Arts center thrives

The Lawrence Arts Center is hitting stride in its relatively new home in the heart of downtown Lawrence.

The much-larger, custom-built facility (where the center moved in October 2001 from cramped quarters at the old Carnegie Library, Ninth and Vermont streets) has fast become a hub for community arts gatherings, from gallery openings to theater events.

Artwork created by children and professional artists alike continually fills the gallery space, and the center offers classes and workshops in a broad range of visual arts. Performance-based classes in dance and drama also are available.

Community groups, such as English Alternative Theatre, the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra and improvisational theater troupes, regularly rent out arts center spaces for performances.

In addition, the center supports its own resident performance groups: The Prairie Wind Dancers and The Seem-To-Be Players.

Enrollment for fall classes begins Friday. The public can check out the center at a Saturday Open House.