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  Looking forward to visiting Goodland next year. Brook Berringer was my role model growing up and his memory still leaves ...
Amanda
Lincoln
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Goodland Explorations
Learn more about Goodland by following the links below:
The Giant Sunflower PaintingAddress:
19th and Cherry
Email Address: director@visitgoodland.com About this Exploration:  Goodland's "Three Sunflowers in a Vase" is part of the van Gogh Project, a series of Big Easel paintings based on Vincent van Gogh's seven sunflower paintings. Van Gogh originally
created them in Arles, France,
between 1888-1889. Project's original intent was to reproduce all those paintings in seven different
countries spanning the globe. However, Goodland's painting has been
the last one erected.
Each sculpture
consists of a colossal hand-painted reproduction of one of the sunflower paintings. Each measures impressive 24x32 feet (7x10 meters), resting on a 80-foot (25m) tall, 37,000 lbs. (17,000 kilograms) steel
easel. Easel and painting together weigh approximately 45,000 lbs. (20,000 kgs).
Overall project began in spring 1997. Artist Cameron Cross selected sites that have a connection to sunflower
agriculture or to van Gogh himself. Goodland was chosen because of its status as a center of sunflower production and marketing. Each painting takes approximately a month and a half of 10- to 12-hour work days to
complete.
 By 2012, the painting was showing signs of wear. It even had been struck by lightning.
Cross inspected the painting in early July 2012. Painting was cut down from its easel July 11, 2012, and laid on the ground near the empty easel. Cross had a small shelter from the fierce sun of the hottest month ever recorded. Because of the summer's intense heat, he was only able to paint in morning and evening hours. In 2001, Cross had used van Gogh's muted palette. In 2012, he used a brighter palette, which shows up much better, especially from a distance.
While approximately 50 spectators watched, City of Goodland's crew hoisted the painting to the easel and welded it in place on the morning of July 23, 2012.
Goodland's painting was chosen as No. 5 in 2008's Eight Wonders of Sherman County contest. Painting has been recommended by Midwest Living, Kansas! Magazine, "Driving Across Kansas: The Guide to I-70" and RoadsideAmerica.com, among others. 360Cities.com features a panorama of the painting.
in 2004 Goodland Rotary Club erected a floodlight in front of the painting as part of their Rotary Centennial Project. The light makes the painting stand out and is visible from I-70. The Rotary volunteers also have erected brick sidewalks and viewing benches plus a visitors logbook, all south of the painting. The bricks in the sidewalks were reclaimed from Goodland's Main Street. To view the painting, please park in one of the lots provided. One is a bit east of the Businesss Highway 24-Cherry Street intersection and the other is a bit north. The eastern one opens from Business 24 between Truck & Tractor Repair and Healthful Solutions. The northern one opens from 19th Street south of Dollar General and Bill's Shootin' Shop. Inspired by the van Gogh replica, local artists have painted smaller paintings on easels in Goodland city parks. The easiest way to view all the paintings on their easels is to start at the van Gogh Project painting in Pioneer Park East. Go north to Chambers Park for "Picnic in the Park", Gulick Park for "The Big Rooster" and finally Rosewood Park for "Arapahoe Sun". Find This Exploration! Get Directions |
 Donna Price
925 Main
Goodland, KS 67735 Phone: 785.890.3515 Fax: 785.890.6980
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