WATERCOLOR BY KANSAS ARTIST JOHN F. HELM (1900-197

Signed lower left and dated 1928. 9 x 12 inches. Helm came to Kansas and K-State in 1924, the same year he graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in interior design, taking a position as an instructor of drawing and painting in the Department of Architecture and Allied Arts. He was himself a student of Kansas artist Birger Sandzen. Helm's contribution to the cultural life of K-State, the state of Kansas, and the region was enormous. For example, in 1928 Helm was responsible for initiating the collection of works of art by Kansas and regional artists that now constitutes the core of the Beach Museum's collection. As the collection's first curator, Helm acquired and cared for works in the collection until his retirement in 1970. In the 1960s, Helm lead the first serious attempt to raise funds for the creation of a facility to house K-State's art collection. The Beach Museum of Art is largely a result of Helm's vision and his pioneering work.