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LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER (940 New Hampshire) www.lawrenceartscenter.org Lawrence Arts Center Final Friday events are sponsored by CornerBank

April’s Final Friday at the Lawrence Arts Center will feature a huge line-up of activities, and art for all ages. The annual USD 497 Public Schools show will be on display. This show features works selected by Lawrence public school art teachers from children in K-12 classes. The USD 497 show reception is from 5-7pm.

We will also have artists working in the arts center studios. They will give demonstrations and create art from 5-7pm. The public is encouraged to visit the studios throughout the building.

Also not to be missed is the Free State Film Festival. Here is the lineup for final Friday: (see www.freestatefilmfest.com for details) 5:00 PM Meet the Artists Reception 6:00 PM The New Public / Hip Hop Academy (film) 8:00 PM This is Martin Bonner / Emergency Contact (film) 10:00 PM On Screen Offspring

Music Video & Experimental Film Showcase Demolition Derby photographs by Ann Dean, Self Portraits by Tony Ontiveros and panels from the graphic novel, The Dream Thief by Jai Nitz and Greg Smallwood.

Beginning at 7pm Olassa will perform out in front of the arts center. This performance is in conjunction with National Poetry Month. Throughout the month of April the Arts Center has featured “Poetry off the Page” by Mark Hennessy. There are poems and art throughout the building in unexpected places

This is your last chance to witness Wayne Propst’s exhibit “Art Supplies. Raw Materials of Art”. A sort of retrospective that incorporates items collected over many years, the art that has issued from Propst’s wide ranging collection is assembled as a spring board for social, political, and cultural commentary. Collection “documents” will be vigorously annotated to encourage future gallery presenters to explain the nature of their collections.

LAWRENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY www.lawrencepubliclibrary.com

Visit the Lawrence Public Library in its new temporary location at 7th and New Hampshire!

BE MOVED STUDIO (2 E. 7th ) Budding open from 7-9 at Be Moved Studio, 2 E. 7th Street. Anne Bruce, Joha Bisone and Jenny Cook will have pieces inspired by nature on display. The Sun My Heart (Rachael Perry and Michael Bradley) will perform starting at 7:30.

BLUE DOT SALON (15 E. 7th)

Blue Dot salon presents: Erika Kjorlie Geery. Free interpretive trees David Seibel. Kansas bird photographs Gil Bavel Expressive photos Along with Be. studios and Natural botanicals, With special guest Dj On.it. (Sean Foust)

ESSENTIAL GOODS (15 E. 7th)

next to Astrokitty Comics and Blue Dot Salon Opening Reception for Paul Punzo :: Linoleum Block Prints :: 5 to 9 pm Paul Punzo has been doing linoleum block printing for over three years. He continues to grow with the idea of simple foreground followed by layers of background to create colorful and interesting pieces. All prints are hand pressed using inks, acrylics, spray paints and water colors to add depth. Paul has shown at the Social Service League, The Percolator, SeedCo. Studios, Happy Shirt Co. and Wonderfair. He looks forward to his first solo show at Essential Goods. Essential Goods will be participating with next door neighbor The Blue Dot Salon for Final Fridays this month

THE LAWRENCE ART PARTY (718 New Hampshire St.)

We've got wonderful music and art lined up for this coming Final Friday, the amazing duo of Marianne Carter and Darrell Lea!

A great group of painters, sculptors, photographers, and mixed media artists will display their art, and performance artist Madam Go Go will tell your future!

To keep your body as well as your mind nourished and happy, we'll have delicious pizza from Papa Kenos Pizzeria, and refreshments from the Free State Brewery!

Donations for food and drink will benefit the Lawrence Art Guild and Lawrence Community Workshop. Our very talented artists are:

Julie Blichmann Rexy Bodean Genevieve Casey Wes Casey John Clayton Dave DeHetrre LeAnne Doljac and Jenny Allen Jan Fellers DW Gates Bill Kutilek Brad Levy Angie Logan Robin Loomas Robert Lundbom Kevin Mimms Ursula Minor George Paley Kassidee Quaranta Daniel Ramirez Nick Schmiedeler Madonna Sophia Sherrie Taylor Jen Unekis Lesa Weller Thomas Pecore Weso

Plus, The Lawrence Art Guild and Van Go will each have special exhibits!

TELLER'S RESTAURANT UPSTAIRS (746 Massachusetts St.) www.tellerslawrence.com

Giselle Ghadyani: Interupture Opens Tuesday, April 23rd 6-8pm Tellers art space

My current work is inspired by human anatomy, by exploring the bodies interior construction, and how research on disease effects ones mental health, as well as exterior appearance, I have created a series of drawings which reflect unrest and fear of the unknown. The inside of the body is natural, although to see it is unnatural. These drawings invoke a conversation between mind and body. The examination of the bodies ability to self destruct as well as self heal captures a feeling of uncertainty or, the feeling of being trapped from the inside.

Artist Bio: Giselle Ghadyani was born in Overland Park, Kansas. She currently resides in Lawrence, Kansas. She has always had strong interest in the sciences, specifically biology. Ghadyani’s art work consistently introduces elements of anatomy and physiology. Her ability to combine scientific research with delicate drawings emphasizes her cross discipline understanding and interests. In 2012 she received her BFA in Painting at the University of Kansas. Ghadyani has been included in group exhibitions including the University of Kansas Scholarship Show at the Art & Design building and LibArt at Watson Library, in Lawrence, Kansas, as well as a solo exhibition Secreatures at Henry’s Coffee Shop/Bar.

PRIVATE STUDIO OF TONY PETERSON (724 Rhode Island)

I use my camera as a tool to capture the subtle beauty of everyday things often missed, and the world around me as I see it. I’m particularly drawn to the play of light, color, texture, and unexpected connections.

My work doesn't fit neatly into any particular category. I went on a trip with a friend and when she looked at my photographs she asked, "Were we in the same place?" My perspective and what I saw were completely different from her own experience. That’s when I realized that I do have an Uncommon Vision of the Common World.

“Peterson covers a wide range of subjects with his work, but the nature of structures and the structures of nature are common threads . . . He focuses not so much on the objects themselves, but on focal points and resonant visual elements, so that each is as much a study in shape and symbol as a record of the thing being photographed.” - Steve Brisendine, ArtKC365, June 26, 2011

Peterson is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in Journalism. After more than 30 years working in human services and the nonprofit world he is currently pursuing his original passions of art and photography.

PACHAMAMAS (800 New Hampshire St.) www.pachamamas.com

"Roadscapes: A Trip from Here to There." This art show at Pachamamas features artist Karen Matheis and her latest works on paper.

COPT/FEIDEN GALLERY (800 Massachusetts St.)

5:00 PM until 9:00 PM—as part of Lawrence's Final Fridays. Refreshments provided.

WONDER FAIR (803 Massachusetts St.) www.wonderfair.com KRISTEN MARTINCIC: SURFACE TENSION

Emerging artist Kristen Martincic is a serene and powerful force rising to the forefront of the contemporary print world. Martincic's signature work layers soft washes of inky monotype with delicate line drawing atop translucent Japanese paper. In the Skin Suits series, the paper is shaped to recall modest bathing suits of the 1950s. Dry and crisp and thin as onion skins, the evocative Skin Suits are balanced by Martincic's water series. In these, shallow cerulean swimming pools are mounted on deep-sided panels, with improbable ladders wrapping around their edges. Her work, the artist explains, "explores the connection between the body and water. I use bathing suits and environments associated with water to reveal the fine line between public and private, intimacy and exposure, skin and clothing." A timely show for a long-lingering winter, Martincic's Surface Tension will remain on view through May 26th. Meet the artist, and perhaps learn a few of her printmaking tricks, at our Final Friday opening. A new original, affordable print edition will accompany the exhibition.

LOVE GARDEN SOUNDS (822 Massachusetts St.)

www.lovegardensounds.com

Art and Music

FOXTROT (823 Massachusetts St.)

Kathryn Summers, a lifelong artist, studied art at Emporia State and has worked in a variety of mediums over the years. Currently, she enjoys painting the constantly changing form and color she finds in nature, predominately florals. Kathryn will be showcasing her artwork this Final Friday at Foxtrot, 823 Mass., 6-9 pm. Her work is also displayed at SouthWind Art Gallery in Topeka and in other businesses across Topeka and Lawrence. www.summerscolors.com

DOWNTOWN UPSTAIRS (825 1/2 Massachusetts St.)

Eclectic artwork mixed with the otherworldly Downtown Upstairs Studio is eye candy for the soul that promises to please. Trip the light fantastic upstairs into a magical space that is just as interesting as what the artists are showing. Traci Bunkers, Uncle Andy and Mike Wallace have come together again to wow you with their visual magical mystery treats. Eye candy à go-go makes it definitely worth the trip upstairs.

Traci Bunkers, of Bonkers Handmade Originals, is a mixed-media artist, photographer and author. She has a little something for everyone, including mixed-media paintings, photographs, quirky pin-back buttons, and other handmade gift items. She will also have both of her books The Art Journal Workshop and Print & Stamp Lab available. See her website at www.TraciBunkers.com for more information about her and her work. Her online shop is www.TraciBunkers.com/shop.

Andy, fondly known as Uncle Andy, is a prolific artist who specializes in squished acrylics on found objects.

Mike Wallace is a Lawrence area artist who is showing again after many years. He is currently producing portraits and animal portraits in oil, as well as mixed-media pieces. For more information, contact Mike at mwdesign@sunflower.com.

PHOENIX GALLERY (825 Massachusetts St.) www.phoenixgalleryks.com

Final Friday this month at Phoenix Gallery will feature two artists, James Noury and Selena Cochran. We will have live music by Michael Paull, and TCBY will be here with Mrs. Fields Nibbler cookies and coffee, as well as coupons for their store. Join us on April 26th, 5-9 p.m. Born in 1984 in Olathe, Kansas, James Noury came to Lawrence in 2007 to attend KU, seeking a degree in Sociology. During his time there, he furthered his exploration in the ceramic arts and found mentors in David Vertacnik and Marshall Maude. Since James’ graduation, he has continued to work in the Lawrence area as an independent artist, and his work has been shown locally as well as nationally. The focus of James’ work is on the creation of functional vessels that are inspired by the breakdown of human interactions and are created with the hope of guiding the viewer to achieve a working relationship with living social objects. It is this interaction that drives James to create new work. Each piece is treated with the assertion that it is individualistic in its creation, giving little consideration to the continuity of the work and focusing on the personality of each piece. Selena Cochran was born and raised in Leawood, Kansas. She began her college career at KU in 2010 where she discovered metalsmithing and immediately fell in love with it. Most of her design inspiration comes from ancient jewelry, primarily from the Egyptian and Aztec times. Geometric patterns and shapes have been, since the beginning, the basis for each piece of her unique jewelry. Each piece of jewelry is made with a variety of metals including, sterling silver, gold-filled, nu gold and brass. Selena currently lives in Lawrence and works at Phoenix Gallery where her work is displayed. Michael Paull is a multi-instrumentalist and composer and has lived and performed in the Lawrence area for 20 years. He has had his music played on television, radio, and in live concert, most notably in 2010, by the Topeka Symphony Orchestra, in an event featuring music by Kansas composers. His next show will be at the Lawrence Arts Center on May 1st, and will include a full band, showcasing his songwriting and unique instrumental works. He is pleased to come be a part of Phoenix Gallery's series.

LOST ART SPACE (825 Massachusetts St.) www.lostartspace.com

birds are calling, fish are jumping, blood is flowing, hearts are thumping, leaves are budding, rivers flooding, waiting for the hail and the tornado siren's wail, wind is blowing, grass is growing, seeds are sowing, ever knowing, thorns and blossoms, poisonous mushrooms, mating opossums, rooster's coxcombs, mud so thick it sticks to your guts, earthworms and old barns full of writhing snakes, storm is rising, up through the roots, clouds are gathering, the smell of decay, senses surging elements converging memories emerging, if they were gone no one knows where, lost in the moment, they don't even care sprung is in the air

The Fresh Produce Art Collective and resident artists of Seedco Studios, in association with The Phoenix Gallery, present an exhibition of new works at the Lost Art Sp_ce, located at 825 Massachusetts St. The SPRUNG show will open on Final Friday, April 26, with regular gallery hours 12-6 Thursday-Sunday.

TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES (835 Massachusetts St.)

Art Quilts by Marge Banks My original designs are based upon Seminole patchwork strips. However, they are assembled in non-traditional ways with non-traditional batik fabrics. My painting background has prompted me to "paint with fabric" to make both wall hangings and table pieces. They vary in size between 12" squares to 4' x 6'.

THE BOURGEOIS PIG (6 E. 9th St.)

Impressions of the Midwest photographs by Joshua Holland

Although originally from New York City, the photographs of Joshua Holland present the viewer with a unique vision of the Midwest, born from his 20+ years living in Minnesota and Kansas, as well as extensive travel throughout the "flyover" states. Having a BFA from Cornell University, with a concentration in painting and sculpture, Joshua's interest in High Dynamic Range photography began a few years ago. His subject matter often includes the unnoticed and forgotten corners of the world around us.

THE SUMMIT (901 New Hampshire St.)

Point B Dance and the AIM Dance Company 6 until 8:30 pm

The AIM Dance Company, resident contemporary dance company of Point B Dance in Lawrence, KS, blends the excitement of commercial dance with the essence of concert dance to create entertaining and thought-provoking performances. At Final Fridays, the AIM Dance Company will perform excerpts of its upcoming performance, the Point B Dance Carnival, to be held at the Lawrence Arts Center on May 3rd and May 4th. A 10 minute excerpt in hip hop, jazz and contemporary dance will be performed on the half hours during Final Fridays beginning at 6:00pm with our last excerpt beginning at 8:30pm. The company members will be on hand to answer questions concerning Point B Dance as well as the AIM Dance Company.

DO'S DELUXE (416 E. 9th St.)

LAWRENCE PERCOLATOR (in the alley behind Lawrence Arts Center on 9th St.) *look for the green awnings www.lawrence-percolator.blogspot.com

EXTRA VIRGIN (937 Massachusetts St.)

Kathleen Anderson is a Lawrence resident who has been painting in watercolor and oil for the past 14 years. She loves color in all its brilliance and subtleties with subject matter that includes landscapes, city scenes, seascapes, flowers and animals. She is a member of the Lawrence Art Guild, the Greater Kansas City Art Association, and the Missouri Valley Impressionist Society. Her work hangs in private and corporate collections and has been displayed in 1109 Gallery in Lawrence, SouthWind Gallery in Topeka, and Images Gallery, Buttonwood Gallery, and ARTichokes Gallery in the Kansas City area.

FIVE BAR / INGREDIENT (947 Massachusetts St.)

Five Bar (just to the north of Ingredient) on Final Friday for live music all night

THE GRANADA (1020 Massachusetts St.) www.thegranada.com

AIMEE'S CAFE' & COFFEE SHOP (1025 Massachusetts St.) www.aimeescoffeehouse.com

Aimee's will have works from the children at First five Years Preschool

WATKINS COMMUNITY MUSEUM (1047 Massachusetts St.) www.watkinsmuseum.org

On Friday April 26th, the Watkins Museum will host an Earth Day-themed Final Friday event coinciding with the closing of the exhibit Kansas Riverkings: Life on the Kaw. The exhibit pays tribute to local residents who made their livings fishing the Kansas River, and is guest curated by a descendent of a Lawrence “River King.” Final Friday visitors to the Watkins will explore the many connections between Lawrence and the Kansas River and how Lawrencians use and appreciate water in their daily lives. The museum will be open extended hours from 6-8 PM.

Special guests to the Watkins evening will include the Spencer Museum of Art and the Friends of the Kaw. Staff from the Spencer will share an activity and information on the new installation “Conversation XIV: Water,” exploring contemporary artists’ perspectives on water, including the visual dynamics between the Kaw and the Yangtze River in China. The Friends of the Kaw will present information on water safety and floating on the Kaw.

For more information on the Final Friday event, contact the Watkins Museum at 785-841-4109, or visit the museum online at watkinsmuseum.org. For details on the Spencer Museum exhibit, visit spencerart.ku.edu/exhibitions/water.shtml. To learn more about the Friends of the Kaw, visit kansasriver.org.

1109 GALLERY (1109 Massachusetts St.) www.lawrenceartguild.org

The 1109 Gallery will feature a Lawrence Art Guild All Members Show called Art by the Park to coincide with the Art Guild's Annual Art in the Park show on Sunday, May 5. Stop by and see what our members' work and enjoy live musical performance by singer, songwriter and composer Stephanie Ann Barrows. Also don't miss the work of Leo Hayden, the winning artist in our mARTch MADNESS tournament and juried show.

FINAL FRIDAY EVENTS IN THE WAREHOUSE ARTS DISTRICT

313 STUDIOS (313 E. 8th)

CIDER GALLERY ( 810 Pennsylvania St.)

Cider Gallery, Event Space, Entrepreneur Office Hub, Gateway to the new Lawrence, Kansas, Warehouse Arts District- Opening Friday, April 26th

The inauguration of a new era of creative arts is coming to Lawrence, Kansas, debuting during Final Fridays on April 26 from 5:00p-9:00p.
The press and public are invited to the grand opening of the historically preserved and beautifully repurposed 1890's Cider Building -- the creative heart of the newly designated Warehouse Arts District at 810 Pennsylvania in East Lawrence. The venerable building has been renovated to house the Cider Gallery which includes an extraordinary art venue, upstairs offices for rent in a creative “Entrepreneur Office Hub;” and a most memorable event space, boasting 9,000+ square feet of indoor and outdoor urban architecture perfect for hosting any occasion. The April 26th celebration will include music, guided tours and refreshments.

Kansas City and Lawrence Developer Tony Krsnich, Kansas City Architect Don Rosemann, Kansas Contractor Dan Meyer from Rau Construction, Attorney Mike Hodges, all KU Alums-- and Gallery owner Kim Weinberger are partners in the Cider Gallery.

With the addition to the new Warehouse Arts District, Lawrence has the opportunity to become a national creative arts destination, attracting artists, designers, sculptors, web and graphic designers, students, writers, and music, video and film makers into the heart of America surrounded by one of the top college towns in the country.

Gallery Background

The Cider Gallery is the new sister gallery of the prestigious Weinberger Fine Art Gallery located in the Crossroads District of Kansas City. Gallery owner Kim Weinberger and her associates are bringing their magic artistic representation to Lawrence, Kansas. They will be featuring their nationally recognized emerging and museum quality artists, including international artist Hunt Slonem; abstract artist Brady Legler; abstract and muralist Majo; 2013 ArtsKC Council award featured artist Mark Westervelt; Geo Sipp, award winning illustrator; Kansan and international crop artist and painter Stan Herd; digital painting performance artists Paul & Kate Lindholm featured at Chicago Art Institute; and Lawrence artists abstract landscape painter Clare Doveton; artist film maker John Sebelius; and Stephen Johnson, who has been featured in the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

The opening group exhibition is displayed in a new, $2 million dollar historically preserved 4,000 square foot gallery which is appointed with the original 1890’s stone and brick walls, soaring wood beams and bountiful windows. The gorgeous gallery gives a clean, rustic accent to the featured contemporary artists curated by Kim Weinberger and Mara Summers.

Event Space Background

Like no other venue for miles, The Cider Gallery includes an indoor and outdoor catered-only event space for weddings & cocktail receptions, graduation parties, corporate events and gallery showings offering just the right balance of contemporary elegance and alluring historic ambiance. The Cider Gallery holds up to 250 seated guests complete with a stage, bar and catering kitchen. The outside patio, an on-going build, will include a performance stage and soon to be fire and water sculpture features. Call to reserve space. 785-766-4570

Office Space Background

The second floor “Entrepreneur Office Hub”, with its original stone and brick and new hardwood floors, are beautifully renovated into sixteen single offices, additional cubicles and office memberships complete with internet, copy machines and state-of-the-art conference room – all designed with artists, film makers and creative business executives in mind. The Cider Gallery is dedicated to attracting and renting to a diverse group of professional entrepreneurs who will contribute to the spirit of the Warehouse Arts District. Limited office space is available. 785-766-4570

“The Gateway” Project Background

Welcoming visitors into the District will be the artist inspired outdoor event space and “Gateway” – a grand entrance to the warehouse arts district positioned next to the Cider Gallery. The “Gateway”, designed by Kansan artist Stan Herd, will feature a striking mosaic floor design incorporating historic bricks, an iconic emblem of the City of Lawrence. The Fresh Produce Art Collective, a group of local artists located in the Arts District Seedco building will be installing and designing parts of the “Gateway”. Patrons of the arts are being offered a chance to have their names and/or businesses engraved into the custom-made bricks through several sponsorship options.

THE INVISIBLE HAND GALLERY (846 Pennsylvania St.) www.invisiblehandgallery.com

Troy Moth: Witness Opens Final Friday, April 26th 5-9pm Runs through May 25th

Troy plans on doing a workshop at my gallery and a portrait day at the gallery during the week after Final Friday. He will also do an artist talk at the Lawrence Arts center. Dates and times of these events are forthcoming.

Troy Moth spent the bulk of his 20s as a highly successful commercial photographer, doing fashion shoots for Vogue, GQ, Rolling Stone and other major publications. But two years ago, Moth became acutely aware that he was not headed down the path he wished to travel. “On my last trip to India working for a major magazine,” Moth says, “I was on set and realized that I was in the spot that so many shooters dream of, but that it wasn't my dream, at least not anymore.”

Raised in remote Canadian wilderness with an overflowing appreciation for the natural world, Moth decided to return to his roots. He left fashion photography behind and set to work renovating an old cabin by hand. With an oceanside location on Vancouver Island, along Canada’s western coast, the cabin and the land surrounding it have become home and sanctuary for Moth. Last year, he began the arduous task of transforming a dilapidated barn into a photo studio, which is now near enough to completion that he shot the entirety of his new exhibition there. For Moth, it’s a dream to be able to create his art in an environment that resonates with what truly inspires him: raw nature.

“It's the backbone, if not the clear subject, to everything I shoot,” Moth says. “For this project, when I would get stumped on something, I would step out of the studio and go for a walk in the woods or walk down to the ocean to think.” Moth’s new exhibition, Witness, is a response to the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline, which would transport oil from the tar sands in Alberta to the west coast and traverse some of the most pristine natural areas in the country. The product is a set of 10 photographs that portrays a mystical confrontation between nature’s purity and the insidious global oil industry. Shot in complete darkness save for camera flash, with muted colors and an ever-present murk, the photos present an unsettling battle between good and evil that may not turn out the way we all hope.

Troy Will be showing this series as well as selected images from his nature work at The Invisible Hand. Witness opens at the Invisible Hand Gallery on April 26.

SeedCo STUDIOS (826 Pennsylvania St.) www.lostartspace.com

:::SEEDCO STUDIOS::: Open Studios 6-9pm / After Hours 9-12pm

Music: Curated by Whatever Forever Tapes

Open Studios by resident artists: Daniel Coonfield Paul Flinders Jesse Gray Erok Johanssen Alicia Kelly Kate Larson Brandon Mateer Jeromy Morris Jeremy Rockwell Angela Wright

Foxy By Proxy Red Light Photography Whatever Forever Tapes

About SeedCo Studios: Located within the Warehouse Arts District at 826 Pennsylvania in a monolithic brick warehouse, this space is ideal for making, showing and engaging in all aspects of contemporary fine art. With studios on the lower level and event space in the main hall, the potential for creating and collaborating on projects at all scales is practically limitless. SeedCo is envisioned as a creative factory/lalaboratory with each of the resident artists bringing their singular artistic identity and prowess to expand and delve deeper into conception and production. At the heart of this project is a conscious intent to transform post-industrial space into a fluent medium all its own, specifically designed to transcend temporal and spatial values and condense them to create a heightened sensory experience. A multi-disciplinary approach emphasizing cooperation, collaboration, and community involvement and encompassing elements from fine art, sculpture, graphic design and production, fashion, construction, digital media, and street art, the scope of this endeavor is far-reaching, but the flavor is distinctly home-grown. With its placement in the center of historic redevelopment, directly behind the monumental Poehler building, SeedCo Studios has the chance to act as a catalyst for creative growth, not only in Lawrence proper, but radiating outward into the surrounding regional area and beyond.

www.seedcostudios.com www.freshproduceartcollective.com

MARLA'S QUILTS (720 E. 9th St. #2)

Marla Jackson Quilter Textile Historian Opens Studio and Gallery in New Lawrence Arts District Get ready to take a journey into the creative mind of nationally renowned Lawrence artist Marla Jackson.  Her artistic medium is not paint, acrylic, or pen and ink; not glass, stone or plaster but the vibrant and soul touching colors and textures of cloth.  With one of her art creations already accepted at the Smithsonian, and many others featured in books, displayed at the Spencer Museum at the University of Kansas and in private collections, quilter textile historian and creative artistic story teller Marla Jackson is a new anchor in the new Warehouse Arts District in East Lawrence at 720 # 2 East 9th Street. www.marlaquilts.com

Not your typical on-the-prairie quilter, Ms. Jackson brings her African American heritage and historical creative poignancy to her quilts.  Her primary goal with her work is to echo the untold stories of heroes that history has overlooked, forgotten, or hidden. But it is not until you know the raw emotion of Ms. Jackson's personal story, that you see the joy and pain of her own life intertwined with her African American culture playing out in the brilliant color and texture in her “story” quilts.

Many of her quilts will be on display, along with her amazing dolls some of which are created with rare African cloths from Ghana and Mali. Her gallery will soon become a teaching laboratory where she will begin to teach the art of creative story quilting, doll making, fabric design and printing, handbags and accessory creations. For more information and to sign up for Ms. Jackson’s future creative classes email marlaquilts@sbcglobal.net or call 785-371-6682 

FINAL FRIDAYS IN NORTH LAWRENCE (AFTER-PARTY ART SHOWS)

GASLIGHT GARDENS (317 N. 2nd)

FRANK'S NORTH STAR TAVERN (508 Locust) FF after-party 8 pm until 2 am