California exhibit features work of Kansans

Long Beach, Calif. An inaugural exhibition at the California State University, Long Beach Gallery will feature a group show curated by Kansan Kiel Johnson and Missourian Marcus Cain.

“Strange Comfort: Sharing Myths in the Midwest” will feature 14 emerging artists from the Midwest. Included are works by Michael Krueger, Peregrine Honig, Travis Millard, Seth Johnson, Cobi Newton, Dustin Johnson, Jaimie Warren, Jared Hadfield, Hesse McGraw, Jeffrey Calvert, Beniah Leuschke, Alexander Kvares, Katie Marsh, Jason Manley, Johnson and Cain.

The show, which runs through Thursday, includes ceramics, photography, video, painting, drawing and sculpture.

Polka bands highlight of Oktoberfest

Kansas City, Mo. Oktoberfest on the Wasserfront will feature a number of musical acts, including polka band Brave Combo, “Polka King” Don Lipovac and Naggabazi, a four-piece band from Bavaria.

The festival is Friday-Sept. 29 at Richard L. Berkley Park, west of I-35 and Front Street on the south shore of the Missouri River.

The event features German food and crafts, puppeteers, jugglers, fire-eaters, face painting and fireworks. Performers include Liverpool, a Beatles tribute band, Brian McCarty and Betty Jo Simon.

Admission is $5 for adults; children under 12 are admitted free. Hours are from 4 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. A polka Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

For more information, call (800) 889-0636 or visit www.kcoktoberfest.org.

‘Animal Planet’ host to appear in Topeka

Topeka Jeff Corwin, host and executive producer of “The Jeff Corwin Experience” for the Animal Planet network, will appear Saturday in Topeka.

Corwin, an eco-warrior and educator, will be featured at 2 p.m. at the Topeka Zoo and at 7 p.m. at the Topeka Performing Arts Center.

Corwin’s visit will help kick off Alien Invaders Outreach Program, which is designed to educate school children about the effects that introduced species can have on an ecosystem.

The appearance at the zoo is free. Admission to the TPAC event is $5 for adults and $2.50 for children ages 5-12. Tickets are available through the Junior League of Topeka, (785) 273-0830.

Events explore work of Lewis and Clark

Kansas City, Kan. Several events to observe the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition are being planned at the West Wyandotte branch of the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library, 1737 N. 82nd St.

The programs will be from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The lineup includes:

Sept. 30: “Dangerous Passages: Medical Theory and Practices of the Lewis and Clark Expedition,” by Robert Dorian, Frontier Army Museum, Fort Leavenworth.

Oct. 7: “Untested Maneuvers,” Truman Black, an elder with the Otoe-Missouria and Iowa tribes.

Oct. 14: “Intelligent Strategy, Cooperating Community,” Carol MacGregor, author and history professor at Boise State University.

Oct. 21: “Mapping the Trail,” Martin Plamondon II, map maker and author.

Oct. 28: “Passages to the West: From Lewis and Clark to Many Trails of Tears,” Fred Fausz, history professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

All the programs are free and open to the public.

Scottish games slated in McPherson

McPherson The Ninth Annual McPherson Scottish Festival and Highland Games are Saturday-Sept. 29 at Lakeside Park.

The events include athletic, highland dance and piping competitions; Scottish food; a parade of the clans; sheep dog demonstrations; falcon exhibit; British car display; and mock battles. Performers include Sue Richards, U.S. Scottish harp champion; Tullamore, an Irish and Scottish band; Alex Beaton, Scottish folk singer; and Corry Academy of Irish Dancers.

Tickets are $10 on Saturday and $8 on Sunday for adults; children enter at reduced rates. For more information, call (800) 324-8022 or e-mail cvb@mcphersonks.org.

KU alumna to stage comedy show in KC

Kansas University alumna Diane Bliss will perform a comedy show at 8 p.m. Friday at Danny’s, 1608 Main, Kansas City, Mo.

Bliss, a Los Angeles-based comedian, had a role in the Britney Spears Pepsi commercial as the woman in the bowling alley doing the arm movement. She is also featured with Ben Stiller and Kevin Bacon in a public service announcement promoting New York City after 9-11 and has appeared on Damon Wayans’ ABC sitcom “My Wife and Kids.”

After earning a degree in journalism at KU, Bliss worked at Texas Instruments and Software Innovations and was president for two years of Microsoft Windows NT User Group.

Tickets are $10. To make reservations, call Danny’s at (816) 221-2244.

Collectors to show toys in Oskaloosa

Oskaloosa Toy Collector’s Showcase will be from 1 p.m .to 5 p.m. Saturday at Old Jefferson Town Village.

Vintage and antique toys will be displayed, including antique farm toys.

There is no admission charge.

Quilt show to help hospital in Paola

Paola The Miami County Quilters Guild’s 23rd annual Drag and Brag Quilt Show will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 29 at Paola Middle School, 405 Hospital Drive.

Special events include a lecture on Kansas City star quilts and a trunk show by Jeanne Poore at 2 p.m. Saturday; a miniature quilt silent auction at 3 p.m. Sunday; and informal demonstrations of various quilting techniques.

Admission is $2.

Lawrence student wins Best of Show award

David Nieto, a seventh-grader at Central Junior High School, received the Best of Show in the 12 and under category in the juried youth competition at the 2002 Lawrence Indian Arts Show. He received the honor Sept. 13 at the show’s opening reception at Kansas University’s Museum of Anthropology.

His winning piece of sterling silver bracelet/lapis stone jewelry and two of his other works are on display at the museum.

Illustrator to give talk at Spencer Museum

Children’s book illustrator and author Stephen T. Johnson will give an artist’s talk at 7 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium at the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art at Kansas University.

The talk is in conjunction with the “N.C. Wyeth: Works from the Collection of the Brandywine River Museum” exhibition at the Spencer Museum.

Johnson, Lawrence, received his bachelor’s degree from Kansas University and studied at the Conservatoire de Beaux-Art in Bordeaux, France. His books “Alphabet City” and “City by Numbers” were named Caldecott Honor Books and “Alphabet City” received a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators.

Johnson’s work is included in “Beyond Oz: Children’s Book Illustrations from the Region” on display through Dec. 15 at Kansas State University’s Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art.