One of GoodLife’s most dedicated and loyal employees never leaves the office on Delaware street, has 29 siblings, is exactly 5 feet tall, and has been with the organization for over twenty-two years.
Yes, it’s been that long since our beloved Jayhawk statue first arrived at its permanent location in Lawrence.
It all started in 2003 when the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau decided to promote a five-month public art exhibit of molded fiberglass Jayhawks scattered around the city. The 30 statues were far from ordinary since they were designed by local artists who didn’t hold back on their creativity. Each of the birds was transformed into a unique, whimsical work of art. Some of the themes included Vincent van Gogh, patchwork quilts, cubism, mosaics, abstractionism and more.
I heard about the project and quickly contacted the organizer of the event, hoping to acquire one of the Jayhawks for our agency. The statues were expensive at $5,000. Adjusted for inflation they would cost $8,576 in today’s money!!
We simply couldn’t afford it but…there was a way. We could find a private business that believed in our mission to donate one of the statues to our organization.
Our chance came in the face of Dan Blomgren, the owner of “Cork and Barrel”. Dan agreed to purchase a Jayhawk statue and, after displaying it for five months in front of his store at the corner of 23rd street and Iowa, to donate it to GoodLife (CLO back then).
We were ecstatic – the Jayhawk was gorgeous! Created by the incredibly talented abstractionist Eric Hoins, our statue reflected his style and was titled Abstr-hawk-tion.
Year after year, perched right in front of our Lawrence headquarters on Delaware street, the playful bird tirelessly greeted thousands of visitors. It became the colorful book cover of GoodLife Innovations’ offices and experience.
After serving diligently for more than ten years, Abstract-hawk-tion needed a short vacation. The elements had taken their toll on the artwork and the statue was in dire need of rejuvenation. I was able to locate Eric Hoins whose studio was now in Leavenworth. He agreed to repaint and seal the artwork, but we couldn’t solve the logistics of transporting the heavy statue. Still, we found a way for the Jayhawk to be redesigned in the same style and returned to its rightful home on Delaware Street.
Where are the other 29 statues today? Some of the original “Jayhawks on Parade” could be spotted around town. One greets visitors at the front door of the Lied Center. Another looks out on Bob Billings Parkway behind the Douglas County Bank. A third one can be spotted standing outside the Kansas Union.
Image Credits
Image Credit given to Johnny Meehan/KANSAN, University Daily Kansan, March 17, 2019
Three of the statues are owned by the former Jayhawk Bookstore owners, Bill and Janet Muggy, who keep the birds on their farm. A couple of the Jayhawks have flown the coop with one now residing in California and the other in Colorado.
Nonetheless, the statues remain a part of our town’s culture to this day. Many kids, residents and visitors occasionally embark on an easter hunt for the Jayhawk statues. Finding and photographing all of them has become a favorite Lawrence activity.
As of Abstract-hawk-tion, he has become an indelible part of our identity and we certainly hope that his employment at GoodLife Innovations will continue indefinitely.
