NOTICE
PAINTING THE TOWN TWEET
MICROBLOGGING'S EFFECT ON LAWRENCE MUSIC AND ARTS.
JOSH HAFNER
Photo Illustration Howard Tine
A little birdie told me: With the popularity of Twitter, some artists and musicians have found a new way of promoting. Now concert and gallery-goers can find out about events almost instantly.
The walls of the Wonder Fair Gallery, 803% Massachusetts St. can't talk, but they do send messages. The textual art of Chicagoan Matthew Hoffman adorns the cozy gallery's white walls and hardwood floors. One section shows gravestones with sardonic, hand-carved epitaphs of the long-gone, such as "My only regret is that I can no longer Google myself with my morning coffee."
The pieces satirize our generation's ties to Internet culture, and our other infatuation: cynical irony. It's ironic, then, that across the room through shelves of for-sale artwork and handmade crafts, sits Wonder Fair curator Jason Barr on a MacBook, scaling the web. He's sending a message that transcends the gallery's walls into the Twitterverse:
If @VICE_VBStv or the @VICEMAG crew come to Lawrence for the Scion Garage Fest, gotta hit up the @AsteroidHeadArt home gallery @WonderFair!
His tweet is directed to VICE Magazine, an indie culture rag whose staff is rumored to visit Lawrence for an upcoming music event in October. Barr and the Wonder Fair are part of a growing number of artists and event organizers that use Twitter to expand and connect Lawrence's evolving arts scene.
Barr has used Twitter for two years, and between Wonder Fair and his personal account, boasts about 1,000 followers who receive short updates about his work and responses to followers' comments. Barr says moreo than Facebook, Twitter offers a quick, streamlined way to find out what's going on downtown and meet interested people. "On Facebook I have so much stuff that it's really hard to sift through," he says. "But Twitter sort of jumped the shark over everything."
One of the people Barrr follows on Twitter is Zach Hangauer, founder of Range Life Records, a local label releasing music by artists like Fourth of July and Suzannah Johannes. During an interview (arranged on Twitter) at his downtown apartment, Hanaguar says using Twitter keeps his label accessible to community fans. "As long as you have cultural contributors and interested people taking Twitter seriously, it's a great way to converse locally," he says. Amid boxes of records and band posters in
his apartment, Hangau can search "Fourth of July" to see what Twitter users are saying about his label's artist, or even respond to a Jayplay writer's interview requests.
In some ways, Hangauer says these live conversations on Twitter provide a pulse of cultural happenings downtown — a void long empty in Lawrence. "With Twitter it feels like there's a synergy again, like you can dependably connect with people. It's a good nucleus," he says.
Social media experts in Lawrence agree. Last month, Hangauer and Barr spoke at the Lawrence Social Media Club, a weekly meeting of area enthusiasts. With Tricia Rock and Brent Carter, founders of area art blog The Rathaus, they discussed the ways interactive media affects local culture.
Ben Smith, social media consultant and club founder, says Lawrence's small-town size enables online connections to jump over into real-life relationships, cultivating communities and promoting events. That's a valuable commodity if you're an artist or musician, Smith says. Rarely are the words "artist" and "entrepreneurial" uttered in the same breath, but Barr believes creatives know how to sell to survive. "Whether a car or painting, you have to equally care about what your making and successfully market it," he says.
That marketable opportunity occurred last
month during Lawrence's initial Final Fridays art walk downtown. Just 10 days before its first event, the Twitter account "FFLawrence" began posting updates, replying to community members, and getting shout-outs and links from Range Life, Wonder Fair and The Rathaus. By the night of the event, a buzzing online conversation emerged, connecting those at the buzzing real-life event downtown. Though Final Fridays' online efforts could have been better organized, Hangauer says the enthusiasm of savvy startups
in the arts scene made it possible. Final Fridays' Twitter account now gains about 80 new followers each week. Slowly, yet somehow surely, Lawrence's arts and music scenes are forging new ground online, in less than 140 characters.
WANT TO GET PLUGGED-IN TO LAWRENCE'S ARTS AND MUSIC SCENE ONLINE? Search any of these user names on Twitter.com to get in touch with downtown's creative pulse
**FFLAWRENCE** - Final Fridays in Lawrence
The official feed for updates on Lawrence's monthly art party. Follow it on Final Fridays for live updates from downtown.
WONDERFAIR - Wonder Fair The downtown gallery, studio and art shoppe answers customer questions and links to photos and updates of upcoming shows.
THERATHAUS -The Rathaus.com This feed brings art, design and music coverage straight from their blog, with updates on buzz-worthy happenings.
RANGELIFERCRDS - Range Life Records The local label tweets to fans and links to bands to help put local music on the map.
BARK -- Jason Barr
Ubiquitous in Lawrence arts, Barr's bio calls himself a "Creator, Curator, Art Maker, A.D.D. Podcaster, DJ, Culture Jammer, Guru." That's about it.
CAMPUS
Early spending by Senate not a worry
BY MICHAEL HOLTZ mholtz@kansan.com
What appeared to have been an early spending spree in Student Senate was nothing more than business as usual, said treasurer Erin Pishny.
Pishny said allocating such a large percentage of Senate's available funds at the beginning of the semester was typical. Even so, she said shed like senators to be more meticulous before voting to approve funding.
Last year, Senate had approved $30,365 after two full sessions, or 26 percent of its unallocated account. Money from the unallocated account funds events, speakers and other activities sponsored by student groups. It also pays for general costs associated with those groups and costs associated with Senate.
Senate allocated $35,467, or 30 percent, of funds available to student groups during its first two sessions.
Money for the unallocated account comes from a $15.50 activity fee paid by all students as a required campus fee.
The largest amount approved so far this year was $19,100 in salary increases for members of the Student Executive Committee.
Despite the early spending spree, Pishny said Senate should have enough money to last through the school year.
"I would just caution people to really look at the bills," said Pishny, a senior from Lenexa. "I would like to see more questioning of people in finance [committee] and in full Senate."
"I don't really see it being a problem," Pishny said. "We have a good amount of money unallocated to
fund the projects that students have on campus."
SENATE TO WORK ON A MISSION STATEMENT
Students interested in joining the President's Taskforce on Mission, History and Vision should send an e-mail to Michael Wade Smith at michaelwadesmith@gmail.com.
Student Body President Michael Wade Smith announced the formation of a new taskforce designated to create a Student Senate mission statement Wednesday.
Senate committees each elected two members to the President's Taskforce on Mission, History and Vision on Wednesday night. Smith said he would choose two students unaffiliated with Senate to also be members.
Smith said he was shocked when he first realized Senate didn't have a formal mission statement. He said it was an integral piece of any organization's success.
"We want to make sure that Senate is keeping campus moving forward," Smith said. "To do that you need to have something that's creating that vision and that purpose for you."
"As long as we display it, read it and know it, it's going to inform the decisions we make for a lot of years to come," Smith said.
HOW TO JOIN THE SENATE TASKFORCE
Smith said he'd like to see a completed mission statement by mid-November.
SING OUT
- Edited by David Cawthon
Carter Calvert performs the opening act to Neil Bery's 100 years of Broadway Thursday at the Lied Center. The show featured 19 incredible Broadway classics sung by today's top Broadway stars.
Howard Ting/KANSAN
Shining lights of Broadway come to Kansas, for a night
BY NICOLAS ROESLER
nroesler@kansan.com
The number one touring Broadway concert brought the bright lights and big stars to the Lied Center Thursday night in the show "100 Years of Broadway."
Lead singers from Broadway shows such as "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Cats," "Les Miserables" and "Wicked" performed some of the most recognizable songs in American
Director Neil Berg sat on stage, playing a grand piano to songs that span generations, connecting them to American history and American culture between each performance.
history. Although the show spans 100 years of Broadway classics, each song finds its place in today's society and popular culture.
"It's like seeing 30 of the best Broadway
"Broadway is inherently appealing," said Kevin Cook, a senior from Lenexa.
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"We're big Broadway nerds." Flinn and Lounds said.
University students Kelsey Flinn, a freshman from Overland Park, and Megan Lounds, a freshman from Winfield, arrived 20 minutes before the show and were excited to see some of their favorite songs.
musicals in one night," Berg said.
Despite many of the songs $ ^{c} $ connections to
SEE BROADWAY ON PAGE 3A
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