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Parks named finalist for 8 Wonders of Kansas Arts
The legacy of Gordon Parks continues to build in Fort Scott. It was announced Thursday that the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity has been named as a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Arts.
"It shows that Gordon Parks is a big part of Kansas history," said Gordon Parks Center Executive Director Jill Warford.
The Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity, located within Fort Scott Community College's Academic Building, focuses on the tremendous life of Gordon Parks by displaying photographs, awards, honors and personal artifacts. The center displays about half of its thirty photographs and displays all the books that Gordon Parks wrote. Also on display is the writing desk that Parks used while writing "A Choice of Weapons."
"Fort Scott has the biggest legacy of Gordon Parks," said Warford.
Warford said that this news came at a great time with the fifth annual Gordon Parks Celebration on October 1 at Fort Scott Community College.
With the center being named a finalist Warford is expecting the new center located in the Danny and Willa Ellis Fine Arts Center to draw a lot more attention to Fort Scott, Gordon Parks, and his life.
"It will bring a higher profile to Gordon Parks," said Warford. "It will take the recognition up a few notches."
Also included in the finalist slot along with the center is the Gordon Parks Collection at the Mercy Health Center, which includes the largest collection of signed Gordon Parks works outside the Library of Congress.
Other finalists include the Buffalo Bill Bronze Sculpture, Blue Sky Sculpture, the Justice statue at the Kansas Judicial Center, Wichita High School North, and St. Mary's Catholic Church in St. Benedict.
Voting on all of the 24 finalists can be done by going to the Kansas Sampler Foundation Web site www.kansassampler.org/8wonders and clicking on the 8 Wonders of Kansas Art link to the right. Voters can vote for eight different finalists.