A new mural honoring the community of La Yarda will be dedicated Saturday, and the public is welcome to attend the celebration.
Lawrence artist Javy Ortiz painted six panels to honor La Yarda, an East Lawrence housing unit where Mexican American railroad workers and their families lived in 1920-51. The mural will adorn fences on the Lawrence Loop trail system at the intersection of Eighth and Delaware streets, within a few blocks of where the neighborhood once stood.
A major flood wiped away the complex in 1951. But the community did not leave after the flood. Ortiz met with five families of former La Yarda residents and their relatives during his process.
“The families of La Yarda have been the heart and soul for this endeavor and have served on the steering committee to select the artist, have generously shared their stories with him, and have provided feedback on the artwork every step of the way,” Marlo Angell, a filmmaker who works in grants and special projects at the Lawrence Arts Center, said in a news release.
The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at the mural location at Eighth and Delaware streets.
Playing traditional music, Mariachi Habanero will then lead a train of attendees the short distance to Van Go, 715 New Jersey St., for a 6 p.m. reception. Lawrence restaurant La Tropicana will provide food, and Kansas City-based band Maria the Mexican will perform live.
The event is free to attend, and all are welcome.
The arts center in September 2024 selected Ortiz to complete the public works, in collaboration with LiveWell Douglas County and the City of Lawrence Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture.
Read more about the work to bring La Yarda’s history to life at findinglayarda.com.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
More coverage of La Yarda:
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
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Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
