By transforming homes and industrial buildings into accessible galleries, the Lawrence Art Guild aims to do more than sell art; it also looks to demystify the creative process for the community.
Saturday marked the first day of the fourth annual Art Spaces Studio Tours, where community members traveled across Lawrence to visit their favorite artists’ studios, peek into their creative processes and build their collections.
For those who missed the opening day, studios will be open again from noon until 6 p.m. Sunday, May 3.
See a list of participating artists and map of studios on the guild’s website.
Assemblage of found history
Nick Schmiedeler, this year’s featured artist, opened his studio at 710 Missouri St. Schmiedeler specializes in assemblage, meshing found metal and wooden pieces to create eclectic sculptures for his yard and home.
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Schmiedeler’s open studio offers a glimpse into a process that he describes as uncalculated. As he balances his 30-year career as a forklift operator with creative work, he spends his time hunting through junkyards, flea markets and local dumps for metal and wood.
“I’m really not that thoughtful about it, to be honest,” Schmiedeler said. “If it has a cool look, I just grab it and I kind of throw it in my excess stuff over there and randomly just weld things together or assemble them and just see how it goes.”
Schmiedeler likes to keep his materials era-consistent, often pairing century-old scraps with pieces from a similar time to create a sense of cohesion. His use of colorful weather-worn bowling balls, often split by elements, serve as a rounded contrast to the sharp edges of many of his steel sculptures.
“I really do this for myself,” Schmiedeler said. “If other people appreciate it, that’s nice. It’s complimentary, but it’s always just for our own comfort and we like being surrounded by this stuff.”
The muralist in the alleyway
Dave Loewenstein and his son, Andrés, hosted guests in their alleyway studio behind their home at 645 Illinois St.
A staple of Lawrence’s art scene, Dave is known for his large-scale murals that involve deep community collaboration — a practice that now involves his son as an active assistant.
For the Loewensteins, inspiration is almost always tied to place. Whether working with the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation or a local nursery school, Dave said the “where” and “who” of the community drives their process.
“We usually talk to whoever we’re working with,” Dave said. “If we’re doing a mural, it’s really about where, and then who lives nearby.”
Andrés, who is already honing his artistic voice at age 8, is engaging visitors with live drawing demonstrations, dubbed “Draw-o-Rama.” Guests spin a wheel for three random topics; Andrés then illustrates a scene based on those prompts using marker and paper.
“I might do the same thing my dad is,” Andrés said, “and paint walls and different stuff.”
Hub of collaboration
Art Emergency, at 721 E. Ninth St., houses a collective of artists working in various mediums, from painting and photography to textiles and mixed media.
For Brandt Minden, acrylic painter and photographer, the studio has been an important space for professional growth.
Meanwhile, Liza MacKinnon uses the space to transform maps and books into intricate, three-dimensional garments.
Joining them is Kathy Suprenant, a former KU biology professor whose retirement career in fiber arts has become a second act.
Suprenant uses a multi-step process, printing, painting and then digitally mashing up her work before printing it onto satin and stitching it by hand. Her background in science often informs her aesthetic, as she finds herself returning to organic, cellular shapes.
“It’s been joyous,” Suprenant said of her transition from the lab to the studio. “I just do it to have fun. That’s the real reason.”
Whether it is the vibrant, colorful canvases of Minden, the delicate paper garments of MacKinnon, or the fiber art of Suprenant, Art Emergency highlights the diversity of talent thriving in Lawrence.
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Courtney Lane (she/her), reporting correspondent, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. Originally from Arkansas, she’s a graduate of KU’s Journalism school, where she worked as a reporter, opinion section editor, and eventually editor-in-chief for The Kansan.
Read her work for the Times at this link, and see her photography for the Times at this link.
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