Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission Summary
Week of July 9, 2026
Cultural arts commission recommends new Burroughs Creek Trail mural
Trail mural design features local fossils and modern curiosities
New trail mural to feature Spanish and potentially Kaw language
Trail mural nears fundraising goal with state and local grants
City seeks nominations and artwork for annual Phoenix Awards
New community hub opens in Old West Lawrence
Commission praises local arts community for World Cup engagement
Cultural arts commission recommends new Burroughs Creek Trail mural
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission unanimously recommended approval of a new mural by local artist Dave Loewenstein during its July 8 meeting. The proposed artwork, spearheaded by the Friends of Lawrence Area Trails, will be painted on a west-facing wall at a Free State Brewing Co. facility at 1927 Moodie Road overlooking the Burroughs Creek Trail. The recommendation will go before the Lawrence City Commission for final approval at a later meeting.
Trail mural design features local fossils and modern curiosities
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The design for the newly recommended Burroughs Creek Trail mural highlights both prehistoric and contemporary trail history. Muralist Dave Loewenstein's concept includes a mosasaur, a trilobite and a tandem bicycle, alongside items frequently lost by modern trail users, such as keys and AirPods. Loewenstein said the items represent different periods of time and aspects of trail life, with the modern lost items serving as contemporary "fossils" for future discovery.
New trail mural to feature Spanish and potentially Kaw language
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The central text of the proposed Burroughs Creek Trail mural currently reads "Estamos Aquí" and "We are here," representing both Spanish and English. However, the design may expand to include Indigenous representation. Project leaders have reached out to Kaw Nation citizen and cultural leader Pauline Sharp to secure a Kansa translation of the phrase, and the proposal received strong support for adding broader linguistic representation that reflects the diverse Lawrence community.
Trail mural nears fundraising goal with state and local grants
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Funding for the Burroughs Creek Trail mural is nearly complete, according to Friends of Lawrence Area Trails chair Chris Tilden. The project is primarily financed by a grant from the statewide Sunflower Foundation and a City of Lawrence Cultural Arts grant. Tilden noted the organization is currently seeking small community donations to cover the final costs of scaffolding and safety permits, with work expected to begin before the end of summer.
City seeks nominations and artwork for annual Phoenix Awards
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The cultural arts commission issued a reminder that applications for the annual Phoenix Awards are approaching their early August deadlines. The commission is actively seeking local artists to design the physical awards, with applications due online by 11 p.m. on Aug. 4. Nominations for the awards themselves are due Aug. 5. Staff noted that no artwork applications had been received yet, prompting a push for wider community outreach.
New community hub opens in Old West Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Peoples Market has officially opened at 846 Illinois St. in Old West Lawrence. Organizers announced that the space is actively partnering with the USDA-NIFA Equity Grant funded Haskell Greenhouse for workshops, OpenStudios Lawrence for studio events, and the neighboring Revival Room to host private events. The space currently offers coffee and pastries on Wednesday and weekend mornings, which has already been popular in the neighborhood.
Commission praises local arts community for World Cup engagement
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The cultural arts commission praised the local arts community for its engagement with the 2026 Men's World Cup, as Lawrence serves as a basecamp for the Algerian national team. Earthwork artist Stan Herd recently completed a giant Algerian flag installation near the University of Kansas' Lied Center to welcome the team and its fans. The commission noted that these cultural events have successfully bridged regional artists with the global soccer tournament.
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