photo by: Contributed photo

The yurt containing the Wall of Respect will remain on display through Jan. 21 at KU's Dole Institute.

A collaborative art project inspired by an influential 1960s mural will be on display in Lawrence beginning Saturday at the Dole Institute of Politics.

The “Wall of Respect” mural was created in 1967 in Chicago by a group of black artists and featured images of notable figures in African-American history. It gave birth to a larger mural movement that eventually spread nationwide, and a couple of years ago, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City set out to pay tribute with a project of its own that could inspire similar positive activism and community building.

But the center didn’t want something static.

Jill Maidhof, an employee with the center who came up with the idea around the mural’s 50th anniversary, said she wanted to create a new Wall of Respect that would be a portable, interactive piece that would travel and grow with art and messages created by visitors.

With the help of artists from Kansas City’s InterUrban ArtHouse, a yurt sprang up — a moveable tentlike home, woven around stories from the communities in the Kansas City metro area. The art around the yurt acknowledges the commonalities among and celebrates the unique cultural contributions to Kansas City made by the Native American, Jewish, African-American, Latino/Hispanic and Asian communities all living together, Maidhof said.

It took two years to create, Maidhof said, and was completed in August. It has since traveled around the Kansas City metro area, where people have added their art or stories to its inside walls.

Now, the 12-foot-tall yurt will be on display for three weeks at the Dole Institute on the University of Kansas campus.

Audrey Coleman, the institute’s assistant director, said visitors can challenge themselves with hands-on activities, adding their stories to the yurt, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, during a free, family-centered event at the institute, 2350 Petefish Drive.

“This time of year is a good opportunity to bring traveling exhibits to the center, and this exhibit caught our eye because of the emphasis on the diversity of experience and perspective and respectful discourse across differences,” Coleman said. She said she also liked the fact that kids of all ages and adults could immerse themselves in it.

“I think people will appreciate seeing something different, impressive and a colorful installation,” Coleman said.

While the yurt will remain on display through Jan. 21, this Saturday is the only day that people can contribute and interact through activities. Maidhof will lead an interactive educational program for students, and visitors of all ages can share stories about their culture.

“It’s not about taking something away,” Maidhof said, “but adding something.”

The new Wall of Respect opened in August at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City.

Maidhof’s goal with this version of the Wall of Respect is to create community and celebrate the diversity that makes up this world.

“The first step for some people in appreciating our diversity is to be exposed and see another community acknowledging its diversity,” Maidhof said.