Carnegie Center presents art, art and more art

The Carnegie Center for the Arts opens a new exhibit this weekend.
    "Made in Dodge City" features the work of Dodge City-area artists and has the added dimension of the presence of the artists at work throughout the exhibit.
    Nearly 20 artists will exhibit their work, and some of them have agreed to stop by the Carnegie on a random schedule to demonstrate their techniques, talk about their art and answer questions.
    "We're not sure exactly when they might drop in, because it's hard to pin an artist down to a time schedule," said Dona Lancaster, director of the center. "We just encourage people to stop by, see the exhibit, and you never know — there might be a painter painting in one corner and a musician playing in another."
    The Carnegie has expanded its regular hours for the summer months, hoping to attract additional tourist foot traffic. The doors open at 10 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and the center closes at 5 p.m. except on Saturday, when it closes at 3 p.m.
    "We've already had visitors from Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Canada this summer," Lancaster said.
    The "Made in Dodge City" exhibit continues through Aug. 1.

Final Friday Celebration
    The Center will celebrate Final Friday in June with a full slate of activities. The event, scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on June 26, will also serve as the artists' reception for the current exhibit.
    Entertainment for the Final Friday event will be provided by Jim Johnson, local actor and musician, who will bring the character "Good Time Charley" to the stage at the Carnegie. Charlie plays banjo and other acoustic instruments, sings songs from the turn of the century through the 1920s and tells some good stories.

A revitalized reading garden
    Also on June 26, Carnegie will rededicate the Denious Reading Garden, which has recently been renovated thanks to an Eagle Scout project by Brendan Wenzel.
    Wenzel and a group of his family and friends spent over 135 hours working in the garden, beginning with extensive cleaning and maintenance. Drains were cleaned out and sheltered storage built. The entire planting scheme was re-worked with the help of Sue Stoppel. Rose bushes, river rock and landscape timbers were added.
    Wenzel raised funds from area civic clubs including the Dodge City Rotary Club, the Knights of Columbus and the Columbian Squires. Waters True Value and the Dodge City Sand Company discounted materials for the project.
    Wenzel is a Life Scout with Boy Scout Troop 162.
    For more information about Carnegie Center for the Arts, call (620) 225-6388. The Center is located at 701 Second Ave., on the corner of Spruce Street.