35th Annual Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibition

This year’s edition of the Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibition (ODSE) opened at the end of May with seven new pieces (along with some from prior years) for you to visit.

The ODSE includes sculptural artworks created by local and regional artists. The artworks showcase a variety of styles and media and are selected for the exhibition by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission.

“This temporary public art exhibition is one of the most popular programs that the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission oversees,” said
Daniel Smith, Chair of Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission. “The selection process is arduous, as we are fortunate to receive a lot of great submissions each year. We strive to pick pieces that represent our community while offering a variety of styles and mediums.”

The artworks featured in this year’s ODSE are:

• Constant Change by Pat Slimmer located on the east side of Mass St. between 8th & 9th streets
• There, There by Suzan Hampton located at Prairie Park, 2730 Harper St.
• The Farmer by Mara Strayer, located at the Carnegie Building
• We Are One by Myles Schachter, located at the northeast corner of 8th & Massachusetts streets
• Tower of Code by V. Skip Willits located in South Park
• Bird’s Nest by Rollin Karg, located at the southeast corner of 6th & Massachusetts streets
• Sailing Ships by Kristin Garnant located at Buford M. Watson, Jr. Park

The artwork featured above this article is The Farmer by Mara Strayer. Mara is a University of Kansas graduate who gets inspiration for
her work from our state’s rich agricultural history and the dedication of farmers.

“The ODSE has given me such a confidence boost and opened my eyes to possibilities,” said Strayer. “I couldn’t get enough of learning
about the other artists and their work either. I think the public should take the time to listen and read about each work in the ODSE. It’s
not until you read the stories, background, techniques and inspiration that you can truly appreciate each piece.”

Mara’s piece is located in front of the Carnegie Building at the northwest corner of 8th & Vermont. It’s next to another piece from Mara that was featured in last year’s ODSE, Trophy Wheat.

Another artist featuring works in back-to-back years of the ODSE is local artist Myles Schachter who operates 2Sculpt, a stone carving operation and workshop program just south of Lawrence.

For last year’s ODSE, Myles had a sculpture, Human Matrix, at the corner of 8th & Massachusetts streets. He will be installing his new artwork, We Are One, in the same spot this year. The pieces he has featured in this exhibition have all had a theme of diversity.

“This sculpture [We Are One] is composed of carved stones from five countries. The colors – yellow, white, red and black – represent some of the peoples of the world,” said Schachter. “These are also the colors of the Lakota tribe representing the four cardinal directions – encompassing all lands, all peoples.”

Our community is invited to view this year’s artworks in a self-guided tour as they’re located throughout Lawrence, with most in Downtown Lawrence. The map of sculpture locations is online at: lawrenceks.org/odse.

“I’m personally a big fan of art that is challenging and I hope that each year people find a few new pieces that they love, while also interrogating why they love them, and what sets those pieces apart from ones they might otherwise overlook,” said Smith. “With public art,
placing the sculptures or installations is only part of the goal. How individuals engage with public art is itself an integral part of the process.”

The City also uses Otocast, which is an app that guides you on a tour of the various pieces in this year’s program as well as some sculptures still on display from previous years. You can download Otocast from any app store. More information and links to download Otocast are on the ODSE webpage: lawrenceks.org/odse.

The ODSE is coordinated by the Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission with City staff support from the Parks, Recreation, Arts, and Culture department. It honors the memory of James Patti, who founded the Outdoor Downtown Sculpture Exhibition in 1987. His vision continues
to make a lasting impact, ensuring that this program remains a beloved highlight in our community!