photo by: Kim Callahan

The art installation "Through Other Eyes" is pictured Tuesday near Lawrence's police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The work was paid for by the city’s longstanding Percent for Art program.

Story updated at 9:29 p.m. Wednesday:

A $340,000 art installation for the city’s police headquarters was recently installed.

The artwork, “Through Other Eyes,” was paid for by the city’s longstanding Percent for Art program. The program allows city leaders to set aside up to 2% of a capital project’s budget for public art. The funding was approved as part of project budget for the $19.9 million police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive.

The piece consists of a metal pavilion with panels of colorful glass representations of eyes and light projections. The light sculpture at the center of the pavilion, the sphere toward the top of the design, includes cut-out patterns that project images onto the ground.

The artist, Joe O’Connell, previously told the Lawrence City Commission that the eyes were meant to communicate the idea of seeing someone else’s perspective. The city selected O’Connell, of Tucson, Ariz., from more than 40 artists following a national request for qualifications.

The Lawrence City Commission approved funding for the police headquarters, including the allocation for public art, in the summer of 2017 as part of the city’s 2018 budget process. The design concept for the project was approved by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission in July 2021 and by the Lawrence City Commission in September 2021. Though public input meetings regarding the design concept ahead of those votes were not well attended, both groups later received some negative feedback about the design once it was before them for review, particularly about the use of eyes.

As a result of concerns an arts commissioner heard about a potential negative message, some minor changes were made to the look of the eyes, so that they appeared empathetic and looked up rather than down at people. The City Commission ultimately voted 4-1, with Lisa Larsen opposed, to approve the concept design. Larsen, who wanted the design to go back to the arts commission for more public feedback, said at the time that she understood the intent was for the eyes to show empathy, but that to her the eyes felt like surveillance or the idea that police are watching, and she did not think that sent a good signal. The commissioners did note some positive aspects about the project, including that it provided some illumination for the area at night.

City spokesperson Porter Arneill said the artist team was in town last week to install the piece. The site is just southwest of the police headquarters at the trailhead that leads to the park north of the building.

photo by: Kim Callahan

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Tuesday near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The work was paid for by the city’s longstanding Percent for Art program.

photo by: Kim Callahan

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Tuesday near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The work was paid for by the city’s longstanding Percent for Art program.

photo by: Kim Callahan

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Tuesday near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The work was paid for by the city’s longstanding Percent for Art program.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Wednesday, June 29, 2022, near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The light sculpture at the center of the pavilion includes cut-out patterns that project images onto the ground.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Wednesday, June 29, 2022, near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The light sculpture at the center of the pavilion includes cut-out patterns that project images onto the ground.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Wednesday, June 29, 2022, near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The light sculpture at the center of the pavilion includes cut-out patterns that project images onto the ground.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde/Journal-World

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Wednesday, June 29, 2022, near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The light sculpture at the center of the pavilion includes cut-out patterns that project images onto the ground.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

The art installation “Through Other Eyes” is pictured Wednesday, June 29, 2022, near Lawrence’s police headquarters, 5100 Overland Drive. The light sculpture at the center of the pavilion includes cut-out patterns that project images onto the ground.