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KANSAN.COM*
ARTS & CULTURE
7
Inaugural Oktoberfest coming to Lawrence
RYAN MILLER
@Ryanmiller_UKD
Lawrence has a new annual event to look forward to starting Saturday: Lawrence's Oktoberfest at the Lawrence Library Civic Plaza.
Oktoberfest is a popular festival originating in Germany, and similar festivals have popped up over the world during the month of October.
Adam Handshy, programs and business development director for the Chamber of Commerce, said a joint event by the Chamber of Commerce
and Downtown Lawrence Inc. had been talked about in recent years. This year the two decided on Oktoberfest.
"It was a joint confluence of the mind for a few different people," Handshy said.
This year's inaugural Oktoberfest will feature a variety of entertainment including The Happy Wanderers - a fivepiece brass band playing music from Germany, Austria and Switzerland - and The Vodvill Klown stage show. A full list of events, food and ticket prices can be found on the event's webpage.
David Tamez, a graduate student from Texas, said he and his wife attended previous Oktoberfest festivals in Texas, and they look forward to attending one in Lawrence.
"Personally, being a sort of Teutophile (lover of German culture), I'm interested in seeing how the festival incorporates German cultural themes," he said. "Ultimately, given that we are new to the city of Lawrence, we are simply interested in being part of the community."
This Oktoberfest will also have its own Lawrence flair.
featuring drinks and food from Free State Brewing Co. The Burger Stand, Fine Thyme Food, Leeway Frankes, Terrebonne Po' Boys and Juice Stop. Leeway Franks, one of the businesses participating, said it will bring currywurst, bratwurst and borscht to Oktoberfest this Saturday. All of their sausages, cured meats and soups are made by hand, in-house, from all-natural Kansas beef and pork by owner and butcher Lee Meisel.
"It's just something fun where people can get out, and different vendors can support each
other and a fun event going on. It's not every day you get to sit outside of the library and drink beer and have fun," said Lee Meisel, one of the owners of Leeway Franks.
Handshy said in addition to having a good time, he hopes people recognize the collaboration between the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Lawrence to put the event on.
The two organizations faced challenges like communicating the event and budgeting due to it being a first-time event, but they worked closely together to benefit the community, he said
"There's a lot that goes into a first-time event," he said.
He said he looks forward to seeing families and the city coming together for a good time. But he also hopes to see this year's Oktoberfest become the start of a bigger annual tradition in Lawrence.
"I want this thing to be going on 50 years from now," he said. "I want it to be 10,000 people going out, and I want it to grow and to be a bigger deal."
Tickets can be purchased online or at various locations in town listed on the event's page.
Multimedia artist Darrin Martin speaking in front of one of his exhibits in the Art & Design Gallery on Wednesday, Oct. 21
ASHLEY LEWANDOWSKI/KANSAN
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"Iterations" exhibit explores different world perceptions
CAMERON MCGOUGH
@cammcgough
The University's Art and Design Gallery at Chalmers Hall is hosting a solo art show by internationally distinguished artist Darrin Martin. His new show, "Iterations," showcases a timeline of different media forms, ranging from stereoscopic photographic imagery of the 19th century to the 3D scanning technologies of today.
"Iterations" sets itself apart by welcoming many different elements of art and molding them together to create a unique experience Martin described as a "dialogue with a timeline of technology."
The majority of the gallery is comprised of moving images projected on the walls while an audio track is played. Martin said this artistic style is highly influenced by Naim June Paik, who is widely considered the father of video art. Martin also cites Stieina and Woody Vasulka as major inspirations.
In addition to Paik and the Vasukas, Martin's creative influence is also drawn from his own experiences, particularly his hearing loss. Around 2000, he had a failed ear operation, which left him deaf in his right ear. Through this, Martin said he became interested in the relationship we all have between a mediated reality and our limited knowledge base.
ited knowledge base.
"Because I hear through hearing aids and 1 kind of remember what it was like to have a normative hearing, it drew my attention on the subjectivity of reality, how we are all experiencing different things very, very differently," Martin said.
"Because I hear through hearing aids and I kind of remember what it was like to have a normative hearing,it drew my attention on the subjectivity of reality,how we are all experiencing different things very, very differently."
DARRIN MARTIN Artist
Through a view of the direct relationship between sound and image, Martin explores how people are subject to different perceptions of the world. In the gallery, observers may use varying perceptual abilities as the art mixes diverse components of one's perception into a larger experience.
Benjamin Rosenthal, assistant professor of visual art, was a graduate student at the University of California at Davis
when he met Martin. Rosenhal said "Iterations" is artistically impressive.
"I think it's at the cutting edge of exploring questions of perception and technology, as well as the nature of how we record information and visual data," Rosenthal said. "The way Darrin is addressing that is very sophisticated."
As an educator at UC Davis, Martin is familiar with the college atmosphere and he said he assembled this particular show with students in mind. Rosenthal said Martin's art on campus is a unique experience for students.
"Students often see work two or three generations from what the artists intended, so it's rare to get this kind of work here," Rosenthal said. "I want to encourage students and faculty to spend time with the exhibition — challenge it, be critically engaged with it. It is a rare opportunity to have this kind of work here, so they should take advantage of it."
Through the complexity of his work, Martin said he hopes everyone leaves the showroom feeling like they were able to view something worthwhile. "I don't make work that is terribly didactic," Martin said. "I don't want to tell you what to think about it, but I do try to set the stage for somebody having an experience."
—Edited by Derek Skillett