There is an X-wing in the lobby at 940 New Hampshire. It’s as if Luke Skywalker landed his craft after destroying the Death Star and just headed on into one of the studios to start Jedi training with our ArtSpace Campers. The FORCE is strong at LAC this week! Like any other day at your office, right?
This craft didn’t just appear in the lobby – it took hours of work and the artistic imagination and skill of Kansas City artist Juniper Tangpuz – what this man does with cardboard is nothing short of pure genius! And he comes to Lawrence, Kansas a few weeks a summer and teaches kids right here in our community all the wonderful ways Art intersects with science, technology, engineering and math.
I feel so lucky to do what I do – tell the stories about the amazing things that happen at the Arts Center to donors, businesses, foundations, and just about anybody who will listen – and help them understand why investing in the Lawrence Arts Center (which up to now has been a public-private partnership) is one of the best investments a person or business could make in the future of our community. The audience we attract for classes, performances, exhibitions, and our Free State Festival is EVERYBODY. All socioeconomic levels, all interests, all ages, all races – we are a place where everyone finds something they are looking for to spark their creative side and really have a place to belong.
We just completed our Fall enrollment and event catalog – and in that catalog there are more than 184 businesses donors listed, 160 individuals who donate $1000 or more a year to support our programs, and beautiful advertisements for businesses that are supporting the Arts Center by paying for the printing and production of the catalog. We need each and every one of them – if we had more room, we would include ALL the families who support our programming throughout the year – there are 300 plus more we would list. The FORCE is truly with us, because we have the support of so many wonderful people in our community – we absolutely could not do it without each and every one of them. As we look toward another fiscal year at the Lawrence Arts Center, we want to thank you for all you do to make an X-wing in the lobby possible.
What a gift to the entire community to have the Lawrence Arts Center – a place to imagine, a place to inspire, a place to create, a place to feel like there is a community for you (no matter which star system you hail from) – come by and check out the X-wing if you can this week. Or come by next week for Art Detectives – and GET A CLUE! We are doing great things at the Arts Center – and we cannot do it without your support.