Auditions | Summer Youth Theatre 2025
April 27 @ 1:00 pm - 9:00 pm
View Details for Auditions | Summer Youth Theatre 2025
La Yarda Public Art Project Community Engagement Session
Date
March 26, 2025 6:30pm
Price
Free
All are invited to the Lawrence Public Library on March 26 to hear about an exciting public art project to recognize the Mexican American community of La Yarda, a housing unit created by the Santa Fe Railroad to house workers from 1920-51.
Lawrence Artist Javy Ortiz is in progress on a mural that will be installed on the Lawrence Loop trail system at the intersection of 8th and Delaware in fall of 2025 within a few blocks proximity of where the La Yarda neighborhood once stood. Community engagement has been an important part of this project and Javy has worked closely with La Yarda family members to gather feedback throughout the initial stages of his process. Members of the public are invited to learn more about the project, hear from artist Javy Ortiz, and share feedback.
This project is organized by the Lawrence Arts Center and made possible by funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as part of LiveWell Douglas County’s Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant. Historical signage to accompany the artwork will be funded separately by the Douglas County Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program.
The steering committee comprises arts professionals familiar with the field of public art from the Lawrence Arts Center and the Lawrence Department of Parks, Recreation Arts and Culture, community members from the La Yarda families, and representatives from Douglas County Live-Well, the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association and the Watkins Museum of History.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Javy Ortiz is a Mexican-born interdisciplinary artist residing in Lawrence, KS. As a self-taught artist, Javy works prolifically to expand his knowledge and craftsmanship while embracing an experimental approach to creating. He pulls inspiration from personal experiences, as well as pop culture and contemporary social issues. Mixing and layering mediums such as acrylics, spray paint, and epoxy resin, Javy creates compositions that explore identity and resemble the path we navigate through our daily lives. Javy’s work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions regionally and can be found in many private collections.
