By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
The 50th anniversary of Paper Moon, a movie that featured Hays locations and residents along with other area communities, will be a prominent feature of the Hays Arts Council Summer Art Walk, set for Friday.
The Hays Arts Center will present the Paper Moon 50th Anniversary Showcase in the Arts Center Annex at 1010 Main and display articles and memorabilia from the movie and pieces of history from the area filming, originally assembled during the 30th-anniversary celebration during the Art Walk hours from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
“Paper Moon was an Academy Award-winning film that was based out of Hays,” said Hays Arts Council executive director Brenda Meder. “A lot of filming wasn't done in Hays, but Hays was home base. And there were scenes that were filmed in Hays.”
Hays was also the location of the Midwest premiere, followed by a reception at the Hays Arts Council.
“A lot of movies aren't shot out here in western Kansas, especially Academy Award-winning ones,” Meder said. “And so, it was a big deal.”
The display will also feature items from the development of the subsequent TV series, featuring a young Jodie Foster, also shot on location around Hays.
“A lot of people don't know about that so much,” Meder said. "It was only one season long, and probably in large part to the fact that it premiered on ABC opposite the Waltons on CBS in their third year.”
She said the local viewership was also limited at the time due to no ABC affiliate signal in the area, but many locals and locations were featured in the series.
“We'll have a lot of things from the television series as well,” Meder said. “Lots of shots locally including crossing the old swinging bridge, and there were scenes filmed in the Alpha Gamma Delta house and all really all over down at Vincent, at the church and in the school in the Grant's Villa. So, a lot of really cool things.”
And a beer brewed for the event by Defiance Brewing Company also will be offered.
“Defiance created a new beer called Trixie Delight, which is the name of Madeline Kahn’s character in the movie,” Meder said. “Samples of that are going to be getting served in the annex for 21 and over to commemorate.”
Along with Friday night events in conjunction with the art walk, opportunities are planned to view the film in Hays as well as a movie memorabilia open house in McCracken.
“We're really excited to share that McCracken is doing some great things all day on Saturday, they've got a barbecue picnic, kind of a luncheon, and they've got some very cool artifacts,” Meder said. “They featured so prominently in it.”
The McCracken Historical Society open house is planned from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Free showings of the film are planned at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the Fort Hays State University campus, 600 Main.
For more about the Paper Moon anniversary events, visit Hays, McCracken to celebrate 50th Anniversary of 'Paper Moon' June 16-18.
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Art Walk locations planned throughout Hays
While the film celebration will be a highlight of the Art Walk, installations across downtown and beyond will offer many opportunities to see art of all stripes throughout the evening.
New to the Art Walk this year is STEM Harvest at 507 Main.
“I'm really excited about that,” Meder said. “Dallas Haselhorst and Dacia have been wanting to be part of the art walks, and they're finally at a place with the STEM Harvest suite finished in there [to do so].
Because they're a technological organization, in so many ways, with the STEM programming, engineering, science and technology, she said they are going to be doing a showcase on the AI revolution, and having some art images and exploring how those are generated through different artificial intelligence models, she said.
“I think it'll be a really interesting opportunity for people to get a better understanding of what is this artificial intelligence stuff that they talk about,” Meder said.
Due to their location further south on Main, she said they will open at 5:30 p.m.
“It'll give people a chance to hit that first and work your way back,” Meder said.
And for those looking to extend the Art Walk experience, Paisley Pear Wine Bar and Bistro, 1100 Main, will feature the Engle Detherage Trio from 7 to 10 p.m.
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Pack the Pavilion brings food, music and fun to downtown
In addition to the Summer Art Walk festivities, the Hays Young Professionals will again host an event in the Downtown Pavilion at 10th and Main from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
“In previous years, we've had the Community Street Dance. It's the same event, different name this year,” said Meredith Malatin, chairwoman of the Hays Young Professionals Networking and Engagement Committee. "We'll have a DJ, a couple of food trucks, and games, we just want to get people out in the community to come downtown for the Artwalk and then stick around and cool off in the pavilion.”
“We want people of all ages to come stop by, it's going to be free to attend,” said Hays Chamber vice president of membership Leigh Purdy. “And just pop in and out. It doesn't have to be you staying for the whole time, it's just going to be food, fun and music.”
“Kevin [Bartlett] with Midnight Productions will be playing for us. There’s a couple of hours he'll have his photo backdrop. He'll interact with the crowd, and they can suggest songs, so if there's something that you specifically want to hear, he'll do it for you.”
“I just hope everyone can come to join us to take part in everything,” Meder said. “It's all free Friday night unless you buy some art or some food along the way. But otherwise, it's just there for the community to enjoy and celebrate all the good stuff we have around here. It's gonna be a good time.”
For more about the 2023 Hays Arts Council’s Summer Art Walk, visit their website haysartscouncil.org.