Goodland in Sherman County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Big Easel

Welcome to Our Community!

— Greetings from the Goodland Rotary Club —

Big Easel Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 8, 2015

1. Big Easel Marker

Inscription. Standing before you is the "Big Easel" — an 80 foot tall celebration of art and agriculture. Installed in June 2001, it is a reproduction of Vincent van Gogh's "Three Sunflowers in a Vase" painted by Canadian artist Cameron Cross.

Since 2005 the Goodland Rotary Club, a humanitarian service organization, has partnered with the City of Goodland to promote and maintain the Big Easel. Rotarians laid 9,100 bricks for the walkways and installed benches and a spotlight. In 2012, the Big Easel was repainted, repaired, and relaunched. In 2013, an electronic kiosk was installed to orient visitors to Goodland and the Big Easel.

The Big Easel is one of many community treasures in Goodland. Take the opportunity to explore Kansas life at its height; stroll our Main Street, relax in our parks and take in our local culture.

Discover our town through the Big Easel Kiosk!

Erected 2013 by Goodland Rotary Club.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Rotary International series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 2001.

Location. 39° 20.241′ N, 101° 42.288′

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W. Marker is in Goodland, Kansas, in Sherman County. It can be reached from Business U.S. 24 just east of Cherry Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Marker and "World's Largest Easel" are located in the Goodland Rotary Park at the northeast corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Goodland KS 67735, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

on the Southern Plains,

and specifically on the High Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Chambers Fountain (approx. ¾ mile away); Ennis Handy House / Mary Seaman Ennis House (approx. ¾ mile away); Carnegie Art Center (approx. 0.8 miles away); United States Post Office (approx. 0.8 miles away); United Telephone Building (approx. 0.9 miles away); Courthouse Statue & Bell (approx. one mile away); Land and Sky Scenic Byway / Kansas Byways (approx. 1.2 miles away); The Land and Sky Scenic Byway / Points of Interest (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Goodland.

Also see . . . World's Largest Easel (Roadside America).

Excerpt: Kansas is the "Sunflower State," and Goodland is at the center of the local sunflower industry, so it makes sense. It made enough sense to the trade group, Sunflowers USA, that when Canadian artist Cameron Cross pitched them the idea in 2000, they raised the $150K necessary to build the thing. The easel was dedicated in August 2001,
Photographed by Mark Hilton, July 2, 2024

2. The Big Easel & Marker
during Goodland's Sunflower Festival. The painting is 768 square feet. The easel is built of steel, weighing 45,000 pounds. The supports are sunk 35 feet into the ground.

(Submitted on September 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

The Big Easel image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 8, 2015

3. The Big Easel

The Big Easel (<i>view from marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 8, 2015

4. The Big Easel (view from marker)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 907 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2. submitted on June 13, 2025, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 3, 4. submitted on September 20, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.