East Lawrence Waltz - Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence, Kansas has a lot of public art for a community its size and one of the most impressive works is the mural, "East Lawrence Waltz" on Municipal Stadium, a softball field on the east side of Lawrence in Hobbs Park. The mural was completed in 2006. The mural is dedicated to the history and continued spirit of the East Lawrence Neighborhood and its people. The lead artist was Dave Loewenstein, whose home and studio are just a few blocks away. He was assisted by Karl Janssen and John Rasmussen, with additional help from many others. Loewenstein considers creating a mural to be a collaborative community project and compares it with working in community theater. The poem, "Youth" by Langston Hughes is a focal point of the mural. Hughes was one of the leading poets of the Harlem Renaissance movement. He was born in Missouri in 1902 and lived in the Old West neighborhood of Lawrence with his grandmother from a baby until he was thirteen. We have tomorrow
copyright 2019 by Keith Stokes |
