Please join us in celebrating the grand opening of this new space, and explore the featured exhibit, titled “Pass the Popcorn,” on Tuesday, April 1st, and participate in the April Fools A Palooza all day festivities. Officially open to the public for the first time ever, this new space and exhibit will showcase Kathy Ruth’s colorful & whimsical wood carvings with images of Movies, Monsters & More!
A Letter from Susan Sanders
"To all past, current, and future fans of Kathy Ruth Neal’s laugh-out-loud, colorful, clever wood carvings:
I’m here to tell you that the Kathy Ruth Neal Gallery at the Grassroots Art Center in Lucas, Kansas, is about to open…soon. Why has it taken so long, 10 years and counting? Have you ever tried installing an elevator in the middle of Kansas?
Enough about logistics! Where there’s a will, there’s a way. My name is Susan Sanders. I was a fan of Kathy Ruth’s whimsical, joyful, and, yes, laugh-out-loud carvings of monster creatures sprouting high heels, circus performers balancing on tilted chairs, movie scenes like The 50 ft. WOMAN ATTACKS, from the get-go! We’re talking at least 35 years ago.
Out of the blue, when Kathy Ruth died unexpectedly in 2009, I felt her artworks needed to be preserved for everyone to see, not stored in a basement in boxes! But where? There were hundreds of her creations. Getting Kathy Ruth’s artwork in a unique, well-visited art center became my mission. I met Rosslyn Schultz, Executive Director of the Grassroots Art Center, introduced her to Kathy Ruth’s art, and told her about my mission. Our conversation began.
Kathy Ruth had often visited the Grassroots Art Center from the 1990s through the early 2000s; she loved the place! I knew this and realized the vibe of Grassroots resonated with Kathy Ruth’s art. Rosslyn agreed. We struck a partnership and, for the next decade we worked on making this KATHY RUTH NEAL GALLERY a reality.
There are, as I said before, hundreds of carvings large and small that Kathy Ruth created. And soon they will be available, in a wonderful setting, for all to see. Once her gallery opens, her work will never be sold. This will be their forever home. The Kansas Department of Commerce & Tourism as well as the Patterson Family Foundation has given $175,000 to assist in the preparation for this KATHY RUTH NEAL GALLERY. I can’t wait (darn that elevator)! It’s gonna be soon, folks. ENJOY!"
-M. Susan Sanders
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