monday, october 27, 2003 news the university daily kansan 32 3A Walk displays local art, reveals creative process By Alex Hoffman ahoffman@kansan.com Kansan staff writer This year marked the Lawrence Art Walk's best turnout of its nine-year history. The Art Walk began Saturday and ended yesterday. Although it started small in its early years, the self-guided tour of work from local artists has expanded. This year 91 artists and galleries registered their work at 61 locations around Lawrence. The growing number of participants made for more preparation than usual. "It was a lot to put together," said Bobbi Studstill, one of the featured artists, about building the Art Walk's Web site. "There were people I didn't even recognize as part of the arts community." Studstill, an administrative assistant in the School of Pharmacy, showed her pieces of mixed media at fellow artist Traci Bunkers' studio,619 E. Eighth St.She works with paper, photography and paint to put together collages and two-dimensional books. "A lot of times I just start gluing papers onto a surface." Studstill said. "I use a lot of old books. I'm "I use a lot of old books.I'm not shy about ripping them apart." Bobbi Studstill Lawrence artist not shy about ripping them apart." Most of the books she uses are children's books that are sturdy and stand on their own. From there she assembles photographs or parts of other books and glues them on the pages. Studstill encourages people to buy them for journals or to create their own. In addition to designing knitwear, rubber stamps and journals of her own. Bunkers makes little creatures out of wool. They have wire in them that makes them able to bend in the arms and the legs. A ghoulish green figure with four protruding teeth on display was one that was special for her. "I won't sell him, because he's just too cool," she said. Bunkers' creations don't take long for her to complete, but it depends on how much detail she puts in to them. She began making one of her creatures while she was getting her oil and tires changed. "I did most of it while I was waiting," she said. "The sky around Taos is so crystal clear and beautiful and changeable," she said. Other artists in the Art Walk found their motivation from nature and the outdoors. Margaret Rose's inspiration comes from her travels to New Mexico. Rose's latest projects involve making bowls out of paper pulp. She gets paper in sheets and literally beats it to a pulp. She soaks it in water, and the paper settles as it dries to make shapes reminiscent of clouds. After that process, Rose paints a variety of colors around the bowl for an iridescent quality. Although art galleries around Lawrence are selling the local artists' pieces, the Art Walk provides a closer look at the creative process. "Everyone is interested in what an artists' studio looks like," Bunkers said. "I think it's a chance for people to go in the places and see where normally they wouldn't really have access to it." "Denial Realized," by Brett Richardson, was displayed in the Grimshaw Gallery Collective, 731 New Hampshire St. Grimshaw Gallery Collective was one of the 62 locations participating in the Lawrence Art Walk during the weekend. —Edited by Ashley Marriott Abby Tillery/Kansan Nation Gas prices drop slightly, continue steady decline CAMARILLO, Calif. — Retail gasoline prices have fallen two cents in the past two weeks, contributing to a price decrease of more than 16 cents since September 12, according to a national industry report Sunday. The Lundberg Survey of gas prices for the two weeks ending Oct. 24 found the weighted average retail gasoline price for all grades fell to $1.59, down from $1.61 in Lundberg's Oct. 10 survey. The drop reflects a continuing decrease since prices peaked in August due to supply problems, and a falloff in crude oil prices in the past two weeks. Crude oil had reached $32 per barrel on the NYMEX two weeks ago, but has returned to about In August, during the peak driving season, the East Coast blackouts took several refineries out of commission and a West Coast pipeline was shut to avoid environmental damage. $30 per barrel. OPEC has announced plans to cut production of crude oil by 900,000 barrels per day, which could boost demand and prices for home heating oil, especially if the winter is colder than usual. Crude prices are an important element in gasoline prices. As of Friday, self-serve regular gasoline showed an average weighted price of $1.56 a gallon, with midgrade at $1.66 and premium at $1.75. All of the prices include taxes. Schwarzenegger visits Mr. Olympia contest LAS VEGAS — California Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger showed he still has a soft spot for body building, popping in unexpectedly at the Mr. Olympia contest to congratulate its winner. Himself a seven-time Mr. Olympia, Schwarzenegger drew cheers and chants of "Arnold" and "Governator" from the crowd Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Hotel-Casino. Ronnie Coleman, of Arlington, Texas, walked away the winner of the 39th annual competition, sponsored by the International Federation of Body-Builders. It was his sixth consecutive title. "Finally I feel at home again," Schwarzenegger told the estimated 6,000 spectators. "This is a terrific sport and if it wouldn't have been for bodybuilding I wouldn't have any of this. It's a great foundation." Mr. Olympia founder Joe Weider said Schwarzenegger proves bodybuilding is about more than just lifting weights. "Finally, it's beginning to dawn on the world that bodybuilders are smart," Weider said. "They develop determination. They don't give up. They don't lose. If they ever apply that to any profes sion...they can be a great success." Rodney St. Cloud, who placed 12th, called Schwarzenegger's appearance special. "He shows that if you put your heart and soul into anything you can do it," said St. Cloud: World Attack on Baghdad hotel kills U.S. Army colonel BAGHDAD, Iraq — A "science project" of a rocket launcher forced the U.S. occupation authority to retreat from its main hotel Sunday, after a barrage by the Iraqi resistance that killed an American colonel, wounded 18 other people and sent scores of U.S. officials scurrying for safety, including the visiting deputy defense secretary. Paul Wolfowitz, the shakenlooking but unhurt Pentagon deputy, said the strike against the AI Rasheed Hotel, from nearly point-blank range, "will not deter us from completing our mission" in Iraq. But the bold blow at the heart of the U.S. presence here clearly rattled U.S. confidence that it is defeating Iraq's shadow insurgents. "We'll have to get the security situation under control," Secretary of State Colin Powell told NBC's "Meet the Press." He said the Bush administration knew postwar security would be a challenge, but "we didn't expect it would be quite this intense this long." The assault was likely planned over at least the past two months, a top U.S. commander said, as the insurgents put together the improvised rocket launcher and figured out how to wheel it into the park just across the street from the hotel. Pope thanks supporters during 25th anniversary VATICAN CITY — Pope John Paul II offered thanks Sunday to all those who supported him during his tiring 25th anniversary celebrations last week and again entrusted his future to the Virgin Mary. During his Sunday address to thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the ailing 83-year-old pontifical recalled the past week of activities. "Still alive in my mind are the intense emotions felt in recent days, during which so many people were close around me on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the pontificate," he said. John Paul, looking a little weary, went on to thank church prelates, foreign officials who offered congratulations and all the faithful. "I think in a special way of the sick, who are close to me with the offer of their suffering," he added. The pontiff ended his remarks by renewing "the entrusting of my life and of my ministry to the Virgin Mary, mother of the redeemer and mother of the church. To her I repeat with filial abandon: all yours." John Paul presided over weeklong events to mark his 25th anniversary as pope, concluding with a Mass on Wednesday with 30 new cardinals installed the day before. 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