2026-2027 K-State Common Work of Art

Each year, the K-State First Book committee selects a common reading for first year students to provide a shared intellectual experience. The 2026 K-State First Book is Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work by David Isay.

A MacArthur Fellow and New York Times bestselling author, Isay has dedicated his career to documenting the human experience. Through his organization, StoryCorps, he has helped people across the United States record and preserve their life stories for future generations. In Callings, Isay shares compelling accounts of people who have found meaning in their work. Some are well paid, while others volunteer their time. Some discovered their passions early in life, while others found them much later. Many overcame significant challenges or made dramatic life changes to pursue what mattered to them most.

To complement the K-State First Book selection, the museum presents Elizabeth “Grandma” Layton’s Business Business Business, You Gotta Have Art, the 2026 Common Work of Art. The drawing depicts Layton with her second husband, Glenn Layton, who often served as her model and muse. In the context of this year’s First Book, the couple’s hats invite reflection on work and success: How does the contrast between “BUSINESS” and “You gotta have ART” suggest different ideas about careers and achievement? What kinds of jobs today require both creativity and business expertise?

Layton herself never expected to become a nationally recognized artist. A journalist by profession, she did not begin drawing seriously until the age of sixty-eight. In 1977, following the death of one of her five children and a prolonged depression, she enrolled in a contour drawing class at a nearby university. The experience proved transformative. During her second career, she became known for her expressive self-portraits, many of which explore historical events and contemporary social issues.

Elizabeth Layton, Business Business Business, You Gotta Have Art, 1991, colored pencil and graphite on paper, 14 9/16 x 18 1/8 in., gift of Ross & Marianna Beach, 1998.222