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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2005
▼ ARTS
Students turn space into artist community
BY NEF MULKA
nmulka@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Brian Lewis/KANSAN
The KU Ministry of Sculpture is a close-knit group of sculptors who hang out in the Sub-Base in the Art and Design Building. The group consists of several experienced sculptors including TJ Tangpuz, Kansas City, Mo., nontraditional student; Andrew Hadel, Riley junior; Andrew Leek, Olathe senior; Bradford Kessler, Pratt senior; Justin Riley, Fayetteville, Ark., senior; and President Sarah Heath, Wichita senior.
While most KU students study in coffee shops, libraries and at home, upper-level and graduate sculpture students have their own little space to work located below the Art and Design sculpture room called the Sub-Base.
the Subbase.
To these 13 students it's more than a workspace or a studio — it's an artist community, said Dave Werdin-Kennicott, a.k.a. Smiling Dave, Kansas City, Kan., graduate student
It looks like a set for a stereotypical college movie: Old comfy chairs and couches and magazine clipping collages attached to randomly painted walls with avant-garde music filling the air in a common room.
Surrounding this common room are six studios where the artists work busily on sculpture projects.
it even has its own phone booth.
To Brett Richardson, Olathe senior, it could be a second home.
"It's kind of personable — lived-in if you will," Richardson said. "It's almost like coming into someone's apartment."
Richardson admits he spends more time in the Sub-Base than his own apartment.
The Sub-Base's pet and mascot, Montel, the brown recluse spider lives in Richardson's studio space.
Montel was caught from a friend's apartment and has been living in his glass-jar home in the Sub-Base for two weeks, Richardson said.
Montel replaced a small field mouse named Testicles (which rhymes with the Greek figure Pericles) that died after living
there for a day.
there for a day.
"It might have been the shock from living in captivity," Smiling Dave said.
Dave said. The occupants of the SubBase regularly bring in communal snacks, have pot lucks and costume and collage parties, Smiling Dave said.
Because the Sub-Base occupants are so close-knit, new people have a sense of being an outsider even though they are welcome to hang out, Andrew Leek, Olathe senior said.
They also watch out for each other's tools, art and studio space from people who steal items. Leek said.
"Sculptors have a lot of tools," Leek said. "We have a lot stuff on shelves. We know enough to lock up other people's studios if they leave them open and to turn off on appliances."
the occupants have to move oversized work up a hill and to the front of the Art and Design Building, because the stairwell leading to the main part of the building does not accommodate large objects, Smiling Dave said.
One of the downfalls of working in the Sub-Base is that
said.
"It challenges you to make easily-transferable stuff," he said. "A lot of my sculptures have wheels on them."
have wings of their own.
The Sub-Base is also headquarters to the Ministry of Sculpture, a new student group for anyone with an interest in 3-D art, Smiling Dave said.
The occupants of the Sub Base usually change yearly depending who leaves school. Smiling Dave said.
"I'll miss it," said Richardson, who is graduating this semester. "It's a nice environment and it's more than just a shared studio."
- Edited by Jennifer Voldness
TOURISM
New ad campaign seeks to attract more visitors
BY DAN PETERS
editor@kansan.com
KANSAN CORRESPONDENT
Most guests at Constance Wolfe's bed and breakfast come to Lawrence for University-related functions. But the Convention and Visitors Bureau believes the city can promote its off-campus attractions to lure more overnight visitors.
A new CVB campaign flaunts the city's cuisine, golf courses and artistic culture in five newspaper advertisements. The "Stay the Night" ad series made its debut in December in 12 Midwestern cities. Business has increased since the campaign began, said Wolfe, co-owner of the Halcyon House Bed and Breakfast, 1000 Ohio St.
"The Convention and Visitors Bureau is doing an excellent job," she said. "I think that Lawrence has one of the best CVB's out there, period. I've seen what other people are doing in other cities, and these people are doing really good."
Overnight visitors who came to Lawrence in 2004 spent an estimated $31 million, according to a CVB document.
But visitors occupied only 54 percent of total available rooms throughout the year.
The CVB hopes to reduce this vacancy burden by promoting Lawrence as a cultural destination. The Bureau placed their "Stay the Night" advertisements a second time in March. Some hotel managers have reported an increase in room occupancy since the launch of the campaign.
The CVB chose cities based on previous visitor information requests and the number of new KU students from those communities. Henderson said the campaign focused on attracting visitors within a three- to five-hour drive of Lawrence.
paugh.
The CVB initially placed the advertisements in Omaha, Neb.; Des Moines, Iowa; Tulsa, OKla.; the Kansas City, Mo., area; and eight other Kansas markets, Susan Henderson, CVB marketing director, said.
"We know from research that people aren't likely to fly here and make a weekend trip," she said. "But it's a great drive destination."
The CVB tracked response rates by measuring visitor statistics to unique Web site URLs listed in each advertisement.
Henderson said it also used a database to track visitor inquiries and online hotel bookings from particular areas. The database showed increased responses from all of the targeted communities, she said.
Each of the five advertisements features a different theme. One promotes Lawrence as a winter golf destination. Another encourages the viewer to "load up everyone and head for Lawrence." Henderson said the "culture" and "romantic getaway" ads have generated the highest response rates.
Molly Gordon, front desk cashier at Holiday Inn Express, 3411 Iowa St., said different types of visitors have stayed at the motel this year. It has attracted couples, business people who stay for long durations, and sports teams on the weekends. Lawrence provided a tourist-friendly atmosphere, the Merriam freshman said.
"It's a nice townie town," she said. "This is a very good, artistic place to come with all the galleries, and because of the up-coming people attracted by the University."
Many Lawrence accommodations thrive off KU-related guests, Henderson said.
Wolfe estimated that 90 percent of her Halcyon House
guests come to Lawrence for a University function. Lectures and conferences attract an international clientele to her business. Her location between campus and downtown make her house a convenient option for KU visitors, she said.
The Halcyon House, as well as 10 other Lawrence properties, allow visitors to reserve rooms through the CVB's Web site. visitlawrence.com.
Brandy Ernzen, CVB Assistant Marketing Manager, said online bookings have increased significantly since the launch of the campaign. Reservations made this January and February had doubled from the number made during the same time in 2004.
Recent publicity may also be attracting more visitors to the city.
Dan Kaercher, editor in chief for Midwest Living magazine, included a one-page feature on Lawrence in the April 2005 edition.
He named Lawrence his favorite university town and noted its history and "bohemian air," worthy of attraction. The Feb. 25 New York Times travel section included a full-page feature on Lawrence.
While some overnight visitors may come to Lawrence for a specific attraction, others discover the city by accident.
Debbie White, co-manager of the Lawrence Visitor Information Center, said some road trippers stopped by en route to another destination. She said people were often surprised by the city's history, landscape and shopping.
"The fact we actually have a downtown thrills people—actually it shocks people." White said. "Some people don't know how to handle it."
Edited by John Scheirman
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