Arts Center News

2009-10 Carmine Ballare Dance Scholarship
Recipients Announced

The Lawrence Arts Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the Carmine Ballare Dance Scholarship for the 2009-2010 year. Grace Clark, daughter of Jordana Arnold and Brian Clark, and Clarate Heckler, daughter of Beth Anne Mansur and Richard Heckler, were chosen for the coming year. Emma Davison, daughter of Amy Albright and Doug Davison, and Jessica Devlin, daughter of Frances and Rick Devlin were selected as alternates. These recipients were selected through an audition process held in the Spring.

The Carmine Ballare scholarship fund was established by Dan Sabatini in honor of his grandfather, Carmine Sabatini. Its purpose is to reward excellence and commitment to dance, and to encourage rigorous training in ballet. The scholarship will fully fund four ballet technique classes per week at the Lawrence Arts Center (August-May). Additionally the scholarship covers participation in this year’s holiday production, “The Kansas Nutcracker” in December 2009 and the Lawrence Youth Ballet Company’s “Wizard of Oz II” in March 2010.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to encourage, as well as a reward our dance students who have made dance a real priority in their lives.”

Candi Baker, Dance Program Director

In the Galleries...

June 5 - July 17

From the 60's to Sixty Something: A Journey of Art and Friendship
Works by Jim Brothers and Louis Copt

Lawrence artists Louis Copt (left) and Jim Brothers camping in Munich, Germany in 1969. They have been friends for over forty years.

Louis Copt Website

Jim Brothers LJ World Story

Imagination & Place News

July 1, 2009

Purchased Book (@$12.95) Equals Ticket to Book Launch and
Poet Laureate Celebration

The Committee on Imagination & Place announces the first publication of the Imagination & Place Press, Imagination & Place: An Anthology. This eclectic collection features poems, essays, and fiction by writers from coast to coast, broadening the conversation about place and its relation to the natural world and human culture.

Also, July 1, 2009, is the first day of the two-year term of the recently named third Kansas Poet Laureate Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg and represents the conclusion of the term of the second Kansas Poet Laureate Denise Low. Both Mirriam-Goldberg and Low are members of the Committee on Imagination & Place and from Lawrence.

Consequently, the public is warmly invited to attend a combined celebration taking place on July 1, launching the anthology and paying tribute to Mirriam-Goldberg and Low. The event will occur at 7:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire, Lawrence, Kansas.

Admission to the event is the purchase of a copy of Imagination & Place: An Anthology per household. The books will be available at the door for $12.95 each plus tax.

A booksigning and readings by area contributors to the anthology, as well as readings by Mirriam-Goldberg and Low will make up the July 1 program. A poem by Mirriam-Goldberg is included in the anthology; Low serves on the Imagination & Place Press editorial team. Books by Mirriam-Goldberg and Low will be offered for sale as well. A reception will follow.

About her position as 2007-2009 Kansas Poet Laureate, Low said, "As a new poet laureate, I planned to make appearances and to create a series of electronic poetry broadsides to disseminate to poets, arts organizations, libraries, and publications. I did not expect to take on such a broad role as an ambassador for poetry to colleges, arts centers, libraries, social service organizations, and churches. I spoke on radio and television shows. I judged contests and ran my own series of contests for Poetry Month. In this time I discovered the profound hunger Kansans have for high-level communication. Poetry is not an easy art form, as it requires concentration, skill, logic, and heart. It is the most intense form of literacy. I appreciate the chance to be part of the Kansas Arts Commission-sponsored effort to bring arts into daily lives of my fellow citizens."

On becoming the 2009-2011 Kansas Poet Laureate, Mirriam-Goldberg said, "Over many years teaching and leading writing workshops in communities throughout Kansas and the U.S. and Mexico, I've continually witnessed how powerful our stories and writing can be when we speak in our own words and tell our own truths. My Poet Laureate project -- "Poetry Across Kansas: Reading and Writing Our Way Home" -- offers communities opportunities for not just readings and writing workshops, but support for ongoing writing circles facilitated by local writers, teachers, artists and community members. Building on the good work of our first two Poets Laureate, Denise Low and Jonathan Holden, I'm also bringing communities writing prompts based on the poetry of Kansas writers featured on the website Holden started and Low's Ad Astra project, which also, in turn, helps the people of our state get to know the poetry of our state, and how such poetry can help us see where we live and how to live with new eyes."

Imagination & Place Website

Summer Youth Theatre Cast Listings

Julius Caesar Cast List

RENT Cast List

ANNIE Cast List

ROBIN HOOD Cast List

Fall 2009-2010 Preschool Enrollment

Click Here to download Enrollment Form
Click Here to download our introductory letter to parents.
Click Here to download our "Why Art" roundup.

Kindergarten Art Club

Enrollment continues for our new "Kindergarten Art Club" for children enrolled in kindergarten in local schools. Students will explore the arts and expand on their public school activities. Four-week sessions are available Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays and the Wednesday sessions meet early to allow for early dismissals in Lawrence Public Schools.

Younger children can enjoy our new one-day-per-week workshops for four- and five-year olds, and old favorites like Coloring Outside the Lines and Integrated Arts are back too! Click here for the full preschool class schedule and online enrollment forms.

Arts-Based Preschool

The Arts-Based preschool is for children ages 3-5 years and provides social, motor and creative experiences that excite a love for learning. Music, sculpture, painting, drawing and creative movement are an integral part of the program. The self-esteem of your child will grow through rich and varied experiences with the arts in combination with sound preschool education. The LAC Preschool's curriculum allows students the opportunity to work with professional artists, actors, dancers, and musicians in addition to the full-time staff; attend performances; and create in the ceramics studio. Lots of fun, lots of love, and lots of good arts experiences nurture creative thinking, decision-making, imagination and art appreciation.

Children must be 3 years of age before September 1st. We do accept a limited number of children who turn 3 years of age in September and October for our Tuesday/Thursday morning class only. We offer several other classes each semester for 2 and 3 year olds.

For more information please contact Bonnie Cherry or Linda Reimond, Preschool Director, at 785-843-2787 or lacpreschool@sunflower.com.

Kansas-Missouri Short Film Festival

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

– First Annual Kansas-Missouri Short Film Festival

Film At The Center
Is pleased to announce the winners of the FIRST ANNUAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL which was held Thursday, April 2nd, at 7 PM, in the Lawrence Arts Center auditorium.

• BEST PICTURE was Boys Pretending, a drama by Kitley Jewell
• BEST DOCUMENTARY was Tras Bambalinas, by Steve Lerner
• BEST OVERALL ACTING & BEST SCIENCE FICTION was Crawlspace, by Marlo Angell
• BEST PICTURE, YOUTH DIVISION was Tales of Miss Fortune, a comedy by Siel Snowden & Cannzana Stockwil
• BEST ART FILM was Frog, by Matt Simon
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY was Candy, by Misti Boland
• BEST MUSIC VIDEO was The Fitz Brothers, by A.J. Alexander
• JUDGES CHOICE; SOCIAL ACTION FILM was The Littlest Ones; a Dogumentary, by Grant Babbit

The Lawrence Arts Center's film program is now regularly showing films; original, educational, local, and archival every two months, usually on Thursday evenings..

Upcoming screenings will include Shakespeare on film on June 4th, (SYT is doing JULIUS CAESAR) and Lawrence on Film – Quantrill’s raid excerpts on August 20th.

The Lawrence Arts Center ’s Film at the Center welcomes your input and ideas. We are committed to working with local, state and regional film makers to help our city become the new ‘ Austin of the Midwest .’

For more information, contact Ric Averill at lacdrama@sunflower.com. (785) 843-2787 Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire , Lawrence , KS 66044

Wood Firing Collaboration

This wood firing was a colaboration with the University of Kansas Ceramics Department and the Lawrence Arts Center. View Flickr Stream Slideshow!

A Special Thank You

Thank you to the Lawrence Arts Center Trustees who have recently completed their terms of service on the Board and to the Lawrence community.

• Dave Adams
• Louis Copt
• Jason Edmonds
• Evan Ice
• Maurice Joy
• Dolph Simons III

We thank you for your excellent service and commitment to our mission of nurturing love of the arts through education, exploration and expression.

Arts Ed Key to 21st Century Skills

Diane E. Franken, executive director of the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education writes about the importance of arts education in the Des Moines Register.

The Lawrence Arts Center Welcomes David L. Leamon

David L. Leamon

The Lawrence Arts Center is very proud to announce David L. Leamon as the new Executive Director to lead a brilliant new and existing cast. David brings knowledge, experience, and passion from his esteemed career as the Executive Director of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. As a result of his work with the Board of Trustees, a successful Referendum in 1992 brought ownership of the library to all Shawnee County residents. In 1995, he began planning with the Board and staff for a greatly expanded new library construction Since 2002 when the library opened, it has grown exponentially in space for collections, accommodation for the public, technology training, programming, open hours, and use by the enthusiastic public. Leamon played a major role in re-establishing the Library Foundation and helped raise over $4 million in support for library services and activities. He oversaw the planning and construction of the new main library which was designed by internationally known architect, Michael Graves. Leamon was honored by the Library Board of Trustees with the naming of the David L. Leamon Lobby in the new building.

Leamon received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art and a Bachelor of Science in English from Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. He was awarded a Master of Science in Library Science in 1972 from Case Western Reserve University.

Leamon began his library career at Mid-Continent Public Library in the Kansas City, Missouri area. He then moved to serve at the Tulsa City-County Public Library in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the Manager of Public Services. Another move to the Seattle Public Library in Seattle, Washington, established him as the director of the North Regional Branches. His first Directorate was at the Jackson District Public Library in Jackson, Michigan, where he merged two separate library systems and their branches into a very successful single library system.

As the Executive Director of the San Antonio Public Library in San Antonio, Texas from 1988-1992, he worked closely with Architect, Ricardo Legoretta in planning and designing the state-of-the art Main Library. In addition, Leamon was Director of the Hertzberg Circus Museum, then a part of the Library's holdings and responsibility.

Always a strong supporter and enthusiast of the Arts, Leamon has established public sculptures, promoted art exhibits and competitions, worked to include a Kansas mural by Kansas Artist, Stan Herd in the Topeka library, and he was a leading force behind the creation of the recent Aaron Douglas Mural Project in the historic Tennessee Town in Central Topeka.

He will begin at the Arts Center on November 17, 2008. A public reception will be held for him and the new Directors of Development, Sandy Sanders and Business, Rick Yarnell on November 21st from 7:00 - 8:30 PM at the Lawrence Arts Center located at 940 New Hampshire Street.

David Leamon featured in LJWorld, photo by Terry Rombeck