Kansas

The Kansas Lottery is commemorating Kansas’ 150th birthday with 10 paintings of the state, which will be on display from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Landmark National Bank, 4621 W. Sixth St.

The paintings, which cover topics from trains in Strong City to bison to famous Kansans, were commissioned for the new $2 scratch ticket called Happy 150 Kansas. All are second-chance drawings for the ticket, which means a lottery-ticket holder who doesn’t win money still might win a painting.

Jamie Lavin, Gardner resident and curator of the collection, gave 10 Kansas artists guidelines for the paintings and gave them a quick turnaround for finishing them. While the reason for commissioning them was so they could be prizes, the paintings also captured the beauty and diversity of the state.

“I love where I come from,” he said. “There’s just a great deal of beauty here.”

Four of the paintings were selected to be images on the scratch tickets: a Kanza Indian chief, a lone bison, the Strong City train depot and a cattle drive.

Prints of the images will be available at the showing, and most artists will be on hand to sign the prints.

Artists who created the pieces and their topics: Chun Wang, Shawnee, the Wyandotte Constitution; Don Dane, Olathe, a Kanza Indian chief; Elaine Lierly Jones, Gardner, famous Kansans; Gary Ozias, Downs, a bison; Michael Walsh, formerly of Ellsworth, Strong City train depot; Joe Bucher, Louisburg, a cattle drive; Kathy Thompson, Lawrence, modern farming; Susan Sinclair, Lenexa, Kansas aviation; Dan Brewer, Westwood, Nicodemus; and Jamie Lavin, Gardner, where historic trails divide.