April 24, 2026 4:00pm -
April 24, 2026 8:00pm
$0-10
Join us on Friday, April 24, from 4– 8 pm for the opening of the Annual USD 497 Public School Exhibition, Studio Exploration, Vanguard Awards, a Film Screening of Dr. Strangelove at Studio A, a performance of the opera Carmen on the mainstage, and a free Adult Improv Troupe performance in the Black Box Theater!
Final Friday Reception: 4-8 pm | USD 497 Public School Exhibition
Open Studio Exploration: 4-5:30 pm | Explore the studios to make art and meet the friendly faces that lead classes and programs at the Arts Center!
Vanguard Awards Presentation: 6-7 pm | We will celebrate the Annual USD 497 Exhibition and present the 2026 Vanguard Award Winners on the mainstage!
USD 497 Public School Exhibition & Vanguard Awards
The annual USD 497 public schools show features works selected by art teachers of K-12 students from across Lawrence. Showcasing a cross-section of the diverse, excellent visual arts programming in Lawrence Public Schools, this exhibit spotlights the value of arts learning and the importance of fine arts programs in public education. Guest jurors have assigned awards to students across all grades and media.
Adult Improv Performance Troupe
The Adult Improv Performance Troupe will be putting on a show at 7:30 pm in the Black Box Theater! Grab a beverage in the lobby and come down for an evening of zany comedy. Free and open to the public, $10 suggested donation.
Mid-America Performing Arts Alliance Season Finale: Carmen in Concert
All Ages
Composer: George Bizet
Librettist: Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
Music Director: Hugo Vera
Conductor: Jesse Henkensiefken
Friday, April 24 | 7:30pm
FREE
Join the Mid-America Performing Arts Alliance (MAPAA) as they present Bizet’s Carmen for Four! With a reduced score and orchestra, you will enjoy the incredible operatic stylings of Soprano Laurgen Auge, Tenor Hugo Vera, Mezzo-Soprano Hayley Shoemaker, and Baritone DJ Jordan. The opera of all operas, Carmen, is packed with some of the most recognizable tunes in the operatic world, a favorite for both the most die-hard opera fan and the one just being introduced.
Lawrence Modern presents Dr. Strangelove
The Lawrence Arts Center and Lawrence Modern present an evening of film and conversation to celebrate mid-century design as seen in the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Tickets | $10
About the Film
A satirical black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick set at the height of the Cold War. A mentally unstable American general orders a hydrogen bomb attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to global nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.
Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes
About Lawrence Modern
Lawrence Modern’s mission is to raise awareness of midcentury and modern architecture in Lawrence and promote its preservation to ensure that future generations will have significant examples to appreciate and/or to live in.
This screening is made possible by support from Lawrence Modern founder, Tom Harper, with Stephens Real Estate.
