A new business complex in northwest Lawrence is aligning itself with the city's reputation as an arts community, and hoping the connection will bring more residents into its buildings.
On Saturday, the owners of Art Executive Office Park, Peterson Road and Kasold Drive, will have an art exhibition and sale to promote the arts-based theme of the complex and their interest in original art.
The sale begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and will feature about 50 pieces of original impressionist artwork by Jiankun Hua, an oil painter who lives in China.
The sale, which begins at 10 a.m., will feature original impressionist artworks by Jiankun Hua, an oil painter who lives in China. Hua studied at the LuXun Institute of Fine Art in Shenyang, China, and has exhibited his works in Japan, Russia, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and China.
"We will have 50 pieces from him," said Ying Xin, Lawrence, chief operating officer of OriginalArt Co. and co-founder of ArtOutThere, an online marketing service for art galleries throughout the world.
After Saturday, Hua's paintings and the works of artists in China, the Republic of Georgia, Israel, Africa and other countries can be seen and purchased online at www.artoutthere.com.
Greg Cromer, executive vice president of American Real Estate and Investments Inc., 1811 Wakarusa Drive, said the corridors in the Art Executive Office Park will show off original paintings by international artists.
"The idea is to bring something that's unique to Lawrence and to tap into the theme of the arts community," Cromer said. "We really want this location to be a trademark. We want to bring worldwide artwork into the community."
The nine-acre complex has one two-story building and three one-story buildings, for a total of 90,000 square feet of office space. The complex houses a 68-seat theater with video projection and state-of-the-art teleconferencing technology.
The office park will have a half-acre Japanese garden with a circulating fountain, waterfalls, goldfish, shrubs and a commissioned artwork. The campus will be landscaped with about 80 deciduous trees, ornamental shrubs and seasonal plants.
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