The easel is a series created by artist Cameron Cross, who aims to create a Big Easel on every continent. He chose Kansas, the Sunflower State because it's a good spot for sunflowers. Another version of the easel, the Van Gogh Project, features a Van Gogh sunflower painting. The easel is eighty feet tall, and each painting weighs about 40,000 pounds.
Goodland is known as the "Sunflower State," and sunflowers are a big part of the city's economy. Sunflowers USA raised $150K for the project and hired Canadian artist Cameron Cross to build the easel. The easel was dedicated during the Goodland Sunflower Festival in 2001.
Cross's project is a tribute to the artist Vincent van Gogh. He wanted to create a giant tribute to all seven sunflower paintings by the Dutch artist. This project, however, appears to have ended. His first giant easel was installed in Emerald, Australia in 1999, and he completed one more in Goodland, Kansas.
