Local artist Dave Loewenstein is planning a new mural inspired by star charts, local wildlife and the Burroughs Creek Trail for Free State’s Eastside Brewery.
The mural, titled “Estamos Aquí / We Are Here,” will be on the west-facing wall of the Free State building at 1927 Moodie Road and is set to be 20 feet tall by 50 feet wide.
The project began about a year ago when Chuck Magerl, owner of the brewery, and Jodie Buster, a Free State employee, approached Loewenstein to ask about the feasibility of the project.
Magerl said the mural is meant to add something for people using the trail corridor.
“Let’s provide something for the enjoyment of the people that are out and about, and engaging in the community and in that outdoor exploration process,” Magerl said.
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The mural draws from 14th- and 15th-century star charts, an idea that Loewenstein said he pulled from his “trove of unfinished notions.”
After holding community workshops, Loewenstein said the piece took on a more focused direction, with the star-chart concept allowing him to weave the community ideas into a cohesive composition.
“It was more an opportunity to include all these things that people had drawn or suggested in one space, but then try to create some relationships between the things where people could start to do their own storytelling,” he said.
He said the mural reflects the Lawrence Loop and all the creatures that have coexisted in the area. The final imagery includes fireflies, a tandem bicycle, a snake and a mosasaur.
He said the design also needed to read well from a distance because of the trail location.
“I wanted to make sure that it was sort of stunning when you pass by,” he said.
The title also carries the mural’s broader message, he said.
“Spanish is part of especially my son’s life, he’s half-Peruvian,” he said. “We all coexist, and that’s sort of the point.”
The Cultural Arts Commission approved the project proposal Wednesday night. Next, the design will go to the city commission for final approval.
Loewenstein ultimately plans to make a line tracing of the mural to be projected onto the wall of Free State to begin the design transfer. The community will then be invited to help paint the mural during a public painting event.
“Everyone’s welcome to come down,” he said. “It’s not like you paint what you want — you’re going to have direction.”
He said community participation is one of the most meaningful parts of the process.
“It’s just so joyful,” he said. “I remember as a kid the first mural I painted on … how exciting it was to do that.”
He said the collaboration will produce something fantastical.
“It’s been a blast,” he said. “I really love the freedom that I’ve had working with everybody, all the participants.”
He said the mural will be painted with Nova Color, a paint specifically made for murals that he has used on many of his projects. He said it typically holds up well for 15 to 20 years, and that he is happy to restore it later if needed.
“What you put down initially isn’t going to last forever, because you have sunlight, you’ve got weather,” he said. “If it needs attention, you go, and you do it.”
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Courtney Lane (she/her), staff reporter, has worked with The Lawrence Times since April 2026. She can be reached at [email protected].
Read her complete bio here. Read her work for the Times at this link, and see her photography for the Times at this link.
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