KU Alumni magazine, writer earn awards

A Kansas University science writer and the managing editor of Kansas Alumni magazine have won medals from the International Circle of Excellence Awards Program, sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

The Kansas University Alumni Association won a grand gold award in the Best Article of the Year category for a story in Kansas Alumni magazine titled “Hail Fellow.” The article, written by Chris Lazzarino, profiled a recent KU graduate who made history by winning three prestigious graduate prizes.

Roger Martin, columnist and writer at the KU Center for Research, won a silver CASE award in the Specific Media Relations Program competition. Martin’s column appears in the Journal-World and on Kansas Public Radio.

Street Fair to feature talent show, crafts

Lenexa The Street Fair Talent Show will be from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday in Old Town Lenexa, Santa Fe and Pflumm streets.

Those interested in participating in the talent show should contact Monica at (913) 541-0209. Prizes will be awarded in several categories.

The fair also will feature live music, children’s games, dancing, a craft fair and a variety of food vendors.

Deadline for ArtWalk just around the corner

The final deadline for registering for the Eighth Annual Lawrence ArtWalk is July 1.

The ArtWalk is a self-guided tour of Lawrence artists’ studios, art galleries and other art spaces. The event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 26 and noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 27.

There are three categories of participation: artist, art gallery and artists’ collective. Artists must be residents of Douglas County or have a Lawrence address for their studio or storefront business. Galleries and collectives must be in Lawrence.

Forms are available at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H., by calling John Wysocki at 865-4254, or online at lawrenceartwalk@sunflower.com.

‘Tsil Cafe’ author to appear on radio show

Kansas City, Mo. Fiction writer Thomas Averill will read from his first novel, “Secrets of Tsil Cafe,” at 5 p.m. June 30 on “New Letters on the Air,” which is broadcast on KCUR-FM 89.3.

He also will discuss how writing a novel compares to writing short fiction.

Averill, who is a professor and writer-in-residence at Washburn University in Topeka, is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and an O’Henry Award winner. He has written two books of short stories, “Passes at the Moon” and “Seeing Mona Naked.” He is editor of the anthology “What Kansas Means to Me” and is author of “Oleander’s Guide to Kansas: How to Know When You’re Here,” a selection of his public radio commentaries.

Toy museum to break ground for addition

Kansas City, Mo. A groundbreaking ceremony for a new 12,000-square-foot addition to the Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at the museum, 5235 Oak St.

The expansion will allow the museum to house its expanding collection of toys and scale miniatures and its extensive marble collection. The new addition will include an auditorium, classrooms, offices and storage space.

Workshop targets Alzheimer’s families

“Writing and Coping,” a writing workshop for individuals in the early stage of Alzheimer’s disease and their family members, is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Douglas County Senior Center, 745 Vt.

The workshop uses poetry and the written word to provide comfort through the disease process.

For more information, call the Alzheimer’s Assn., (800) 733-1981.

Exhibit contains circus artifacts

Kansas City, Mo. Sneak a peak into what goes into organizing a circus with “Circus Magicus,” an exhibit showing Saturday through Jan. 5 at Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Road.

The exhibit, created by the Musee de la Civilisation in Quebec and co-produced with Cirque du Soleil, shows off more than 200 artifacts that belonged to some of the greatest circus performers in the world.

In conjunction with the exhibit, “Cirque du Soleil Journey of Man,” a three-dimensional, giant-screen film will be shown July 4-Jan. 5 in the Union Station’s Extreme Screen theater.

Also several 30-minute workshops will be offered at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. July 6 -Sept. 7. Topics are clown make-up, July 6; juggling, July 13; circus improv, July 20; balloon animals, July 27; face painting, juggling and fire eating, Aug. 3; pantomime, Aug. 10; clowning, Aug. 17; clown make-up, Aug. 24; juggling scarves, Aug. 31; and body-movement techniques, Sept. 7.

Admission for the exhibit is $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and $4 for children ages 4-12. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call (816) 460-2020.