of that time period,” McAfee said. “I wanted to get kids invested by helping them understand the human side of history, not just the historical facts.”
Those experiences, McAfee said, are the crux of art, history and the overall human story.
“Even if people don’t always notice it, art is what pushes the human story forward,” she said. “We wouldn’t have much of our national pride or identity without it. Think about the people who created our flag and the symbols that unite us, or the artists working during and after the Great Depression through public works, national murals and community art projects.
“It’s really nice to look back on that and recognize how communities can come together through creative work. It brightens people’s days and creates that feeling that we’re all in this together. To me, that’s the most important part — letting people know this is part of their history and something they can be proud of.”
