Ready to go to Greensburg
Students, media and friends arrived at the Farmland Plant by 7 a.m. Monday. Soon thereafter, the skies opened up and rain poured down, but it didn't stop the Studio 804 students from packing up, loading their cargo and moving out. Enlarge video
Studio 804 goes to Greensburg
Journal-World Reporter Jonathan Kealing went with the KU Studio 804 class to Greensburg. Take a look at his trip, as narrated by KU Professor Dan Rockhill. Enlarge video
Students, project arrive in Greensburg
Eight hours and 300 miles after leaving Lawrence, students in KU's Studio 804 class are one step closer to completing a project for tornado-ravaged Greensburg. Enlarge video
Greensburg — Eight hours and 320 miles separate the students in Kansas University's Studio 804 from the warehouse where they built a new arts center for this tornado-ravaged community.
After hours of driving wind and pounding rain, the students' yearlong project has arrived in its new home. Each year, students in Studio 804 build a structure - typically a house - but this year they designed and built the 547 Art Center.
Stacy Barnes, a former Lawrence resident and Lawrence Arts Center employee, came home to Greensburg after the tornado and will be its first director.
"To be part of my town's rebuilding, I couldn't imagine not being here," Barnes said. "After living in Lawrence, it's interesting that a Lawrence group is the one building us this arts center."
KU professor Dan Rockhill, the instructor for Studio 804, said moving this building from Lawrence to Greensburg was the longest trek he's ever had to take a building on. It was made longer both in time and distance because the building's seven oversized loads needed the open spaces of remote rural highways.
Still, even with those precautions, the trek wasn't without incident. Rockhill said, however, that the problems were minor.
"I'm delighted everything seems to be intact," he said. "We have a couple of loose pieces, but considering the thousands of pieces we used" that's not bad.
A car of three students followed the trucks from Lawrence to Greensburg, stopping at least twice to reseal parts of the building modules from the weather. At one point, north of Ottawa, Tim Overstreet climbed on top of one of the buildings and nailed down the weather-proof membrane, while being pounded by constant rain.
At another point, west of Council Grove, the students had to resecure some of the temporary siding on the building.
"The weather has been the main obstacle," said Simon Mance, an 804 student who arrived in Greensburg before the convoy finally pulled into town. "A lot of us are really tired, but we can't be tired. We're really excited to be here even if we are tired."
The students plan to have the building complete in time for an unveiling on May 4, one year to the day after the tornado tore the town apart. Between now and then, they will live in dorms at Pratt County Community College and commute 30 minutes to Greensburg every day to work on the building.
"This is just one more sign of progress," Barnes said. "It's just one more sign we're rebuilding."
Barnes said the plan is to take over from the student architects in May and be ready to offer the first classes this summer. Eventually the center will include exhibits, performances and classes.
"We're going to start small and do a few things, but do them well," she said.
That seems to be the theme in Greensburg these days. Though the area surrounding the new art center remains mostly barren, aside from the nearby Big Well - billed as the world's largest hand-dug well, there are signs of rebirth.
Small signs.
Comments
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BigPrune (anonymous) says…
It sounds like Greensburg must be completely rebuilt since they are getting a new arts center.
Haiku_Cuckoo (anonymous) says…
And to think, this new center, prefabricated in Lawrnece, wouldn't be good enough for Lawrence. This building could be bullt next to the East Lawrence rec center as a branch library. :.but in a community of elitists and socialists, it wouldn't be good enough. Not expensive enough.
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Actually, there are numerous Rockhill buildings in Lawrence. Unfortunately, many of them are inhabited by people who don't take care of them.
BigAl (anonymous) says…
Great outlook there, hawkperched..... Thanks for whining away about the "elitists and socialists" of Lawrence. However, it was those people that made this possible. There were a lot of donations by local people and businesses for this project. So, while you are complaining and whining, other people are getting it done.
BigAl (anonymous) says…
I realize this is old but it really applies here:
Do you want some cheese with that whine?
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
Pogo -
Wow. That's a whole lot of ignorance in one post. Kudos.
BTW, the secession nonsense was in the 80s and it invovled wackos in SW KS and not Kiowa County, althought there may have been a few residents sympathetic towards the notion of Topeka ignoring rural concerns.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"It's good enough for Kiowa county but in no way, shape, or form would we even put something like that in Eudora:..".
I have to disagree-- with the ugly building we ended up with as our new arts center, I have no reason to believe this particular design would be rejected here.
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
I stand corrected. The nonsensical issue was 1991. A thousand apologies, Pogo.
Newell_Post (anonymous) says…
Wow, Hawk. You remember Penn House? You must be as old as I am. I worked on that one. Must have been 1982 or something like that....
BigAl (anonymous) says…
All I see here is a couple of sad, pathetic little whiners...
billbodiggens (anonymous) says…
Hey Pogo, give it rest or at least find out what you are talking about.
Actually the Posse Comitatus has always been and still is more active in the squats of northeastern Kansas then it has ever been in any other region of Kansas, Just ask the KBI and the local court systems.
On the other hand, Greensburg does not need an arts center, they need houses to live in. This is something that some people in Lawrence wanted them to have, not what they needed.
officeboy (anonymous) says…
I am a bit amazed and amused at all of the previous postings. All this time I thought the Lawrence area was the center of Higher education.
The fine folks in Kiowa County don't deserve the bashing you are handing out. They didn't ask for the Arts Center, it was offered. To their dismay, and contrary to news reports that made it sound as if it were a gift, they have been asked to pay the fine folks at 804 or whatever it is, nearly $300,000.00 dollars for this fine act of love from the KU community. Go Portland State.
ANGEL_WARRIOR_MUTTER (VICKI WILLIAMS) says…
how come i do not see any of my messages i posted here earlier this afternoon??? god bless. angel_warrior_mutter
ANGEL_WARRIOR_MUTTER (VICKI WILLIAMS) says…
officeboy you are so right we did not ask or request art building. but being charged for it is unthinkable. god bless. think i will unsubscribe from this. god bless all
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
Angel Warrior Mutter -
Wrong thread.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/mar...
Seriously, don't let the trolls get to you. Not worth losing sleep over what anonymous users post on this board.
ANGEL_WARRIOR_MUTTER (VICKI WILLIAMS) says…
ty bob may all have a blessed easter.
seahorselover (anonymous) says…
I think you all are missing the boat here. It's not about whether Lawrence would have taken the building. It's about the students in Studio 804 specifically wanting to put it in Greensburg, and building it for that purpose. At least if Greensburg is rebuilding, it is choosing to take the opportunity to make itself better by having environmentally friendly building requirements and including an arts center to increase arts education. By the way, the town is NOT rebuilt yet.
The_Original_Bob (anonymous) says…
It must be a hell of a good life to live to have so much anger. Huh, Pogo? I'm sorry you hate Lawrence so much. I know the mayor and several city council members in Greensburg and not a one is a bigot. Please keep your lies to your customers at the coffee shop. Who knew being a barista was so tough?
Gootsie (anonymous) says…
Pogo, I may have to get medieval on your hiney. That town has more closeness and good ole' Kansas hospitality than you could even dream about. I'm so proud of the 804 group for doing their part. Apparently you didn't learn about kindness and generosity when you were/will be growing up.
Maybe this publicity will get others to do something too? I suggest all of you negatives back off and let them have some fun. Heaven knows, they've deserved it. What would you do if they found your neighbor in a tree with no skin left and about half his body?