Public can help create new street mural at painting party

This rendering shows the design of a new street mural that will be painted on a cul-de-sac on East 14th Street.

A community painting party will be held Saturday to complete a new street mural on an eastside cul-de-sac.

The cul-de-sac on East 14th Street will be closed to traffic to allow for the party, where people of all ages and abilities will be able to help paint.

“We’re going to chalk out the outline of the design and then from there it’s sort of like a paint-by-numbers system,” said Katy Clagett, one of the artists involved with the mural. “So we’ll go into different segments and put a little dot of red or a dot of yellow paint wherever it needs to be.”

From there, Clagett said the public will be able to take over, with an opportunity for more liberty if they choose. The mural takes the form of a compass, with the four points made of a kaleidoscope of bright green, yellow, blue and red. The body of the compass is a scene of lily pads and koi fish. Clagett said the fish will offer a space for people to be creative with color or design.

The primary artists involved in the project include Clagett, Alicia Kelly, Jacob Brewer and Caitlin Fisher. The City Commission approved the mural’s design in April. The painting of the mural will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday and will be followed by a block party with live music, potluck and other activities.

The cul-de-sac is an entrance point for the Burroughs Creek Trail, and the painting party is taking place on National Trails Day. Activities include yoga with OmTree Shala, art activities for kids and the East Side Yard Sale. The Lawrence Loop, Sunrise Project and Humane Society will have informational booths and Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop will provide free bike tune-ups from noon to 4 p.m.

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Apart from the painting itself, Clagett said the goal of the event is to help connect residents to the trail, which is part of the citywide trail system known as the Lawrence Loop. Though attendees can park in nearby parks or neighborhoods, organizers are encouraging residents to walk or bike to the party.

“The big-picture idea behind this project in general is just getting the community together,” Clagett said. “The secondary thing behind this is bringing together the Brook Creek and East Lawrence neighborhood and also connecting those communities to the trial that is such an integral part of those neighborhoods.”

The street mural on East 14th Street will be a reiteration of a project completed last year that was funded in part by a $1,500 grant from the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission. Originally, the street mural was completed at the intersection of 10th and New Jersey streets, but issues with the paint and the intersection’s surface condition caused that mural to deteriorate quickly after it was painted.

For the new mural project, the artists have said the surface quality and paint have been improved. The City Commission also approved closing the cul-de-sac June 2-4.

The painting portion or the party will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The potluck and musical performances will be from 4 to 7 p.m. A full schedule of events is available on the event’s Facebook page. In event of inclement weather, a rain date is scheduled for June 10.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1150262518450622/