photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Free State Brewing Company's eastside brewery location in Lawrence, 1927 Moodie Rd.

A new mural visible from the Burroughs Creek Trail is coming to East Lawrence after a local trails nonprofit secured two grants to support the project.

The mural project is being led by Friends of Lawrence Area Trails, or FLAT, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining an accessible trail system in Douglas County. The mural will be on Free State Brewing Company’s east side brewery and bottling plant, 1927 Moodie Road, which is along the Burroughs Creek Trail. The project is expected to be completed this fall.

Chris Tilden, chair of FLAT, said the idea came after murals celebrating the La Yarda Mexican American community were installed on the Lawrence Loop trail last September. He said that’s when discussions began with Free State and other partners to put a mural on another heavily used trail in Lawrence.

“We’re looking forward to now being part of a series of discussions with community members about how it is that we want to utilize that space and what should we highlight in terms of Lawrence culture (and) history,” Tilden said. “We’re still working on a conceptualization of the idea for that space, and we’ll have a series of discussions.”

FLAT has received around $10,000 in funding through the Sunflower Foundation’s “Paving the Way – From Blazing Trails to Building Community” grant program and about $6,000 from the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission’s Community Arts Grant Program.

“We’re still looking to secure some additional funds through some additional fundraising efforts, but we were very fortunate to receive funding through a specific trail program offered through the Sunflower Foundation … as well as through a community arts grant,” Tilden said.

The arts commission’s grant program supports a variety of public art in Lawrence, and the Sunflower Foundation grants go toward projects to build and enhance trails statewide.

FLAT and Free State Brewing Company are partnering with local muralist Dave Loewenstein, who has painted a number of other murals across the city. One of his most recent projects is a mural painted directly on the street at Seventh and Alabama in Old West Lawrence, depicting box turtles — the state reptile of Kansas – and using designs from the community. Loewenstein will be working with members of the community to identify elements for the new mural’s design.

Tilden said he thinks this project is all about promoting togetherness as a community, and it fits with the annual Trails that Connect Us event that’s held in partnership with Free State Brewing Company.

“I think the mural’s also very much an outgrowth of Free State and Friends of Lawrence Area Trails’ commitment to this idea of utilizing trails as a way to create connections among people in our community,” Tilden said.

There will be public design workshops for community members to brainstorm ideas for the mural alongside Loewenstein. The first workshop will be held this Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 1927 Moodie Road. The second one will be on Wednesday, June 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. All ages are welcome, and snacks will be provided.