Tuesday. September 16. 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Group pools funds, purchases glass vase
By Jenni Curry Special to the Kansan
The Spencer Museum of Art's most recent acquisition added diversity to its growing glass art collection.
Earlier this month, the museum announced the acquisition of a piece by Sonja Blomdahl, a Seattle-based artist whose works are exhibited from Prague in the Czech Republic to Washington D.C.
Blomdahl's "Blue/Amber/
Cobalt," is a 18 x 14-inch glass vase that radiates a warm blue color.
Last spring, 18 Friends of the Art Museum traveled to Seattle to visit various museums and galleries.
At the William Travers Gallery, a large glass vase by Blomdahl caught museum director Andrea Norris' attention. After some quick mental calculations, she determined that the vase was affordable if all the members pooled their funds. They raised $3,600 to purchase it.
The size of Blomdahl's hand-blown piece is remarkable because it is difficult to achieve such precision in a large glass form, Norris said.
This addition follows the
acquisition last December of a piece by Dale Chihuly. "Persian Wall," commissioned by KU alumni Larry and Barbara Marshall, cost more than $100,000.
"Persian Wall" consists of six large pieces of glass affixed to the wall of the museum's central court.
Norris said Blomdahl's and Chihuly's work offered interesting contrasts. The free-flowing form of Chihuly's work represents a more dynamic approach to glass blowing, while the conservative style of Blomdahl's work illustrates the precision of the craft, she said.
"The Chihuly represents a kind of baroque approach to glass," Norris said. "The Blomdahl is more classical."
Vernon Brejca, associate professor of design, whose own work will soon be displayed at a prominent art show in Chicago, said glass blowing was the most difficult thing that he had learned.
Brejca said working with glass required a skill that was almost unimaginable to most craftsmen.
"I like to say that it's got a mind of its own," Brejca said. "It's like learning to work with a difficult person. When you're working with a material that is heated to over a thousand degrees, there is no room for error."
This blown-glass vase is a recent acquisition of the Spencer Museum of Art. The vase was created by Sonia Blomdahl. Photo by Pam Dishman/KANSAN
This fellowship is Self-supported
Al and Lila Self sponsor program for grad students
Special to the Kansan
By Jenni Curry
The Selfs established the Self Fellowship in 1989 to aid outstanding graduate students exhibiting leadership potential. There are 20 students now in the program, and
Illinois residents Madison "Al" and Lila Self quietly have been funding one of the most prestigious fellowships in the nation for the past eight years.
The Selfs' total giving reached $20 million last May, making them the most prolific individual donors in the University's history, according to the Kansas University Endowment Association.
six have completed it. Each fellow receives an average of $100,000 during a four-year period.
"We wanted to establish an ongoing program that would attract highly talented and motivated students seeking an advanced degree at the Ph.D. level who could be expected to make a real difference during their careers and who would be expected to leave a noteworthy legacy," said Al Self from his office in Illinois.
Self, the chairman and chief executive officer of Tigora International Inc. and president of Allen Financial Inc. graduated from the University of Kansas with a chemical-engineering degree in 1943. He met his wife at the University and married her the year he graduated.
"Lila and I have fond memories of our time and experiences at KU. We wanted to do something meaningful that would provide long-term benefits for KU as an institution," he said. "We also wanted to establish a program that would serve the interest of society as a whole as a way of giving something back for the opportunities and benefits we have enjoyed."
Chancellor Robert Hemenway described the Selfs as loyal alumni whose strong support provided an attractive opportunity for extraordinary graduate students.
"The Self Fellowship is among the most handsome fellowships offered in the nation," he said.
Program participants earn undergraduate degrees from prestigious private schools such as Yale as well as small state schools such as Washburn University. Only two of the participants received a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas.
Applicants can be from any field, but the Selfs placed an emphasis on recruiting students in the natural and social sciences, business and engineering. Twenty percent
of the incoming students can be from other fields.
Julie Mach, a Minto, N.D., graduate student in pharmacology, is entering her third year in the program. Mach's research focuses on the production of a protein in the brain.
"At first I thought the fellowship would just provide a good stipend, but then I learned more about the program," she said. "We get to develop leadership skills and have travel money to go to conferences we might not be able to attend as a regular graduate student. It's just such an unbelievable opportunity."
The fellowship encourages leadership roles through regular meetings with resources and role models, a one-day spring symposium and an annual fall retreat. The retreat in Washington D.C. will include meetings at the White House. The Selfs attend the symposium and the retreat.
Bike store leaves lease, old location in dust
apremer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
By Ann Premer
Terraplane Bicycles has found a new home on Iowa Street, and owner Mike Combesl said that the new store was a better fit.
Terraplane moved from 916 Massachusetts St. to 925 Iowa St. August 1. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 11:30 a.m. today.
He said that Terraplane moved because he was able to break the store's lease at the Massachusetts Street location but would not comment on the specifics.
Combest said that his new location, which previously housed Raney Drug Store, was more customer-friendly. Parking is free, and it is not illegal to ride bikes on the sidewalks around the new store.
The new location is near Centennial Park and residential areas, which makes it more accessible to children. Combest said.
"We are seeing most of the same people," he said. "What has changed is that we are seeing a lot more kids."
"Some people thought that the shop was a fixture of downtown and have not been happy with our move because of that," Combest said. "I understand their point, but I never felt that it was just a fixture of downtown. We moved to an area
Not everyone was happy with the store's move. though.
that we thought would be better for us. Downtown will survive without us just like we will survive without downtown."
Lisa Blair, director of Downtown
"We hate to lose anyone in the downtown area, and they were a strong pull," Blair said. "But I understand the need to move to a larger location."
Lawrence Inc., said that downtown always was sorry to see a business leave the area.
The old store and the new store are close to the same size. The old store had a lot of storage room but little retail room, while the new store has equal amounts of each and a large parking lot. Combest said.
"We have an open house every day so that won't be any different," Combest said.
He said that there were no specific plans for today's grand-opening ceremonies.
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