On September 14 and 15 over 130 fine art and fine craft artists will participate in the Lawrence Art Guild’s 60th Annual Art in the Park. Centered around South Park’s iconic gazebo, Art in the Park is a visual treat. Tall shade trees, beautiful flower beds and meandering pathways create a relaxing and inspiring environment allowing you to take your time to talk to the artists, enjoy a wide variety of media and styles of art, listen to live music, have a cannoli or savory crepe from Ragusa’s Italian Cafe, or enjoy a refreshing beer from Free State Brewery.
Local and regional artists include printmaker Leslie Kuluva of LFK Press; Matthew Roman with his highly skilled, hand-carved woodworking; Kansas City favorite Nicole Collins who creates one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry that flawlessly blend fashion and function through her meticulous craftsmanship; painter Heidi Pitre whose paintings are “provocative but gentle, that connect us to personal memories through intimate, nostalgic amusement”; and Keith Mays with his ceramic work that brings a photographer’s eye and a love of nature and travel to the images he applies to his pottery.
While some artists are nearby, many of our artists will be traveling hundreds of miles from across the country to be a part of this year’s event. Michelle Chang and Wayne Gao from Rowland Heights, California create three dimensional, free-hand painted, illustrative figures and nature inspired imagery on two dimensional ceramic clay panels. They formulate their own glazes to achieve the vivid and lush colors in their work. Darien Bogart is a New Mexico based painter working in acrylic medium who uses sculpting tools and nontraditional brushes to translate the Southwestern landscape and wildlife into bold, contemporary visions. Layl McDill from Minneapolis, Minnesota creates magical sculptural pieces made out of polymer clay using the ancient technique of millefiori. And jeweler Lara Holland with her background in architecture and painting creates jewelry out of a passion for design and art. For Lara, melding metal with stones became a way to “wear the feeling of both.” She will be bringing her hand-crafted, intricate jewelry from her home studio in the remote mountains of Crested Butte, Colorado.
Whether it be that fun and funky piece of jewelry, the painting that will transform a room, or a finely crafted ceramic cup to enjoy your morning coffee in, Art in the Park will have something for everyone. Art in the Park is a family friendly, free event. You can come enjoy this unique experience Saturday, September 14 from 10 to 6 and Sunday, September 15 from 10 to 5.
Learn more at www.lawrenceartguild.org.
