Chanute is home to the world-famous Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum. The Johnsons took the roads less traveled in Africa, the South Seas and Borneo in the 1920s and ‘30s.
Chanute is also home to:
~ The Chanute Art Gallery
~ Chanute Historical Museum
~ Cardinal Drug Store
Old Fashioned Soda Fountain
~ Howard’s Toys for Big Boys
Antique Car Museum
~ Summit Hill Gardens Soap Shop
~ Veterans Memorial
For more information: 620-431-3350 information@chanutechamber.com www.chanutechamber.com
The Bowlus Fine Arts Center is an institution, a definition that often imparts stodginess and pomposity.
I’ll give you that the Center has an imposing presence. But inside, it’s an inviting and exciting world of dance, music, art, drama and literature that demands you open your mind and sometimes let down your hair.
This issue celebrates the Bowlus’s 60th anniversary by not only previewing the upcoming 2024-2025 season, but also recapping how the Bowlus came to be a premier fine arts center.
Its beginning was based on the generosity of Thomas H. Bowlus, who wanted to enrich the lives of fellow citizens — especially children.
Bowlus died on Dec. 17, 1960. Four months later, the wheels began turning to bring his dream to reality.
By September 1964, Allen County had a state-of-the-art auditorium with two large rehearsal rooms, a recital hall
EDITORS:
Susan Lynn and Tim Stau er
Susan Lynn Register editor
and four classrooms with Dale P. Creitz as its director.
At its formal dedication on Sept. 17, 1964, Raymond Smith, president of the local school board, presciently called the Center, “much more than a building, much more than a gift,” but a “challenge to every citizen of this area to think constructively and positively of the ways and means to attain the goal established for us by Mr. Bowlus.”
The response to the fine arts center was outright awe.
Here’s but one of many Letters to the Editor submitted after the dedication:
Editor Register: Relative to the dedication services Sunday afternoon in the Fine Arts Center, I count that hour to be
STORIES AND PHOTOS:
Susan Lynn, Vickie Moss and Sarah Haney
Bowlus vision lives on
one of the greatest epochs Iola will ever see.
Seldom shall we hear such a masterly performance in the field of music, or hear a more uplifting dedicatory address as given by Mr. Roe Bartle.
How I wish I was a lad again and be given the magnificent challenge so gracefully offered by Mr. Tom Bowlus to all who may seek an education.
This is the hour of truth, also the hour of deep concern for all youth of this area.
May they embrace fully these exceptional opportunities so rare and desirable.
Sincerely,
J. Frank Stevens,
Humboldt
Mr. Bowlus dreamed the fine arts center would play a central role in the cultural education of Allen County children by expanding their horizons.
Beside the entrance to the Center is an engraved plaque with this excerpt from his last
ADVERTISING:
Tim Stau er and Paul Vernon
MARKETING AND DESIGN: Kristi Kranker
Violeta Rodriguez Stau er
will and testament:
“I have always been dedicated to the proposition that the best tool with which to equip our youth to confront the future is an education, and that such education should include an appreciation of things artistic, musical and cultural, as well as things academic and scientific.
“It is to that end and such purposes that I dedicate the aforedescribed premises.”
Since its inception the Bowlus has been regarded as “the jewel” in Iola’s crown.
Sixty years out, it’s become part of the woodwork, allowing some of us to forget how incredible a facility it is.
Keeping it burnished is a challenge to all future generations.
How do we do that? By using it. Honoring it with our gifts. And recognizing its incredible value to our quality of life.
We’re all the richer because of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
Gala Concert
60th Anniversary • 1964-2024
Celebrating the 60th Abbamania
September 14, 7 p.m.
Abbamania Canada is the top tribute production of ABBA. The incredible performance is coming to The Bowlus Fine Arts Center Sept. 14 for the 60th anniversary gala concert.
They are the only ABBA production to perform for the original cast of “Mamma Mia” and they did it twice.
Hear all the hits from “Waterloo”, “Take a Chance”, “S.O.S” “Super Trooper” to “Dancing Queen.”
Also on the show is Night Fever as the Bee Gees. With all the high harmonies and stage presence of the Bee Gees, they perform all of your favorites including “Jive Talking,” “To Love Somebody,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “You Should Be Danc ing” plus many more.
Abbamania and Night Fever have been touring for the last 20 years and will take you back in time when ABBA and The Bee Gees ruled the pop music world.
It’s an amazing per formance, it’s a whole lot of fun and you’re going to love it!
The show consists of studio musicians, live horns and strings plus an incredible front
4 that recreate ABBA live in concert. Abbamania and Night Fever have been
touring for the last 20 years and will take you back in time when Abba and The Bee Gees ruled the pop music world. Special guests for this show are Angela Seeger as the incredible Adele.
Tickets are $30 for the orchestra and $20 for balcony seats.
Special appearance by
Tom the mime
Internet sensation Tom the Mime will entertain the crowd as part of the Abbamania concert. Videos of his hilarious interactions with guests at SeaWorld Orlando garner millions of views on TikTok and YouTube. He studied at Marcel Marceau’s International School of Mime in Paris, France.
60th Anniversary • 1964-2024
MUMMENSCHANZ
November 19, 7 p.m.
MUMMENSCHANZ is taking its “50 Years” anniversary production on tour through the United States. The act delighted a Bowlus audience in 1984 and is returning for the facility’s 60th anniversary season. Since it was founded in Paris in 1972, MUMMENSCHANZ has been a global touchstone for contemporary mask-based theater that transcends cultures and linguistic boundaries with a single word.
Who Brought the Humbug?
December 14, 7 p.m.
Join us for one wildly creative, interactive, holiday show the whole family can enjoy. This holiday spectacular is jam-packed with high-energy music, Broadway-style theatrics, special guests, and out-of-this-world tap dancing. The show takes place at an ugly sweater party, where all the guests are joyful singers, incredible tap dancers, and high-energy musicians. The interactive fun takes off on a jolly sleigh ride of swingin’ holiday mash-ups.
Dragons & Mythical Beasts
February 23, 4 p.m.
Calling all brave heroes! Enter into a magical world of myths and legends in this fantastical show for all the family. Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts. This show comes from the creators of the international smash hit Dinosaur World Live, which delighted audiences at the Bowlus last year.
Illusionist Rick Thomas: Mansion of Dreams
March 8, 7 p.m.
“Mansion of Dreams” is the crowning achievement of the multiaward winning Master Illusionist Rick Thomas. Stunning magic, extreme comedy, exquisite dancers and an inspiring story are woven into one of the most amazing productions ever to be seen on stage and television. Honors include the coveted “Magician of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Arts and Magic’s highest recognition ,“Illusionist of the World,” by the World Magic Awards. Now witness for yourself the most intriguing, innovative and mind-blowing grand illusions in the world.
“Abbamania” will fuel the party as the Bowlus Fine Arts Center celebrates its 60th anniversary gala.
The gala is a way to honor the past while preparing Iola’s performing arts center for the future, Executive Director Daniel Kays said. He hopes the event will serve as a sort of template for future fundraising celebrations. Ideally, he’d like to host a smaller gala every couple of years.
That’s because it’s important to remind the community of the Bowlus’s unique place in Iola’s past, present and future.
Thanks to the foresight of Tom Bowlus and his supporters, the Bowlus was built to stand the test of time while providing highquality performing arts and cultural activities despite its location in a small community. It was perhaps the first such venue in Southeast Kansas. Even 60 years later, few communities can offer such a showpiece.
But time takes a toll. The aging building has needed infrastructure upgrades over the past couple of years, including a new fire alarm system, HVAC, roofs and sewage system improvements. Kays anticipates more work will be needed in the future, such as replacing asbestos flooring in many parts of the building.
Other donors may choose simply to beautify the building and its
Bowlus Fine Arts Center, for bringing beauty to Allen County for 60 years and counting.
grounds. The Friends of the Bowlus group led a campaign to build a new east entrance in 2018. Other recent improvements include a new parking lot and metal sculpture.
The gala should inspire the community to support the facility for years to come, Kays said.
The gala will be a three-tiered event with dinner, a reception with a silent auction, and the show.
The evening starts with dinner. Tickets are already sold out, with some seats reserved for special guests that include family members of Bowlus icons and longtime supporters.
After dinner but before the show, participants can attend a reception with hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and silent auction downstairs. Tickets for just the reception and show are $45. Those who purchase this package will also have prime seats for the show.
“Abbamania” will take the stage for the feature presentation, recreating the feel of a live concert for one of the most successful pop bands in music history. This particular tribute crew hails from Canada and has performed for the cast of “Mamma Mia.” Special guests will also feature the music of Adele and Night Fever, the Bee Gees.
Growing up in the Bowlus
It was the first night of dress rehearsal for a Children’s Summer Theatre Workshop production in July. Nic Olson watched his 11-year-old son, Jim, walk into the Bowlus Fine Arts Center “like a kid fresh off the bus in New York City.” Jim carried his costume in a bag slung over his shoulder. He stepped onto the stage, raised his face toward the rafters and soaked in the atmosphere.
Jim said: “I’m home.”
It was a full-circle moment for Olson. He, too, was a child when he first stepped onto the Bowlus stage. Decades later, he still feels the magic.
“This space is an inspiration, especially for kids. As long as we continue to use it, the Bowlus is going to inspire our kids the same way it did for us,” he said.
Olson was joined by Bryan Johnson and John Higginbotham, all “theatre kids” whose lives were greatly influenced by the fine arts center’s offerings.
And now they’re now shaping the next generation of Bowlus enthusiasts. Johnson is an assistant technical director at the Bowlus, a job previously held by Higginbotham for 10 years.
Higginbotham now teaches elementary school art and middle school drama classes, as well as the annual CSTW classes at the Bowlus. Olson recently joined Iola High School as an art teacher and remains a regular in Iola Community Theatre productions.
Johnson and Higginbotham’s relationships with the Bowlus are truly generational, as they accompanied their parents and siblings to the performing arts center for ICT productions starting at a young age.
“I remember getting dragged along to rehearsals when I was too young to audition,” Higginbotham said. “Then as I got older, (Technical Director) Bill Nix said, ‘Hey, you look like you could push
heavy things. You should come with me.’ That’s how I transitioned to staging and I kind of stayed there.”
The scenario rang true for Johnson. He’d also tagged along to watch his family perform and help with backstage activities. It wasn’t long before Johnson took to the stage himself.
“My first ICT show on the stage was in first grade with the production of ‘Oliver,’” Johnson said.
“‘Oliver’ was also one of my first memories,” Higginbotham recalled. He is two years younger than Johnson, which would have made him around 4 at the time.
“Susan Raines was in the play and her character died. At that time I didn’t know how to separate it from reality. Susan got murdered on stage and I remember being devastated. And then after the show, she came out and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re alive!’”
Nic Olson, John Higginbotham and Bryan Johnson grew up as “theatre kids” at the Bowlus. They’re now leading the next generation of performing artists.
All three remember attending classes at the Bowlus when band, choir, art and drama were still offered there to middle and high school students.
USD 257 board members pulled the classes from the Bowlus beginning in the 2018 fall semester due to safety concerns.
It was the end of an era.
The three spoke with nostalgia about taking classes at the Bowlus. Johnson graduated in 2002, Higginbotham in 2004 and Olson in 2005.
“For me, it started in kindergarten going to the Bowlus for school plays and music contests,” Johnson said.
“I spent years watching my dad and my brother and all the stuff that happened here. I grew up with the ladies in the office, Mary Martin and Alberta Jeffries.
“I was so excited once I was old enough to take classes here. This place will always be a part of me because it’s where I learned to stand and talk in front of a class. All of my memories and my friendships are so closely tied to this place. Now, working here, I get to have a totally different perspective.”
For Higginbotham, the Bowlus was where he felt most comfortable.
“I took every class I could here,” he said. “Band, jazz band, choir, show choir, theatre. I tried to take an art class but that didn’t go so well.”
And now he’s an art
teacher. “I’m very successful at the elementary level,” he joked. “Last year was my first year of teaching and I loved it. I tell the kids, ‘A lot of you are going to be better artists than me. I want you to be creative and fall in love with the fine arts.’”
Olson said, “I tell people it was almost like I went to two different schools. They had very different vibes. Everything I wanted to try — band, choir, theatre, art — was all here. And it was an opportunity to leave school, which felt a little escapist. We made friends walking between classes. You always had someone to walk with.
“And we always walked. Even if it was cold,” he added in a way that made it very clear they did not always walk, but ran, even though it was against the rules.
NOW, they’re the fathers of Bowlus performers.
Higginbotham, in fact, has worked with all of their children as an instructor for CSTW.
Johnson’s stepson, Jeffery Ashworth, has taken more of an interest in the behind-thescenes action.
“I had Jeffrey in my theatre class last year,” Higginbotham said. “He’s a little shy but I know he can perform if he gets over that stage fright. And, I mean, I’ll always train up a technician because we need them.”
we’re in our golden era,” reflected Higginbotham.
SO are kids today very different from years past?
“Coming out of COVID, I think they’re a little more reserved or timid. But then once you get them out of their shell, you’re like, ‘OK, go back in that shell just a little bit. I don’t need all of that.’ It’s like zero, 10, 100,” Higginbotham said. “They’re so creative. This year, the plays were so well-written. The acting was great for their age group. They took direction well. They have so much technology at their fingertips. They watch videos and reproduce what other people do, in a good way.”
This past summer, Higginbotham taught his three children and Olson’s three sons at the summer theatre program. “I feel like
Bryan Johnson, John Higginbotham and Nic Olson
Tom Bowlus
In the annals of Iola’s history, few names resonate with the enduring impact of Tom Bowlus.
The Bowlus legacy began in 1868, when George Bowlus, Tom’s father, arrived in Iola, at the age of 27. George, originally from Maryland, ventured westward amid the post-Civil War migration.
Settling in southeast Kansas, George Bowlus became very successful through his early investments and dealings with rail companies, facilitating the construction of a vital rail corridor through Allen County. His investments in land also paid off handsomely with the discovery of natural gas, turning previously undervalued farmland into highly sought-after real estate.
Recognizing the need to solidify his financial empire, George helped establish Iola’s first bank in 1885 — the Bank of Allen County. As its first president, he laid the groundwork for a financial institution that would grow alongside his fortunes.
TOM BOWLUS, born in 1874, was the eldest of George and Clara Bowlus’s seven children. He and his family lived in a large Victorian-style home on the southeast corner of the intersection of what is now Madison Avenue and Sycamore Street.
Tom joined the family bank as a teller and steadily ascended through the ranks.
Following George’s death in 1908, Tom was appointed the bank’s second president at age 34. His tenure spanned over half a century, during which the bank evolved into Allen County State Bank and
eventually Emprise Bank.
An avid fan of the performing arts, Tom appreciated how the performance halls in Kansas City enhanced a production.
The story goes that in 1958, a performance by the U.S. Navy Band at Iola’s Memorial Hall was so distorted by the cavernous building that Bowlus declared “something ought to be done about that.”
So, he dedicated the bulk of his estate to the creation of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center with the intent that it further the cultural education “of our youth” and for all citizens of the area by providing “facilities, programs and entertainments perhaps not otherwise available.”
Bowlus directed that his stately family home be demolished to make way for the new building, and that the Iola School District oversee its operations. The will also included provisions for the trust funds to support cultural and educational events. Bowlus’s directive was clear: the construction of the center had to commence within two years of his death, or the funds would aid Allen County students in attending the University of Kansas.
The ensuing months saw the
school district and bank trustees navigating the challenges of design and funding. The projected cost of $900,000 was eventually covered by selling bank stock, leading to the construction of the Center. Completed in 1964, the Bowlus quickly became “the jewel” in Iola’s cultural landscape.
The dedication ceremony, featuring
and performances by the Kansas
Symphony Orchestra set a high standard for future events.
That the Bowlus continues to attract top-tier performances and provide educational opportunities is a testament to Tom Bowlus’s vision and generosity. His is a legacy that instills a cultural spirit that, with good leadership, will endure for generations to come.
former Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle,
City
Dale Creitz inspired perfection
Dale P. Creitz was appointed as the first director of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center by the Iola board of education on Sept. 9, 1964.
The new role was a fitting culmination for the longtime music instructor. Creitz wielded his baton from 1943 until his retirement in 1974.
He taught band, orchestra, music theory and piano lab to Iola junior high, high school and community college students. He also directed the Iola Municipal Band for 25 years and the Iola Area Symphony Orchestra for 16.
Though his resume was accomplished, the impression he left with students was even more so.
An Iola Register article shortly after his passing in 2001 at age 94 tells the story:
“I wish every student could have a Mr. Creitz as a teacher,” said Beverly Hawk, a 1954 IHS graduate who played percussion in the band and symphony.
“You would walk through coals for him,” recalled Donna Talkington (Class of 1949, flute in band, piano in symphony and drum major in marching band.)
Mary Martin (Class of 1956, clarinet in band and symphony) said, “The first time you met him, you respected him. And he showed respect to the student, too.”
Ken McGuffin (Class of 1961, trombone in band and symphony) added, “We also respected the program’s tradition. Mr. Creitz had built a
very strong band in Iola.”
“That’s right. You wanted to be in band,” said Judy Laver, Class of 1958 who played clarinet in band, contra-bass clarinet in symphony and was a majorette in the marching band.
Creitz also saw that everyone had a chance to perform.
“If there was a student who wanted to be in the band, he would find a way,” recalled Judy Zirjacks (Class of 1960, trumpet in marching band, French horn in concert band and symphony).
“He would teach them an instrument that the school had, or he would find an instrument for them. And nobody would ever know.”
“I was one of the students who couldn’t afford an instrument, and he got me one,” Laver said. “The way he gave us all self-worth was what I really appreciated.”
Zirjacks recalled that she began taking music lessons from Creitz when she was in the second grade.
“I wasn’t the best music student he ever had, but the joy I’ve had with music throughout my life is because of him.”
Jeannie Valentine (Class of 1961, clarinet in marching and concert band) also remembered the encouragement provided by Creitz.
“I think he gave everyone self-confidence,” she said. “I remember him saying before we walked on the field, ‘Remember who you are.’”
“And when we were on the
Dale P. Creitz
field, he was never down there with us. He didn’t feel it was necessary because we were prepared,” added Mary Kay Heard (Class of 1961, flute in concert band, majorette in marching band and bass violin in symphony).
When Thomas Bowlus, who donated the money for
the fine arts center, was near death, Creitz visited him in the hospital. Bowlus was leaning toward putting the facility in his will, but wanted to consult with Creitz one last time about whether it would be wanted and used by the community.
“The appreciation for culture and the arts in this community that Dale helped build had as much to do with Mr. Bowlus’s decision as anything,” Martin said.
Martin also noted that Creitz’s confidence in her was why she eventually became director of the Bowlus Center.
“It’s a good thing he didn’t tell me I could fly or I’d be somewhere right now flapping my arms real hard.”
WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT
THE
BOWLUS FINE ARTS CENTER
Bob Cook - Owner/Operator
P.O. Box 297 ~ 105 S. Main ~ Gas, KS 66742 620-365-0029
60th Anniversary • 1964-2024
In the Spirit of Lennon
September 21, 7 p.m.
Drew Harrison’s intimate acoustic tribute to John Lennon interprets the songs as Lennon intended, and the stories behind them. Accompanied on piano by Tommy Cosentino, Harrison goes beyond just sounding like Lennon, capturing the intensity and delicate honesty that Lennon brought to the music of The Beatles, as well as his post-Beatles work between 1970-1980.
Chloë Agnew October 12, 7 p.m.
Chloë Agnew is an internationally renowned singer who shot to fame for her integral part as the youngest and one of the original members of the world-famous music group Celtic Woman which she joined when she was just 14.
She was born in Dublin, Ireland to entertainer Adele “Twink” King and Irish oboist David Agnew. Chloë performed with Celtic Woman for almost a decade before moving on to pursue a solo career in 2013. Her debut solo single “Love is Christmas,” entered the Top 10 in the iTunes music charts. Chloë’s new musical style is unlike anything fans have heard before from this talented Irish songbird.
Remember When Rock Was Young: The Elton John Experience
April 12, 4 p.m.
Prepare for a full-strength stage experience like you've never seen before. Capturing the music, costumes and charisma of Sir Elton John, this show leaves audiences amazed by all the fun they've had. It stars the multiple award winning, multi talented singer/actor/pianist Craig A Meyer, considered the best Elton John tribute artist around.
Next Generation Leahy May 3, 7 p.m.
As with all forces of nature, the music and energy created by The Next Generation Leahy simply cannot be contained. The drive to create music is powerful within each of the Leahy children. It has given rise to multi-instrumental talents, whose dynamic live performances have been described as “astounding” and “breathtaking.”
The siblings, ages 9-18, play the music of their Irish heritage. Their parents, the original “Leahy,” thrilled an audience at the Bowlus in 2005, truly earning the title of “the next generation.”
Daniel Kays: Leaning into the future
In the spring of 2020, Daniel Kays looked forward to wrapping up his first full season leading the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. He spent months carefully researching events to represent his new vision as executive director: To increase the number of high-quality shows and foster community partnerships to support the performing arts for future generations.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and threw everything into disarray.
“We’d gone three-quarters of the way through the season, so people got to see the quality of shows I bring. But that was my first season and I didn’t get to finish it,” Kays said.
But as they say, the show must go on. And in Iola, it did.
Kays worked to convince local health officials to allow the Bowlus to offer limited performances with social distancing, reduced audience size and increased sanitation. It was one of the few venues in the country to remain open through the 2020-21 season.
“That brought about my introduction in a different way. I’m saying, ‘Trust me. We can do this. We can continue
to foster our mission versus closing our doors.’ That’s a hard position to be in,” he said, his voice catching with emotion as he reflected on the experience. “We ended up being OK. And it helped me believe in myself more.”
KAYS came to Iola in late 2018, succeeding director Susan Raines. He and his wife, Laura, were living in California with their sons and looking for a new opportunity. He didn’t know much about Iola until he came for an interview.
“I told Laura, ‘There’s something exciting happening here. A new chapter. And I think we can be part of it.’”
Kays grew up in Colorado and caught the performing bug early in life. He started acting in high school and continued through college, when he took a stage management class and decided to pursue that route.
into management and led a capital campaign to build a $12 million facility.
A few years later, he discovered the Bowlus.
“I was hired to turn a page,” he said, noting that USD 257 voted to stop sending students into the Bowlus for classes shortly before he arrived.
“How else can this building
be used? What activities and programming can we add? We were slowed incredibly by COVID. Imagine where we’d be today if that hadn’t happened,” he mused.
Indeed, the Bowlus’s bottom line took quite a hit from the pandemic. People “lost the habit” of going to the theatre and hesitated to socialize in
After college, he became an equity stage manager. He toured the country as a technical director, then embarked on a tour in Europe. Not long after he and Laura settled in California, he moved
large crowds. The economy slowed and inflation spiked.
Kays pushed through his agenda in spite of the challenges, more than doubling the number of shows from five or six per year to 14 within four categories: a family series, music series, recitals and speakers.
He developed a corporate sponsorship program, encouraging industries and businesses to support the arts. His first season collected $20,000. This year, the fund is expected to top $70,000.
“It’s important that corporations invest in this venue. We contribute to the quality of life for their employees. Their children perform here,” he said.
His “Raise the Curtain” campaign targeted individual
donors. Last season, the campaign raised more than $20,000. His goal this year is $35,000.
During his tenure, the Bowlus has seen an increase in rental events for private parties and conferences. Kays plans to continue to target those activities.
The original building is now 60 years old, which means it requires repairs and updates.
Kays has addressed a few infrastructure issues at a hefty cost, and anticipates more on the horizon. For example, the original tile floor contains asbestos and needs to be replaced.
He’s also eyeing some capital improvement projects, such as remodeling the entrance with glass doors to allow passersby to see the activity and
enthusiasm inside. He wants to replace the seats in the auditorium to allow limited food or beverages, which would target a new genre of performers such as comedians or bands whose contracts require a portion of alcohol sales.
And as the Bowlus celebrates its 60th anniversary, Kays is turning his attention to the future. The gala on Sept. 14 is not about looking to the past, he said. It’s an opportunity to introduce the facility to future generations. He wants everyone in the community to understand the value of the Bowlus.
“We absolutely have room to grow,” he said. “We can add more programming. We can add more events. At some point, that might take
more staff. In order to do that, we need to shore up more funding.”
IN PREPARING for the 60th season, Kays wanted to continue the theme of honoring the past but stepping into the future. Some of the acts should trigger nostalgia, such as the Mummenschanz puppets that performed at the Bowlus in 1984, and the Next Generation Leahy featuring the children of a 2005 Bowlus act. Others are up-and-coming performers and speakers, including Diane Ruby Lane, founder of Get Lit, and TAKE3, a trio with rockstar charisma. Families that enjoyed last year’s “Dinosaur World Live” will be thrilled by “Dragons and Mythical Beasts” from the same company.
Former Bowlus Executive Director Susan Raines will never forget the time Jack Hanna, the iconic zookeeper and host of “Into the Wild,” brought his show to the facility.
“We hit it off from the beginning. He was just flabbergasted that a building like the Bowlus existed in this size of a community,” she recalled. “After 60 years, I think people forget how unusual this is. It’s a real gift to the community.”
It’s a gift Raines felt honored to protect and nurture during her 14 years at the helm. When she looks back on her tenure, she’s most grateful for all of those who also made it their mission to support Tom Bowlus’s vision for the performing arts center.
It’s a long list. During a phone interview from her home in Lawrence, Raines rattled off memories that were all tied to those efforts.
“I will be eternally grateful to the attorneys and clients who guided the funds for programming. I was the envy of almost every other executive director because I could guarantee I’d have money for programming,” she said.
“Even though we had great donors, the trusts that were set up — especially the Sleeper Trust that started the whole thing — were invaluable.”
After 60 years, I think people forget how unusual the Bowlus is. It’s a real gift to the community.
I was the envy of almost every other executive director because I could guarantee I’d have money for programming.
Later, the Sleeper Trust allowed funds to be used to pay for some staff and other types of overhead.
“It’s not very glamorous to write a trust for utilities. Almost nobody does that,” she said.
Raines especially enjoyed working with the different boards that oversee the Bowlus and its activities. The USD 257 school board has the ultimate authority and is guided by the Bowlus Commission and assisted by the Friends of the Bowlus.
“Some people were very passionate about the Bowlus, and then there were times I had to supply information that would convince people this was a worthwhile community asset to support.
Susan Raines: ‘Eternally
grateful’
for support
In the early days, there weren’t a lot of other non-profit organizations that were competing with you for funding,” she said.
During her time as director, Raines also worked to secure funding from the City of Iola and the Allen County commission. Local governments are expected to contribute $274,894 out of a total $563,594 operations budget for the 202425 year, according to figures provided by current director Dan Kays. The school district will provide $66,683; the county, $172,219; and the city, $35,992. The Bowlus investment portfolio will add $69,000.
A LIFELONG thespian and 1973 graduate of Iola High School, Raines appeared in countless plays and musicals on both the Bowlus and Iola Community Theatre stage.
Raines retired from the Bowlus when her contract ended June 30, 2018. She moved to Lawrence where her daughter, Samantha, and her husband live.
She soon found herself working at a downtown art gallery, but left the job when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
She’s also joined volunteer groups such as the League of Women Voters.
Gallery honors former director
Tucked in a lower level of the Bowlus is an art gallery named after Mary L. Martin who served as the Center’s executive director from 1984 to 2004.
The gallery displays rotating works of art, typically aligned with ongoing performances.
The gallery was a former piano laboratory that had sat idle for years.
Thanks to the brainstorming, funds and strong backs of Iola Rotarians and members of Friends of the Bowlus, it was converted into the art gallery in 2005.
At its dedication on Feb. 20, 2005, Georgia Masterson, thenBoard of Education president for USD 257 noted, “I’ve watched the transformation of the Bowlus Center during Mary’s tenure into a true arts center. Under Mary’s direction, the Bowlus Center added to our cultural well-being and made the Bowlus Center a place that is known throughout the country, throughout the world,” Masterson said.
Susan Raines, then executive director of the Bowlus, noted the challenges of turning a plain concrete-walled classroom into an aesthetically pleasing art gallery.
Raines consulted Robert Cugno and Robert Logan, who had worked as curators at Garnett’s art gallery and provided valuable suggestions.
A large oil painting by noted Kansas artist Birger Sandzen was the inspiration for the gallery’s dark royal blue walls, which provide a neutral background for the white reliefs on which the artwork is displayed.
“I wanted to keep the Sandzen painting as the focal point of the gallery so the background color is from that, not because it’s the school colors as some might think,” Raines said.
Martin, a lifelong thespian, passed away in 2015.
“I can’t remember a time I wasn’t involved with the Iola Community Theatre,” Martin shared in a 2004 Register article when she was recognized as Iola Business and Professional Women’s Club’s “Woman of the Year.”
“In fact,” Martin continued, “I was there was when ICT was organized 40 years ago.”
The Mary L. Martin Gallery
Mary L. Martin
From sewing costumes to building sets to directing plays, Martin did it all.
As Bowlus director, Martin said, “There wasn’t a time I wasn’t thinking about last year’s books, this year’s events and planning for next year’s season.”
During her tenure, the use of the fine
arts facility had more than doubled.
“Some people think we only stage plays. That is so far from the truth,” she said.
About 500 USD 257 students used the Center for art, music, speech and drama each school year, she said, in addition to it hosting concerts, rehearsals, meetings,
4-H Days, district music festivals, forensic meets, school programs and art exhibits.
“I think if Mr. Bowlus is looking down on us, he would be so pleased with the Bowlus and how the community has embraced his vision for a fine arts center in Iola,” she said.
60th Anniversary • 1964-2024
Cavatina Duo
October 15, 7 p.m.
The Cavatina Duo — Eugenia Moliner, flute, and Denis Azabagic, guitar — has become one of the most impressive combinations of its kind in the world. The Cavatina Duo infuses new sounds and emotional depth into their performances, providing audiences with an electrifying and unique musical experience that resonates globally. The duo has performed at major concert halls across the world.
Eugenia Moliner, a native of Spain, is celebrated for her brilliant artistry. Acclaimed by the British Flute Society and Flute Talk magazines, Moliner’s performances weave captivating musical tales, highlighting her mastery of colors and a sensuality finely attuned to the demands of the music.
Denis Azabagic is a Bosnian guitarist who has been acknowledged as a virtuoso with flawless technique by Soundboard.
Bridge and Wolak
April 24, 7 p.m.
Bridge & Wolak are a musical duo from Canada who create life-affirming concerts full of beauty, virtuosity and humor.
Michael Bridge, accordion, and Kornel Wolak, clarinet (both also play piano), met over a decade ago and immediately established an artistic alliance based on the attraction of opposites: Wolak is intensely focused with a sardonic humor; Bridge is flexible and fearless with a playful wit. What they have in common is a love of classical, jazz and world music, a fascination with fusing genres and a passion for performance. They play everything from Bach to Benny Goodman.
TAKE3
March 6, 7 p.m.
With a flair for the wild and unexpected, the trio, TAKE3, brings the refinement of a rigorous classical music background and infuses it with rock-star charisma.
Trained at the world’s top conservatories, TAKE3 has expanded its repertoire from Bach and Beethoven to Bieber and The Beach Boys.
This threesome are known for their infectious and down-to-earth personalities, leaving an indelible mark on audiences around the world as they perform top pop hits, Americana, and their signature classical mashups.
Friends group boosts, beautifies
The Friends of the Bowlus, Inc. has been a steadfast champion of the arts since 1991.
Since then, the organization has grown to become a cornerstone of community support, with nearly 800 individuals, families, and businesses having contributed through membership over the past 20-plus years.
The not-for-profit focuses on supporting the Bowlus Center’s “bricks and mortar” needs, ensuring its preservation and enhancement.
Recent projects connected to the Friends include a new entrance on the east side of the
Bowlus constructed in 2018 for $1.3 million.
And in 2022, Friends members Mary Ann and Jim Arnott helped bring the “Prairie Ballet” metal sculptures to a new parking lot adjacent to the Bowlus.
It is through major gifts, memorials, and smaller
donations that the Friends have been able to make a significant impact.
Other notable projects include new stage curtains, new sound system, a new rigging system, the reupholstering of auditorium seats, a renovated recital hall and a new kitchen.
The Friends have also been instrumental in supporting less “shiny” things such as the replacement of the building’s boiler.
Friends’ contributions have not only preserved the building but also enhanced the experience for all who visit.
“The Bowlus is such a great community asset,” said Friends
board member Tom Strickler.
“It helps bring people to town. The venue brings many quality performances to the area that usually aren’t seen in smaller communities like Iola.” Strickler has been a member of the Friends for more than 40 years and a board member for around 15 years. His love for the center has been lifelong. He even performed in one of the first plays staged at the Bowlus, “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Among the cast was his dog, Lassie.
“The Bowlus has always been a part of my life, and is an integral part of most people’s lives who grew up here,” he said.
“Prairie Ballet” sculptures
Blasts from the past
A capacity crowd, and then some, braved the crisp late autumn night the evening of Nov. 30, 1964, to venture to the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
They weren’t about to miss history in the making.
The Kansas City Philharmonic christened the newly built fine arts center, a one-of-a-kind showcase one might expect in a metropolitan venue, but unique to Iola.
The 700 tickets sold out in a matter of days. Demand was such that organizers agreed to set up dozens more folding chairs at the front of the seating area to hold even more spectators.
Those were scooped up in short order, too.
The night, by all estimations, was magical.
The audience, so favorably impressed with the center’s acoustics, applauded so insistently that the program drew three encores from the orchestra.
A two-week parade of shows, part of the center’s inaugural Fine Arts Festival, helped keep the center in the limelight.
The University of Kansas Brass Choir performed, as did drama departments from the junior college and Iola High School.
Across its 60 years, the gift from the late Thomas Bowlus continued to enthrall spectators near and far with performances from such icons as mime artist Marcel Marceau, composing icon Henry Mancini and Grand Ole Opry maven Minnie Pearl. Hal Holbrook, a preeminent stage and film actor showed up as Mark Twin.
Jungle Jack Hanna, whose menagerie from the Columbus Zoo were a regular on Johnnie Carson’s “Tonight Show,” came to the Bowlus. Apollo 17 astronaut Ron Evans, who piloted the last manned mission to the moon in 1972, was in Iola not long after to talk about his experiences.
The Vienna and Harlem boys choirs have graced the stage, as have the Moscow and Royal Winnipeg ballets and the famed Peking Acrobats. More contemporary artists include Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Liverpool Legends and Lee Rocker.
Taiclet, Chrissy Womelsdorf & Kelly Sigg
Former Bowlus directors Dale Creitz, above left and George Foreman, and Carol Mix at right.
Commitments from several families and donors have allowed the Bowlus to fund its programs for decades.
For the coming season, those trusts will provide $274,300. That’s more than half of the projected budget for programming and projects, which is estimated at $443,592 for the 2024-25 season.
It includes:
• Sleeper Family Trust: $135,000
• Sleeper Family Trust Speakers: $50,000
• Stephenson Trust: $25,000
• Whitehead Trust: $46,000
• Daniels Trust: $17,300
• Pearman Trust: $4,000
COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dan Kays said the 60th anniversary gala is intended to remind area residents of the value of supporting the Bowlus, and he encourages supporters to consider establishing trusts to leave a lasting legacy in the community.
In addition to trusts, the Bowlus is expected to collect $51,500 this year from corporate sponsors, and another $13,000 from grants from the Walmart Community, City of Iola Tourism and Ash Grove Aggregates.
Ticket sales account for just $58,656.85 of the projected budget. The money from trusts and other types of grants or donations allows the Bowlus to keep ticket prices low, Kays said.
Sleeper Trust set a foundation
Though Alan Sleeper spent the bulk of his life elsewhere, “My father’s devotion to Iola was unquestionable,” said Barbara Sleeper Hulsizer.
“It was in Iola that he felt cared for.”
Hulsizer explained that her father lost his only sibling, John Sleeper, and both of his parents in a relatively short time frame back in the late 1950s and early ’60s.
“He felt orphaned. But whenever he came home to Iola, he bloomed,” she said.
Alan Sleeper was the grandson of Lyman Sleeper, who in 1886 established Sleeper Furniture Company and Mortuary, a long-time Iola institution.
In 1902, Roy Sleeper joined the business, followed by Alan’s older brother, John.
John, a mortician, died in 1960 in a car accident, returning home from taking the body of Tom Bowlus to Kansas City for cremation.
It’s in recognition of his extended family that Alan
Descendants of Alan Sleeper include, from left, Barbara Sleeper Hulsizer, Noah, Mars, Aeon (on steps) Hulsizer, Jim Sleeper, Echo Hulsizer, and family friends Jerry and Pam Minix.
Sleeper in 1975 established the Sleeper Family Trust for the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
In 1994, the estate of John’s widow, Virginia Sleeper Creitz, contributed significantly to the trust.
Alan graduated from Iola High School after which he
attended the University of Kansas where he studied history and obtained a law degree.
In World War II, he served on a Navy flagship in North Africa during the invasion of Italy and France.
“Those were hard years,”
Virginia and John Sleeper. After John’s passing, Virginia married Dale Creitz.
Hulsizer said.
When he returned home, he married Sara Fair, a fellow classmate at KU.
“He didn’t really know what he was getting into,” she said with a laugh. “He knew little about her family or situation, so he was in for quite a surprise,” Hulsizer said.
Sara’s roots were in Alden, Kansas. And they were as deep as Alan’s to Iola.
“My mother’s identity with her home was very strong,” Hulsizer said.
Alan joined his fatherin-law in the farming and ranching business, a life he neither trained for nor had any experience, but which he learned to love.
“Dad really developed a passion for the land,” Hulsizer said. “I grew up a daughter of the prairie, bouncing along in the back of a pickup to go fix windmills and such.
“My father loved the land, the grass fields and the infinite sky. I think that nourished him in a way that nothing else could after the war.”
The family built a home on a knoll in the middle of 80 acres from which “you can see 15 miles in any direction.”
The couple remained in Alden, population 120, the rest
Alan Sleeper
of their lives. Alan died just short of his 95th birthday in 2012. Sara died in 2019 at age 101.
Though Alan never practiced law, “He was always doing free legal work for people around town,” she said. “I feel like he learned that generosity from his mentors in Iola,” she said.
TOP NOTCH SEED, BEAUTIFUL PLANTS AND EXCELLENT ADVICE
“Dad was an enthusiast for life and had a warm and generous spirit. But he also insisted things be done well and to have purpose, a focus,” hence the trust’s focus on funding lectures, musical concerts, and attractions that might not otherwise come to Iola.
In addition to Hulsizer, 78,
is her brother, Jim Sleeper, 75. Hulsizer lives in Lexington, Mass., where she had a career as a landscape architect. Jim is in Santa Fe, N.M., a retired doctor of oriental medicine. Both are in Alden on a frequent basis and come by Iola from time to time, including for this year’s 60th celebration.
60th Anniversary • 1964-2024
National Geographic Live Penguins of Antarctica
October 18, 7 p.m.
Antarctica’s name conjures imagery of the harshest environment on Earth, but it is more than its monochromatic color scheme of snow and ice. Meet the many species of penguins that waddle and swim through the freezing water, along with an abundance of other life, on a journey south with Dr. Heather Lynch.
Lynch is a quantitative ecologist, dedicated to understanding the population dynamics of Antarctic wildlife, with a particular focus on Antarctic penguins. She has more than a decade of field experience on the continent. Lynch is an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University with a joint appointment in the Department of Ecology & Evolution and the Institute for Advanced Computational Science.
Speaker Series
Temple Grandin
February 7, 7 p.m.
Temple Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. When she was 2½ years old, she did not speak and had all the symptoms of severe autism. Supportive parents and good teachers changed her life. Intensive speech therapy enabled her to speak by age 4. Her mother’s encouragement to draw was an outlet for self-expression. A high school science teacher challenged her with projects where she tasked to figure out how to make things work. And riding horses and caring for them helped her get through difficult teenage years of being bullied and teased.
HBO’s “Temple Grandin” is a movie about her life. Grandin was inducted into The National Women’s Hall of Fame and The Academy of Arts and Sciences. Facilities she has designed now handle over half the cattle in the U.S. Some of her most important books are New York Times Bestseller “Animals in Translation,” “Thinking in Pictures,” “The Autistic Brain,” and “The Way I See It.”
Diane Luby Lane
February 28, 7 p.m.
Diane Luby Lane, founder and CEO of global teen literacy nonprofit, “Get Lit — Words Ignite,” tells the story of how she used spoken word poetry to amplify the voices of thousands of youth from all over the world and realize her own greatest calling in the process.
The California-based arts education nonprofit has transformed the landscape of teen literacy by empowering new generations in literature, self-expression and performing arts.
The Get Lit Players, an award-winning classic teen poetry troupe who have appeared at the White House three times, collaborated with the United Nations, opened for John Legend at The Hollywood Bowl and perform each year for over 50,000 of their peers, igniting schools and communities with art and social consciousness.
