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Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015
ARTS & CULTURE | KANSAN.COM
City Comission plans downtown cultural district
VICKY DIAZ-CAMACHO AND SAMANTHA SEXTON @vickyd.c. @SamBiscuit
After Lawrence City Commissioners' meetings over the last several months, which included debates with residents, the city will have a defined cultural district.
The proposed Ninth Street Arts Corridor will be at Ninth Street between Delaware and Massachusetts Streets. The corridor will be supported by a $500,000 ArtPlace grant that was awarded last June to the Lawrence Arts Center.
"About two years ago, the city embarked on an effort to define a cultural district in Lawrence," said Porter Arneill, the director of arts and culture in Lawrence. "The ArtPlace Grant allows inclusion and integration of art at various levels for our project."
The debate with residents
have been about what kinds of art will be publicly displayed and how artists will be selected. The idea is to transform the designated location into an accessible public art space with the help of civil engineers and urban designers, according to the Lawrence Arts Center website.
The project calls for a new design for the corridor that will feature both temporary and permanent works of art. The city plans to upgrade the area to highlight the artistic culture of the area and improve pedestrian safety. Improvements will include renovations such as repairing brick streets, making sidewalks more pedestrian-friendly and adding more lighting.
The city may begin construction on the project next summer.
"I'm excited to see this plan come to fruition," Arneill said. "We have eight artists who are going to engage in this project
in a couple exciting, different ways"
Susan Tate, the Lawrence Arts Center chief executive, said artists would be invited to apply for three different tiers of commission, which will be selected by a group of people from the city, the Arts Center, Citizens Advisory Board, artists and Cultural Arts Commission representatives.
Ninth Street Arts Corridor will run between Massachusetts and Delaware Streets
When a nationwide call for participants was sent out two weeks ago, some residents said they were wary of letting outside influences define the city's culture.
A group of residents told city commissioners in July that they wanted half of the artists to be from East Lawrence for the proposed corridor.
"We had 24 people who responded and we went through a lengthy two-day review of the artists with a panel," Arneill said. "Those we chose all have some sort of tie to the area."
1900 Barker, a bakery and cafe,a product of brothers' partnership
KELLY CORDINGLEY
@kellycordingley
Nearly two months ago, the brothers turned a laundromat located at 1900 Barker Ave., into their ideal neighborhood bakery.
At 21 and 23 years old, the Petrehn brothers could be average college students trudging up the hill to their 9 a.m. classes. Instead, they're up before the sun in their bakery and coffee shop.
Taylor and Reagan Petrehn opened their bakery, called 1900 Barker, in early June, and have seen fairly steady traffic since.
"The neighborhood has been really supportive," Taylor said. "It's been fun to meet new people and see new people in their community environment instead of a downtown strip. We were really busy right away, and I feel like we're starting to hit stride now."
Taylor, 23, graduated from Johnson County Community College's culinary program in 2010. He's worked in the restaurant industry for years but said he began baking professionally three years ago, roughly the same time
he moved to Lawrence with a group of friends.
"I loved [Lawrence], and decided to call it home," Taylor said. "It had been a dream for a long time. I walked by this place all the time, and I was like, What would it be like if there was a bakery in this neighborhood?"
The brothers are from Paola, and said they've been foodies for years. About four years ago, Taylor built a pizza oven at their family's home. He said they would bring in a guest bartender for the evening and enjoy great pizza together.
"We've almost always done food together," Taylor said.
“It's great. We have 20-plus years of experience communicating with each other, so it's really easy to communicate, and you don't get that with any other business partner,” Reagan said. “I know my ideas will be understood immediately. I don’t have to worry.”
Working with his brother came naturally to Reagan, he said.
Last week 1900 Barker extended its hours to include Wednesday and Thursday. The cafe is currently open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday
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"Pastries usually sell out pretty quickly," Taylor said. "We see a lull around 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. or so, and as bread comes out of the oven people start showing back up and then they'll grab an espresso on their way home from work."
through Saturday. The brothers serve coffee all day but cycle through different food options. Pastries come out of the oven at 7 a.m., and in the afternoon the Petrehns focus on their breads.
Of the wheat used in their breads, 25 percent comes from a local farm, and all the wheat they use is certified organic. The coffee they use will change every few months as they switch roasteries.
Since the cafe has not been open long, Taylor said they still had room to grow. They're planning to offer more lunch options as well as host neighborhood block parties.
"Every quarter we plan to rotate two new coffee roasters," Taylor said. "We're really searching for the best in the industry."
"Our hope is to really serve the community around us and provide great bread and coffee for people," Taylor said.
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY 1900 BARKER
Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity Challenging the Status Quo to Achieve Gender Equity Located in Wescoe Hall 4024 • 785-864-3552 • emilytaylorcenter@ku.edu
Welcome Back Drop-In Aug.24 & 25,11:30 am - 1:30 pm (4024 Wescoe)
Women of Distinction Reception Aug.31,4-5:30 pm (Ballroom, Ks Union)
Self-Defense Workshop Sept.17,6:30-8:30 pm (Daisy Hill) (Sign up at emilytaylorcenter@ku.edu)
Dare to Dream KU Sept.23,7:00 pm (Woodruff Auditorium,Ks Union)