Can Minonk become an art colony?

Mr. Curtis bought many of the downtown buildings that were in various states of disrepair and neglect. He remodeled them to their original state and is attempting to gentrify the community by bringing in art galleries, antique stores, gift shops, etc. It rekindled my thoughts about what kind of community Minonk could become.

As I have mentioned many times, Minonk will probably not regain its eminence as a retail shopping center from 50 years ago. The Walmarts of the world are ruining small retail businesses everywhere. However, Walmart cannot deliver the atmosphere of an art colony or an antique center. People who shop for art or antiques do so out of not only a desire to purchase items but also because of a desire to have a different kind of shopping experience. Modern buildings, blacktopped parking lots and neon signs do not lend themselves well to this kind of experience. However, victorian buildings and a small town atmosphere reminscent of another time does lend itself to this type of experience.

If there are any former Minonk residents out there with a few million dollars to spare and a desire to make a difference, I can't think of a better project than to come to Minonk and redevelop the many old buildings for sale and remake Minonk into a quaint shopping center. Being located on an interstate and being in the middle of plenty of metroplitan areas, Minonk would be an ideal place for people to come to get away from the maddening crowd to enjoy unique shopping not offered at the malls. People will not go out of their way to buy toothpaste, but they will go out of their way for a unique shopping experience.

For those interested in reading the New York Times article, click here. You will have to register yourselve as a suscriber to read it but it is free. Then you can tell everyone that you read the New York Times.

In an effort to make Minonk an art center, I make an open plea to former Minonk natives who are artists such as Albin Johnson of California to return to Minonk periodically and do paintings of the local landscape. Mr. Johnson, who is an accomplished artist, could display his paintings either in my building or in another building that could be refurbished. What do you say, Alb?

Need artifacts for Minonk's sesquicentennial

I encourage everyone to get into the spirit of the upcoming sesquicentennial celebration. Already, I see a few beards sprouting up. The sesquicentennial celebration should not only be a celebration of the past, but also a renewed spirit for the future. Let's all pitch in and make this a celebration that will be the envy of the other communities.

Can Minonk look like this someday?

Downtown Sedan, Kansas