Barton Community College’s Shafer Gallery will feature Kansas landscapes in a photography exhibit starting Sunday, with an opening reception from 1-3 p.m. That same afternoon, Barton’s Planetarium will present "Kansas Starscapes" with 30-minute showings at 12:45 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
"Here in rural Kansas, we are blessed with dark skies, broad horizons and amazing views of the heavens," said Planetarium Director Dr. Timothy Folkerts. He will provide astronomical and mythological information about some of the stars, constellations and planets that can be seen throughout the year in central Kansas from our own backyards.
The Shafer Gallery will exhibit works by Wichita photographer John Morrison and members of the Central Kansas Photography Club. This exhibit will continue through April 21.
Morrison is a retired computer programmer with strong ties to entrepreneurship in Kansas. He is one of the early 1980s co-founders of Wichita-based startup Brite Voice Systems and he worked for a number of technology start-up companies before launching his own business, Prairie Vistas Photography, in 2004.
A native of Oklahoma, Morrison has lived in Wichita with his wife, Shellee, for 30 years. His decision to become an entrepreneur and pursue photography as a serious business was inspired in 2002 by Australian photographer Ken Duncan’s book, "America Wide."
Concentrating on panoramic landscapes of the Great Plains of North America, Morrison shoots with a Canon digital SLR and typically makes two photographic day trips monthly to sites within a few hours of Wichita. His gallery and studio are located in the historic Old Town district of Wichita and his work can be viewed in many Kansas galleries, including Topeka, Cottonwood Falls, El Dorado and Westwood Hills. He also displays his photography at shows and exhibitions across the state.
The Central Kansas Photography Club was organized in 2004 by Great Bend photographers Jim Glynn and Marion Lightfoot, who soon were joined by other area photographers. Lightfoot was the first president, serving through 2009.
Club members range from beginning photographers to professionals. Dues are $20 per year and anyone with an interest in photography is invited to join. Meetings are at 7:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the CPI Annex, with programs about various aspects of photography.
Other activities such as photo shoots and photo displays are planned throughout the year. Several organizations in the area rely on club members for photographs of wildlife and other subjects.
All Shafer Gallery exhibits are presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
