For the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission.

Support materials for the Lawrence Arts Center Mural Request.

Dear Cultural Arts Commissioners:

Thank you for addressing our application to paint the north wall of the Lawrence Arts Center. This letter addresses questions in a document Diane Stoddard sent us subsequent to our application for permission to paint this mural.

The north wall of the Lawrence Arts Center has tremendous public visibility, yet for the nine years of the facility’s existence has been the site of only one mural. The Arts Center has zero clearance on the north side, and the owners of the vacant lot have given permission for the mural to be painted; the construction firm that may soon take over the lot has guaranteed a clearance of 20 feet for work on the mural should painting occur while the lot is a staging or construction area.

Regarding the social dynamics of the site: they are often lively and include artists, people waiting for the bus at the intersection, the Social Service League, an art collective, clients of the Salvation Army, students and patrons of the Arts Center, people walking from and to east Lawrence. The intersection consists of two vacant lots, a parking lot, bus stops, and small business. The architectural character of the site resists characterization other than “mixed.” The current look of the wall suggests a blighted area rather than a lively one.

This mural is a large, abstract evocation of architectural elements of the Arts Center. Its purpose is to draw attention to the Arts Center as a downtown landmark as well as to replace an uneven beige wall with splashes of color. The image itself is actually the painted version of physical architectural features of the building that face New Hampshire Street and have become iconic to this building and environs. The mural will be hand-painted by volunteers under the guidance of Bob Treanor and Callahan Creek artist Chris Ralston who will also choose the appropriate materials.

This wall is always vulnerable to tagging, with or without a mural, yet the Arts Center has a history of having public art that remains safe outside. If the lot becomes a staging or construction area, there will eventually be a fence preventing entrance until the wall is obscured by new construction. If the mural is vandalized, we will act quickly to remediate it.

The materials and execution will ensure the long term quality of the mural’s look; however, we do not consider this work permanent. On a personal note, I regret that this “canvas” has remained drab for so long and now may soon disappear as a canvas. While I do look forward to construction and a more densely populated 900 block of New Hampshire, I also hope that while this wall is a blank slate, it can enjoy a colorful existence and would like to invite the possibility of additional murals on this same wall in the future until adjacent building makes this impossible. The low cost to us of this project means that we can pursue future requests as long as this wall remains a canvas. Design, as well as most of the labor and materials, will be donated.

We think it is time for this wall to announce and invite participation in the creative life of Lawrence, and the Arts Center represents the city’s largest investment in this. With the support of the Cultural Arts Commission, we have renewed our commitment to reaching outside of our walls to support a sense of neighborhood, to promote downtown and the artistic vitality of Lawrence, and we thank you for consideration of this symbolic and artistic endeavor.

Sincerely,

Susan Tate

Lawrence Arts Center

Director

843-2787

susantate@lawrenceartscenter.org