To honor former director Linda Duke and her leadership of the Beach Museum of Art, the staff has named an area of the museum’s campus entrance, overlooking the Meadow, after Linda.
The Meadow is a prime example of how Linda shaped what the Beach Museum of Art means to the university and Manhattan communities: a place where art intersects with other disciplines to spark curiosity and moments of wonder.
Linda Duke
When she started as director, the triangular patch of green in front of the museum’s campus entrance, bordered on the other sides by the Danforth Chapel and McCain Auditorium, was mowed turfgrass. The idea for its transformation began in a conversation between her and then Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Katie Kingery-Page, now associate dean for the College of Architecture, Planning & Design. They dreamed of creating a living, interactive exhibit of colors and sounds that would inspire wonder. Contact with the Meadow’s native grasses, wildflowers, insects, and animals show people that a sense of beauty and science are linked: they are two sides of one’s experience in nature. A collaborative project involving many Manhattan residents and K-State faculty, staff, and students, the Meadow thrives with less water and pesticide use than conventional lawns, demonstrating a sustainable model for urban landscaping and offering opportunities to study tallgrass prairie plants, wildlife, climate effects, and more. Click here to read more about The Meadow.
The plaque naming the lobby space overlooking the Meadow includes a quote that many of us have heard Linda say. During the planning of several different projects, Linda often remarked that what we do demonstrates that art can bring something meaningful to people’s lives even if they do not like it, and that it can help them understand difficult topics and empathize with people of different backgrounds. We museum staff are committed to continuing work in this spirit.
Participants in a museum’s educational program explore The Meadow