News

In 2008, Jana Lynne Mackey lost her life as a result of violence at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. In her life, she was an advocate for women’s rights and spent years volunteering to aid victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. In her honor, Jana’s Campaign has ensured that her memory will live on, her namesake campaign as a beacon of hope for individuals who have or are experiencing gender and relationship violence.

There’s a caterpillar in the garden, and it’s 18 feet long. But don’t worry: This is not an alien invasion, and your tomatoes are not at risk. The garden is a sculpture garden. It is part of an effort to use folk art – in this case, bug sculptures - to attract visitors to a rural Kansas community. Don Atha is the Kansan who spearheads this effort to use public folk art to benefit the community. Atha grew up in Mission Hills where his family was active in supporting the arts. “Thanks to my family, I feel like I was raised at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City,” Atha said. His family donated several pieces to the museum. “Art is important to the development of a community,” Atha said. After college back east, he worked in the banking and health care finance industries around the country. He moved to Arizona and started his own commercial printing brokerage business called West Print. Art galleries were among his clients, along with the second largest time share company in the world. He also collected art. He even met his wife Rebecca at an art show. They ultimately moved to Belize. When Covid hit, they decided to move to back to Atha’s home state of Kansas. A realtor found them a home in Anthony, about 45 minutes from Wichita. “Kansans are good people,” Atha said. In Anthony, Atha joined a civic club that was brainstorming about how to bring more people to the community. “I thought of communities that have benefitted from introducing art,” Atha said. Numerous places have featured different versions of a particular symbol throughout their city. “I thought bugs might be a hook,” Atha said. He set out to build bug sculptures that could be displayed around Anthony. These are metal sculptures from recycled metal pieces that are welded together and painted. Atha and friends worked near his home in a building called Where Bugs Come Alive Studio. He also created a nearby sculpture garden. That became home to the first bug sculpture. It was called Cat-apillar and was followed by a Daddy Long Legs spider. The secretary of the local Kansas Community Empowerment group successfully applied for a grant that provided additional funds for supplies. The grant was to provide for five bug sculptures in the first year. They were done in six months. Today, there are 30 bug sculptures in the community of Anthony with more in production. These are displayed around town where possible “It’s an infestation, but not of bad bugs – of fun bugs,” Atha said. They’ve become popular sites for selfies. These now include Ladybug, Anthony Ant, Bumble Bug, Roadrunner Bug (in honor of the local school mascot), Jolly Green Bug, Cosmic Cyclops Bug, a patriotic eight-foot-tall Uncle Sam Bug, and more. “Some are built from old 48-inch wagon wheels, which connects us to our history,” Atha said. “This is an off-the-wall idea of attracting people with folk art.” All of the bugs are donated, mostly by Atha and his wife. No tax dollars have been used to support the project. A team of volunteers helps the Athas. Atha said he enjoys the pleasure that these quirky designs bring visitors and hopes they will attract more people. “This is for fun, it’s to bring a smile to your face,” Atha said. “I’d like to have bus tours. Come enjoy the bugs.” It’s a creative idea for a rural community such as Anthony, population 2,108 people. Now, that’s rural. “Anthony has a really nice museum, a cotton gin, Official Kansas 9/11 Memorial, and a historic theater and courthouse,” Atha said. “We have really attractive housing stock.” “I believe in the arts and how they can benefit a community,” Atha said. For more information, contact Atha at donathawestprint@gmail.com or visit Where Bugs Come Alive Studio on Facebook. There’s an eighteen-foot long caterpillar in the garden. Fortunately, it’s a sculpture of a caterpillar in a downtown sculpture garden. We salute Don and Rebecca Atha for making a difference with this creative initiative. Don’t let it bug you.

Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is pleased to announce The Paisley Pear as the recipient of the 2024 Tiger Nation Partner of the Year Award. Tiger Nation Partners is a partnership involving several on-campus organizations, businesses, and organizations in the Hays community, and this year, we honor one of those participating businesses.

On August 7, 2024, the Fort Hays State University Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs held their monthly in-service meeting at the Sternberg Museum in Hays. The event featured guest speaker Jaylea Black, an Oncology Social Worker, who provided valuable information on legal documents essential for advanced care planning.