Painted Blackboard project set to resume

The Painted Blackboard will soon be filled with art and the halls of the old Fort Scott Middle School will once again foster the education of artists from across the country ... as soon as it is finished.

With the anticipated opening of the all-inclusive community art center passing, owner Marie Papa-Vavrovsky, said she and her husband Igor plan to keep working on the project.

Although the Vavrovskys have left the building, the absence in only temporary. Papa-Vavrovsky said they planned to halt construction during the winter months as there was not heat in the building. With the construction on hold, the Vavrovskys moved back to Florida to go back to work and replenish their funds for the project.

"It is all happening in God's plan," Papa-Vavrovsky said. "We are coming back."

According to Papa-Vavrovsky, the couple had a difficult time securing loans due to the economy. As a result, she said they are looking for alternatives funding opportunities. Earlier, they entered the Bank of Hollywood's Gimme Bank Contest in hopes of winning $10,000. They are also in the process of applying for a grant and applying for not-for-profit status. Currently the couple has completed a video in which they plan to submit to the Pepsi Refresh Project where they could win up to $250,000.

"We are absolutely thrilled about it," Papa-Vavrovsky said. "We're trying all the different avenues we can."

Papa-Vavrovsky feels confident in the chances that The Painted Blackboard project will be received well in the Pepsi Refresh Project because last month's winner was an art foundation which was renovating a bank.

While in Florida, Papa-Vavrovsky said, the couple hopes to get their funding in order and all of their plans finalized so things will run smooth when they return to Fort Scott in mid-spring.

"We hope to get our ducks in a row here, so that when we go, we aren't juggling back and forth," she said.

Papa-Vavrovsky said they hope to back in town in time for Good Ol' Days. She said once they get back to town is should not be long before The Painted Blackboard is back on track.

"From there, things can move pretty quickly," she said.

The Painted Blackboard is slated to convert the 42,000 square-foot building into an area for the community to create art in many different forms including painting, pastels, sculpture, creative writing, and acting. The center is scheduled to be completed in three phases, according to Marie. The first phase would include the construction of common area where classes could be held as well as a lounge and the auditorium. The second phase would consist of the completion of the overnight accommodations. The third phase would be the refining and further development of the space.

For more information on The Painted Blackboard and background information on the Vavrovskys, visit www.thepaintedblackboard.com.