Art gallery and relief in one spot

 Years and years ago, not long after I started this blog, I highlighted the coolest public restroom in Kansas. The facility in Lucas had just been refurbished and actually took second place in a national competition.

Sadly, I was not able to visit this restroom until last summer. Lucas is the home of the eccentric Garden of Eden and some of the coolest grassroots art in the state. This bling restroom does the outsider art reputation justice. You just gotta see it, even if you skip the Garden of Eden and  World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things Museum (whew, what a mouthful).

Located near the center of this small town, the restrooms are housed in an immaculate well-maintained and rather spacious white building. The entrance is mosaic of glass and tile, formed in a shape closely related to its function.

Just outside the entrance, a wine bottle tree and other found objects proclaim the Grassroots Wall of Art. 

The mosaic on the north side of the building sports an alien meditating, I think.

My very favorite is this sculpture of a roll of toilet paper, that extends out to the sidewalk. The sign on the roll sternly warns visitors that no skateboarding is allowed. 

I just wonder if you could coat it with freezing water or snow for a brief (pun-intended) joy ride.

In the next post we will explore the Bling-y interior.

Here's one for Kate

 One chilly weekend last spring, Robert and I found time to grab breakfast and to explore a bit of McPherson, Kansas. We love diner food, particularly for breakfast and neither the fare at Neighbors Café nor the stroll down Main Street disappointed.  

We had a great time exploring the sprawling antique store, but the best time was had in the predictably cramped restroom area. Well, space IS important when it comes to displaying antiques, so why waste it on two restrooms when one is good enough for most homes?  

The signs are what are important here. A bit crude, but funny enough that I would not be surprised if they had to replace them regularly, (a bit of shoplifting, maybe?) Note that one of them is tucked inside a page protector and others are secured with pushpins.  

Just common sense.

A jab to all those endless ratings we are asked to provide

Haven't you wished for a sign like this instead of a jiggling doorhandle?

Truly a rest room

 A new year and new commitment to sharing what’s behind and on the doors of public washrooms. 

Let’s take a look at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, KS. We have tried several times to visit this lovely gallery but somehow our attempts were always ill-timed. Swedish-born Birger Sandzén was an accomplished art instructor and painter in his own right. The gallery found on the campus of Bethany College in Lindsborg houses a selection of  Sandzén’s landscapes and prints, as well as contemporary works from regional artists. Rich in color and texture, his work has been compared to that of van Gogh and Cezanne. 

The women’s restroom featured vintage details that seemed suited to Sandzén‘s time and culture. 

The outer room features floral print wallpaper and coordinating fabric skirt on the vanity, crocheted scarf, and table lamps. To top it off they include a large sofa along one wall. How cozy is that? A sign politely asks visitors to keep their feet off the cushions, the only exception to what you might expect at an elegant home in this town renowned for its immigrant Swedish culture.

Inside the practical section, the area is large, bright, and airy. One corner features a large sculpture of tumbling athletes.  

The two stalls feature framed reproductions of Sandzén‘s paintings. Although I am uncertain that either stall accommodates wheelchairs, they do feature something I have seen only in only one other public restroom. If you look carefully at the right side of the toilet (as you face it) there is a lever to push for easy flushing. A fine idea, especially if you don’t mind being seated when flushing.  

Robert reported that the men’s room featured the same levers but none of the other fine details.  

The gallery is quiet, and the staff is well-mannered as most Midwesterners are, so taking a peek at either set of restrooms is not likely to be an issue and well worth a visit. The art is an added bonus.

House on the Rock

The House on the Rock

Spring Green, Wisconsin

 This curiosity defies description. It is a house, once the residence of a man fascinated by collecting artifacts that captured his fancy. If you have seen the series American Gods, then you will know what I am talking about. The world class carousel collection (the largest indoor in the world) alone is worth the price of admission.

The restrooms lived up to the reputation of the rest of the place. The first two images above display a fabulous glassware collection. You are apt to forget why you walked in. As you can see, the lighting is fairly dim, but it serves to highlight the wall of glass.

I could not find an accurate figure on the square footage of this compound, but it is at once dense, and sprawling. So logically, there are a number of public restrooms. I even peeked in one of the men's rooms. Here we have two more women's restroom displays. The upper one is a collection of music-playing figurines, mostly Asian. 

The second is a snowy diorama- the day penguins took over Wisconsin, or some such story.

If you find yourself in western Wisconsin, do not miss an opportunity to check out these beautiful restrooms. The rest of the place is fabulous as well. The House on the Rock - I can't begin to describe all of its features so check out their website.

And while I don't normally promote hotels but if you like the quirkiness of this place, you will appreciate the DonQ Inn just outside of Dodgeville. Each room has a theme - ours was tropical with its own sunken hot tub. And the lobby included a free standing fireplace surrounded by antique barber chairs. 

The Marland Mansion

Outside Oklahoma, there are very few people who are familiar with Ponca City, or the Marland family. Tiny, and relatively unknown, compared to Tulsa or Oklahoma City, Ponca City is a destination that engage you for an entire weekend, if you are open and curious.

One must-see is the Marland Mansion. A fabulous over-the-top estate that is a fraction of the original size, it was built on oil money (an estimated $80 million in today's money) and lost within a few years. It remains open for tours as they restore and document the history of those years.

One feature is a handball court, now closed, that still maintains its locker rooms as public restrooms.

Here is a peek inside.

A typical women's locker room for the wealthy, with high windows, tiled showers on the left and stalls on the right. The mirrored dresser was not original since there is an exit door behind it, but it lends a period flair.

The locker room is still in use as a restroom, and consequently has been updated with soap dispensers and other modern necessities, but the raised platforms for the toilets, (Watch your step) and tile work are vintage 1920s. I puzzled over whether the marble partitions are original, or whether they are part of a modern update. Given the very modern details that were evident throughout the house (uncommon for most people of the day, but within reach of the very, very rich) and a close look at the hardware (hinges, and handles for example) I imagine that they are originals. 

 

A time to laugh

Location: The Blind Tiger restrooms, Topeka, KS. 

There are times when statements like this make the feminist in me cringe a bit. It makes me feel like women can still be dismissed without a serious thought (just agree with the women in your life and your life will be easier).  But then again, sometimes a goofy statement is just that - just roll with it. 

Location: Shindigs Bar & Grill, Winfield, KS. 

This reflects my own quirky sense of humor. 

However, it makes one wonder about people who would seriously try to flush a sanitary napkin - are they the types of people who bother reading the sign in the first place?

A telling label

 

This lovely sign reveals more about its location than you might first suspect. 

The most obvious is the use of the name 'Joseph'. It is not a restroom only for people named Joseph. Instead, it is located in the lobby of a Lutheran church. The corresponding women's room is aptly named 'Mary'. The Lutherans clearly have a sense of humor. 

The second detail that I appreciate is the design of the sign. (I tell my Art Appreciation students that context adds so much more to one's understanding of an image.) I took this photo in the lobby of St Elizabeth Lutheran Church in Ekalaka, Montana, population 363. The church was the best location with the technology and size for the yearly Dino Dig event. What I specifically noticed was the sign's material - pierced black metal. Despite its isolation and size, Ekalaka featured a number of signs, and other outdoor art of the same material, and style. Together they signaled unity and pride in the identity of this small Western community. Simple, sturdy, designed to withstand the rigors of the environment, the pieces, including this one, make a statement about the people of Ekalaka. 

In the weekend we spent in this town in SE Montana, Robert and I were moved by the small town feel of community, openness and connection to both its past and future. The centerpiece of the community is the Carter County Museum, supported by a county mill levy and the passionate crew of young scientists and historians as well as the citizens themselves. The town has put resources into updating the schools (the only ones in this county of 1100) and rebuilding a grocery lost to a fire, not only mourning its shrinking population but determined to be clear-sighted and hopeful to its future.