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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013
LAWRENCE
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Mural artist incorporates community into artwork
KAITLYN KLEIN /KANSAN
Lawrence resident and mural artist Dave Loewenstein points to his mural, "East Lawrence Waltz," at Hobbs Park at 11th and Delaware. Loewenstein has painted murals across Midwestern America, including several in Lawrence.
kklein@kansan.com
KAITLYN KLEIN
With nine murals in Lawrence and more than 75 other projects across the Midwest, he could be called the Mid-America mural man.
But Lawrence resident Dave Loewenstein, from Evanston, Ill., would simply call himself an artist who is able to live off his work, which includes more than just painting murals.
He came to Lawrence to be a graduate art student at the University, but left after a year because he wasn't finding what he was looking for in the program.
"I was interested in having my art reach a wider audience than what I was making in the studio at school," Loewenstein said. "I was also interested in collaboration and making art that had relevance for regular folks, not necessarily people who go to art galleries or museums"
He found his own way to make his art more accessible when he created his first mural in Lawrence called the Sunflower Cycle. That mural was painted over, but it was
the mural that started Loewenstein down the path of community murals in Lawrence and across the Midwest.
Susan Earle, one of the curators at the Spencer Museum of Art, worked with Loewenstein in 2007 on a project commissioned by the museum.
said. "He had a great vision for how to create a mural painting in Lawrence that would commemorate Douglas."
The mural serves as both a commemorative piece and a place of learning.
"It gives an opportunity to learn about something in a whole different way." Earle said. "And it might not be a way that people are used to learning about something."
instead of focusing only on Aaron Douglas, Loewenstein incorporated several important artists from Kansas as well as added some natural imagery.
"The name of it is interesting too: Pollinators," Earle said. "It's a wonderful kind of metaphor."
Earle said the mural, located in the parking lot used by the Lawrence Farmers' Market, incorporates the farmers who pollinate the community, and extends that metaphor to the artists of Kansas who pollinated the country with their art.
"He is really good at what he does and he has a national reputation," Earle said.
Loewenstein continues to focus on community-based projects
Earle was working on a national touring exhibit on Aaron Douglas, an influential artist from Topeka.
"... instead of an artist doing it on his or her own, or even asking a few people, I go to places and I work with local people for a long time."
She said the museum called on local artists to create a permanent outdoor exhibit to honor Douglas, and Loewenstein was the best artist who came forward.
"He has been very inspired by the work of Aaron Douglas," Earle
DAVE LOEWENSTEIN
Mural artist
when he isn't writing, sketching or pursuing his own interests.
we call them community based projects," he said. "It means that instead of an artist doing it on his or her own, or even asking a few people, I go to places and I work with local people for a long time."
"I think w h a t character-izes the kind of murals I do from others is
Loewenstein said he holds open meetings with local people to discuss issues important to the community, and the people interested
work with him to design and paint the mural.
About 20 people usually work on the design team, sketching or writing ideas for Loewenstein to incorporate in the mural illustration.
In the early stages, everyone in the community is welcome to come paint a portion of the mural. Loenstein and his apprentices then finish the painting the details.
"My hope is that they do something more than just beautification." Loewenstein said.
He said he hopes the murals become a place of memory where people are inspired to remember or tell a story or have an argument.
"It also helps to give the neighborhood or community a sense of identity beyond just the local sports team," Loewenstein said. "There's more to us than just those things."
Karl Janssen, art director and advertising manager for the University Press of Kansas, worked as a mural assistant for Loewenstein's project called "East Lawrence Waltz."
Janssen said projects like Loewenstein's bring people together and allows the community to focus on what is important to them.
"One of the unique things about murals is that nobody owns them," Janssen said.
He said murals allow art to be accessible to more people than just those who would enter a gallery and community projects build pride.
That positivity is reflected in the murals that Loewenstein helps create, lanssen said.
"His work influence is broader than what we see on the walls," Janssen said.
Loewenstein is currently in Hastings, Neb., working on a mural that will complete his Mid-America mural project. Another work that is a little closer to home for University students, called "Seeds," located at 9th and Mississippi, is currently being restored.
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COFFEE BREAK
Cooler weather brings return of fall-inspired drinks
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY YVONNE SAENZ/KANSAN
Freshman Hayley Tuggle, from Topeka, said that she loves autumn, and that the smell of pumpkin spice lattes reminds her that the season is approaching.
Well, it seems to depend on the drink. Most coffee shops in Lawrence offer the classic pumpkin spice latte, made popular by Starbucks after its debut almost a decade ago. The pumpkin spice craze has picked up significantly in recent years. Since August 2012, #pumpkinspice has been tweeted more than 29,000 times.
Fall has begun to greet Lawrence, and coffee shops welcome it with open arms. Fall-inspired lattes and other espresso drinks are back once again, but where are the best places to go for one?
MEGHAN KETCHAM
mketcham@kansan.com
Seasonal espresso drinks like Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte begin appearing in the fall. Most Lawrence coffee shops offer some version of this popular drink, or similar fall-inspired beverages.
Coffee shops around Lawrence
try to incorporate the pumpkin flavor in different ways. At Henry's, baristas continually experiment with flavors to create original drinks. The Muddy Pumpkin is perhaps the most popular fall latte at Henry's, and the baristas say that it is due to the way they present pumpkin spice in a different way.
"It's a good blend of our espresso, chai, and pumpkin chai. It's our seasonal take on dirty chai." Henry's barista Katy Clagett said.
"I definitely like La Prima Tazza the best," said senior Breea Little from Andover. "I like La Prima the most because I can just take my cup up there and fill it, and the atmosphere is really nice."
For some, it isn't just the taste that makes a good latte; the atmosphere at the coffee shop has an effect.
Edited by Sarah Kramer
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